NEW YORK (United States): A comprehensive global assessment has found that industrial development is encroaching on the lands of Indigenous Peoples across the world, putting communities and ecosystems at risk. Researchers mapped industrial pressures on Indigenous territories and concluded that nearly six in ten of these lands face threats from infrastructure, energy projects, mining, agriculture and urban expansion. The analysis highlights the growing conflict between economic development and the rights and stewardship roles of Indigenous Peoples.
The study, led by scientists associated with The Nature Conservancy (TNC) and published in the journal One Earth, used global spatial data to quantify the scale of industrial pressure on lands customarily governed by Indigenous communities in at least 64 countries. Indigenous lands cover a significant portion of Earth’s terrestrial surface and are known to contain some of the most ecologically intact ecosystems, but rising demand for energy, materials and food production is bringing development into these areas.
Renewable energy infrastructure emerged as the largest single driver of development pressure, affecting about 42 per cent of Indigenous territories. Solar power installations account for the majority of this threat, followed by wind farms and hydropower sites in a smaller proportion. Oil and gas projects threaten almost one in five Indigenous lands, particularly in major producers such as Russia, Norway and Ecuador. Commercial agriculture for bio-fuels and crops extends pressure in countries including India, Indonesia and the Democratic Republic of Congo, while mining interests pose risks in regions such as Peru and Sweden. Urbanization, though smaller in area, also contributes to land conversion pressures.
Indigenous territories are home to rich biodiversity and store large quantities of carbon, making them important for global climate mitigation and ecological balance. Indigenous Peoples, who represent a small fraction of the global population, exercise customary or formal governance over a notable share of land globally. Their traditional systems of land stewardship have long been linked to lower rates of deforestation and habitat degradation compared with many non-Indigenous managed areas.
Despite this record of conservation, Indigenous communities often lack secure land rights and face barriers to participating in development decision-making. Research indicates that weak recognition of customary land tenure, limited representation in consultations and insufficient access to financial and legal resources undermine communities’ ability to influence projects that affect their territories. Advocates argue that strengthening rights and governance for Indigenous Peoples is essential to reconciling development goals with environmental protection and community wellbeing.
The study’s authors call for accelerated action to uphold Indigenous rights, uphold free, prior and informed consent in development planning, and direct greater support to community-led land management. Examples of Indigenous mapping initiatives in the Peruvian Amazon demonstrate how data tools can empower communities to defend their lands and negotiate with governments over infrastructure projects.
The findings arrive amid broader global debates on balancing economic growth with environmental and social justice. Nations preparing for international climate and biodiversity negotiations are under pressure to integrate Indigenous perspectives into policy frameworks. Experts contend that recognizing and respecting Indigenous governance systems is not only a matter of rights but also a strategic necessity for achieving global conservation and sustainability targets. Indigenous leaders and rights groups have repeatedly called for legal protections and meaningful inclusion in governance to ensure that development does not compromise their cultures, lands and contributions to planetary health.
Adapted from “‘Development threatens most indigenous lands globally’” by Catherine Early, published on The Ecologist (8 August 2023), licensed under CC BY 4.0
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