Intersections of Climate Change and Indigenous Peoples’ Health and Wellbeing

Indigenous Peoples worldwide are experiencing a barrage of impacts on their health and wellbeing due to the worsening effects of climate change and biodiversity loss. Existing literature at the intersection of climate change, biodiversity loss, and Indigenous health indicate that Indigenous Peoples globally are among the most disproportionately impacted. Existing literature has underscored the value of engaging diverse knowledge systems; platforming localized, community-led adaptation to climate change and biodiversity loss, while addressing sociopolitical constraints to these efforts; and applying a broader conceptualization of health that aligns with Indigenous frameworks. Yet, significant gaps remain within the literature with respect to comprehensively and critically synthesizing varied health determinants that intersect with climate change to impact wellbeing, as well as Indigenous-led responses.

This research topic aims to explore, highlight and fill in the gaps that continue to exist within the expansive topic of climate change and Indigenous health and wellbeing, despite the substantial number of articles published in this area. To address existing gaps, this inter- and transdisciplinary topic will emphasize equity and rights-based considerations within integrated and intersectoral responses to climate and biodiversity crises across a diversity of contexts including temporal, cultural, epistemological and geographic. Of particular interest and importance are Indigenous-led approaches to protecting planetary health, which demonstrate the power of Indigenous self-determination, as articulated within the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, for climate resilience.

The focus of this topic will be on a range of contributions from an intersection of diverse knowledge systems and approaches, prioritizing localized and community-led adaptions to climate change and biodiversity loss. Contributions in the form of original research papers, systematic and scoping reviews along with policy briefs, case studies or commentaries will be accepted within the following areas:

· Gendered impacts of climate change on Indigenous Peoples’ health and wellbeing
· Community-driven approaches to climate change
· Indigenous sovereignty and autonomy
· Integration of climate change and biodiversity loss
· Urban climate circumstances for the health and wellbeing of Indigenous Peoples
· Experiences of climate change and health among Indigenous children and youth
· Structural and systemic determinants of climate health and biodiversity impacts for Indigenous Peoples
· Historical, political and geographic contexts of climate change for Indigenous Peoples
· Colonialism as a driver of climate and biodiversity impacts on the health and wellbeing of Indigenous Peoples

Keywords: Climate change, biodiversity loss, Indigenous Peoples, health, wellbeing, gender, equity, colonialism, planetary health

Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.