Indigenous Adaptive Capacity Index to climate change: a Brazilian case study

Abstract

This paper introduces an index to assess the adaptive capacity of Indigenous Lands in the context of climate change vulnerability. The index was developed considering two sub-indices, one to evaluate the indigenous autonomy and ability to self-organize and establish relationships with other groups and the surrounding society, and the other that assesses the level of protection of the Indigenous Land surroundings. The aim is to guide integrated climate adaptation strategies for electricity companies operating near Indigenous Land. The paper also presents an application of the proposed index in the Belo Monte hydropower plant, in the Amazon region, with a strong presence of Indigenous Lands, and one of Brazil's most important hydropower plants. From the results, it was possible to compare the adaptive capacity of the Indigenous Lands and evaluate their different degrees of engagement and environmental protection, which can help in the proposition of adaptation actions.

Keywords

• adaptive capacity; climate change; indigenous vulnerability; belo monte hydropower plant; vulnerability index