This report presents key findings from the project “Indigenous Territories Contribution to Atmospheric Moisture Flows”, commissioned by the International Centre for Water Cooperation (ICWC), a UNESCO Category II Centre hosted by SIWI. The study was carried out by the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) in close collaboration with SIWI, with the analytical approach and parameters developed jointly through expert discussions between the two organizations.
The main aim of the project was to quantify the contribution of Indigenous peoples’ lands (IPL) to local, regional, and global scale moisture flows and terrestrial moisture recycling (TMR), building on three objectives. First, to quantify how much water originating from IPL contributes to global atmospheric moisture flows, in particular terrestrial rainfall through TMR. Second, to better understand and assess the value of water that comes from land under Indigenous stewardship. Third, to inform international policy so that the role of Indigenous Peoples and their territories in sustaining global hydrological cycles is better recognized and reflected in climate and water policy and governance.
