India, Oct. 21 -- Two years ago, at COP16 in Cali, Colombia, Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IPLC) were recognised for their contributions to protecting the environment and after years of demand, the Subsidiary Body on Article 8(j) and Other Provisions of the Convention on Biological Diversity Related to Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities was established as a permanent body.

IPLCs manage as much as 42 per cent of the world's land that hold at least 36 per cent of global key biodiversity areas. IPLCs maintain that they are best suited to protect the earth and ensure that the world achieves the targets set under the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.

But is there evidence to support their claim?

The report Lo...