Pacific Indigenous leaders, alongside Indigenous partners from around the world, will explore how climate adaptation governance and finance can shift from consultation to Indigenous leadership, while introducing the newly established International Indigenous Adaptation Network (IIAN) as a platform for advancing equitable partnerships, knowledge exchange and Indigenous-led adaptation across the Pacific and beyond. Indigenous Peoples steward at least a quarter of the worlds land and much of its biodiversity yet receive less than one percent of global adaptation finance directly. Across the Pacific and beyond, Indigenous Peoples are already leading climate adaptation through deep relationships with place, culture and community. However, current climate finance and governance systems often remain top-down, difficult to access, and poorly aligned with Indigenous Peoples worldviews, knowledge systems and approaches to decision-making. This session will explore how climate adaptation systems can shift from consultation towards Indigenous leadership, rethinking how decisions are made, how partnerships are formed and how finance reaches communities. Indigenous leaders from the Pacific and beyond will share practical examples of adaptation grounded in traditional knowledge, community governance and intergenerational stewardship. The session will also introduce the International Indigenous Adaptation Network (IIAN), a newly established Indigenous-led global network created to strengthen collaboration, improve access to finance, and promote equitable partnerships between Indigenous Peoples, governments, funders and other adaptation actors. Panellists will explore practical pathways for building adaptation approaches that are more effective, culturally grounded and responsive to the needs and aspirations of Pacific communities and Indigenous Peoples globally.

Venue

Moana Blue Pacific Pavilion

Speakers

Tagaloa Cooper, Steering Group Member IIAN, SPREP (Niue, Ngapuhi, Ngati Hine), Brett Huson, Steering Group Member IIAN, Alutaa (Canada), Tishiko King, Just Futures Collab (Australia), Moderator: Kaeden Watts, Steering Group Member, IIAN (Ngati Tuwharetoa, Ngati Maniapoto, Ngai Tuhoe, Aotearoa New Zealand)