Indigenous rights and knowledge at COP30 in BelémCEFR B2
26 Nov 2025
Adapted from Liam Anderson, Global Voices • CC BY 3.0
Photo by Daniel Granja, Unsplash
COP30, held in Belém, Pará from November 10 to 21, 2025, included a Blue Zone debate on November 12 where climate scientist Sineia Do Vale (also known as Sineia Wapichana) called for securing Indigenous territorial rights as a foundational step for climate policy. She argued that Indigenous traditional knowledge must be combined with scientific research to design effective adaptation and mitigation measures.
Do Vale spoke in multiple capacities: climate scientist, co‑president of the Indigenous Caucus, official Indigenous representative for the COP30 Presidency, and coordinator of the Department of Territorial, Environmental, and Climate Change Management (DGTAMC) at the Indigenous Council of Roraima (CIR). She has worked for over 30 years with Indigenous knowledge to protect the Amazon from extreme weather.
On November 12 she led an event titled "From on the ground to the world — and back: Indigenous pathways to adapting to climate change." Participants included the Norwegian Ministry for the Environment (NICFI), the UNFCCC, the Green Climate Fund, the Global Partnership of Indigenous Peoples for Climate Change, Forests, and Sustainable Development (Elatia), and the Tenure Facility.
Do Vale described how Indigenous communities use natural indicators — birdsong, planting and harvesting cycles, and the behaviour of the aninga plant — to monitor floods and droughts. She pointed to Roraima, where fires in 2024 affected 80 percent of the rural cultivated zone. Inpe detected 1,692 fire outbreaks between February 1 and 23, 2024, surpassing 1,347 outbreaks in February 2007, an increase of 449 percent. She warned that fires destroy biodiversity, medicinal plants and species such as the buriti palm, which has practical and spiritual value for Indigenous peoples, and she urged funding so work can move from voluntary action to paid, supported measures.
The COP30 panel aimed to produce policy recommendations for the UNFCCC, the Global Goal on Adaptation, and national adaptation plans, and to develop ethical, equitable paths for direct climate finance to Indigenous‑led adaptation actions. Ana Paula Wapichana described her prevention work with a community brigade and said adaptation is urgent; she noted that Indigenous delegates represent peoples who could not attend.
Difficult words
- indigenous — Original peoples of a region with distinct cultures
- territorial — Relating to land or area under control
- adaptation — Adjustment to reduce harm from environmental change
- mitigation — Actions that reduce negative effects or risks
- traditional knowledge — Local cultural knowledge passed through generations
- biodiversity — Variety of living species in an ecosystem
- outbreak — A sudden start or increase of harmful eventsoutbreaks
Tip: hover, focus or tap highlighted words in the article to see quick definitions while you read or listen.
Discussion questions
- What are the benefits and challenges of combining Indigenous traditional knowledge with scientific research in climate policy?
- How could direct climate finance to Indigenous-led adaptation actions change responses to extreme weather in local communities?
- What steps could governments take to secure Indigenous territorial rights as part of climate strategy?
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