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Results

Through their participation in the DGM, Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities are successfully enhancing the role they play in sustainable forest management and they are having a greater impact in critical conversations at regional and global scales. See below how communities have used DGM support to increase their effectiveness as protectors of the world’s forests:

 
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Community-led Governance

Across all DGM projects, over 150 leaders from Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities ensure the DGM’s successful implementation by serving on its 12 steering committees. In total, they are leading and overseeing the implementation of a portfolio of over US$ 50 million in climate finance from the Forest Investment Program.

Beyond providing direction and oversight for these projects, the steering committee members help the DGM remain transparent and inclusive by representing the DGM in communities and serving as a point of contact between community members and the program. In a 2018 survey of participants in exchanges hosted by DGM Global, over 80% of respondents reported that they viewed the DGM as both transparent and inclusive.

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Community Initiatives

With DGM support, communities are also implementing over 200 subprojects in line with their priorities that support the DGM’s larger goal of enhancing community engagement in climate action and sustainable forest management. Some examples of the subprojects being implemented by communities and community-based organizations with DGM support include:

  • 18 community organizations in Peru seeking legal recognition of 310 native communities and land titling of 130 native communities in the Peruvian Amazon

  • a community in Burkina Faso developing beekeeping as an alternative livelihood to protect the environment and generate income for the community

  • a project in the Xakriaba territory of Brazil promoting the recovery and conservation of natural resources around their springs and degraded areas to increase the availability of water and vegetation while strengthening environmental education in the communities

  • an initiative supporting policies that recognize and protect the rights of indigenous peoples and local communities and enhance the economy and empowerment of indigenous women in Central Sulawesi, Indonesia

 

Capacity Building

For each DGM project, the steering committee identifies any training that may be necessary for its intended beneficiary communities to play a greater role in climate action and sustainable forest management. These needs vary greatly from project to project, but the DGM has the flexibility to support the development of whatever skills may be needed. Among the many trainings supported by the DGM are:

  • Ghana: Agroforestry and Climate Smart Cocoa

  • Brazil: REDD+ and Indigenous Peoples and Traditional Communities

  • Global: Stakeholder Mapping and Engagement in Climate Policy

 

Knowledge Exchange and Learning

With DGM support, Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities come together to share their knowledge and learn about essential topics for engaging in climate action and sustainable forest management within their countries and internationally.

This is the central focus of the DGM’s Global Learning and Knowledge Exchange Project, which holds annual regional exchanges in Africa, Asia, and the Americas, as well as a Global Exchange held just before the annual Conference of the Parties of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Each of these exchanges is tailored to fit the needs of the participants and the experiences of communities in each host country. As of January 2019, DGM Global has brought together over 200 leaders from Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities from 37 countries. By engaging with other members of indigenous peoples and local communities from around the world, participants benefit from the cumulative knowledge of the group and can better represent the needs of these communities at an international scale.

 

Network Strengthening

Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities can also enhance their engagement in climate action through greater engagement with relevant networks and organizations and by understanding the resources available to them through these connections.

The exchanges hosted by DGM Global have featured representatives from over 100 networks and organizations supporting the engagement of indigenous peoples and local communities in sustainable forest management and other relevant issues. 95% of respondents to a 2018 survey of exchange participants indicated that their engagement with these organizations had increased since participating in a DGM exchange, with 83% reporting increased frequency of engagement, 85% reporting more effective engagement, and 93% reporting a higher level of responsibility.

 

Bringing Local Successes to a Global Stage

While the DGM has many accomplishments to celebrate, the potential for programs like the DGM is much greater than the scope of this pilot program. As such, a key component of the program is elevating its successes to an international scale to encourage continued and expanded support for direct access to climate finance for indigenous peoples and local communities.

The DGM supports this goal by bringing its leaders and partners to major national and international events to share their communities’ experiences and successes with the DGM and with sustainable forest management more broadly. By sharing their stories with governments and other stakeholders engaged in climate policy, they will continue to gain credibility as key partners in global efforts to address climate change.

For the latest updates on the DGM, please explore the DGM project websites and follow the DGM on social media: