The territories of the world’s 370 million Indigenous peoples cover 24% of land worldwide and contain 80% of the world’s biodiversity. The Indigenous population of our planet are truly the gatekeepers of our knowledge and understanding of those ecosystems and life cycles upon which we all rely. In recent years we have seen a change in the portrayal of and discourse surrounding Indigenous people. As a global society we are beginning to move away from the victimization and stereotypes that have historically defined how Indigenous people have been viewed and the narrative is changing to reflect the resilience, power, and strength of these communities as well as their transformation into critical agents of environmental conservation.

Asia and the Pacific is one of the most expansive and diverse regions on earth. It contains some of the greatest disparities in wealth and access resources whilst being rich in culture and innovation. There are areas where you can walk for miles and never meet a soul and in others you can barely move through the hustle and bustle of densely populated cities. The sheer complexity of cultures and peoples is all at once overwhelming and at the same time a magnificent display of the human capacity to adapt and be creative. Yet, as the climate crisis worsens, and few places are left untouched by its impacts, the strengths and weaknesses of political systems and local methods of resilience will be tested in equal measure.