Online atlas
Development of the UNESCO online atlas of indigenous peoples' knowledge in relation to climate change on UNESCO sites around the world
Mission
The development of an atlas of Indigenous peoples’ knowledge across various UNESCO sites represents a valuable and ongoing initiative to preserve and promote traditional and cultural knowledge.
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This digital atlas brings together a wealth of resources such as photos, articles, videos, and audio recordings, offering a rich and interactive platform. Our aim is to explore a wide diversity of UNESCO sites in order to highlight their history, traditions, and ecological practices.
Objective
By incorporating direct testimonies and contributions from indigenous peoples, this atlas constitutes a veritable library of endangered knowledge and contributes not only to public education and awareness, but also to the protection and promotion of the cultural and intellectual rights of these communities. This project also facilitates intercultural exchange and encourages better understanding and mutual respect among the world's different cultures.
The next missions
Each year of the project will be dedicated to a specific ecosystem. The year 2026, which will mark the launch of the traveling exhibition, has been proclaimed the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralism by the United Nations General Assembly, at the initiative of Mongolia. This theme will highlight traditional pastoral practices and their fundamental role in environmental sustainability, climate resilience, and the preservation of living cultures.
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Missions & calendar
2026 - Pastoralism
MONGOLIA
Gobi Desert, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Dörvöd people
March 2025
The Dorvod are a Mongolian ethnic group who traditionally inhabit the desert and semi-desert regions of the Gobi Desert, primarily in Mongolia.
The Dorvod have practiced nomadic pastoralism for generations, moving their herds of camels, horses, sheep, and goats across the vast expanses of the desert according to the seasons and weather conditions.
They have developed rangeland management strategies that limit overgrazing, promote plant regeneration, and preserve breeding grounds for plant species.
GREENLAND
Narsarsuaq
April 2026
In Greenland, the Inuit make up the majority of the population and continue to live a traditional lifestyle adapted to the Arctic environment, combining hunting, fishing and gathering, while gradually integrating elements of modern life. Pastoralism in Greenland is mainly limited to sheep farming in the southern coastal areas.
2027 - Forests
The year 2027 will be dedicated to forest ecosystems. This focus aligns with the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration (2027–2036), proclaimed by the United Nations at the initiative of the Republic of Congo. This decade aims to promote sustainable forest management, the restoration of forest ecosystems, and their fundamental role in mitigating climate change. Through the perspectives of Indigenous forest communities, this year of the project will highlight forest-related knowledge, its transmission, as well as the increasing impacts of deforestation and climate disruptions on their ways of life.
CONGO
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Virunga National Park - World Heritage - Batwa people
Décember 2026
The Batwa are an indigenous people of Central Africa and one of the oldest communities in the African Great Lakes region. They are primarily known as traditional hunter-gatherers. Virunga National Park, which stretches between the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, and Rwanda, is one of the regions where the Batwa live.
ARGENTINA
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​Nahuel Huapi National Park Biosphere Reserve - Mapuche People
February 2027
The Mapuche, an indigenous people of southern Chile and Argentina, maintain a deep and spiritual relationship with the forest, which they consider a sacred space. For them, the forest is a place of life, culture, and survival, providing food, materials, and medicine. Trees and plants play a fundamental role in their cosmogony, and forest preservation is seen as essential to maintaining the balance of their environment and culture. Their ancestral knowledge of forest resource management, passed down from generation to generation, constitutes a model of sustainable adaptation to current environmental challenges.
THAILAND
Huai Kha Khaeng and Thungyai-Huai Kha Khaeng National Parks, UNESCO World Heritage, Hill Karen People
April 2027
The Karen Hill Peoples, an indigenous community living in the mountainous regions of Thailand, are rich in ecological knowledge and traditional forest-related practices. Their ancestral relationship with forest ecosystems is fundamental to their way of life, culture, and livelihood.
HONDURAS
Río Plátano, biosphere reserve, Miskito people
June 2027
The Miskito people, one of the main indigenous groups of the Río Plátano Biosphere Reserve in Honduras, maintain a deep and ancestral relationship with the rainforest that surrounds them. This forest is not only their habitat but also the foundation of their cultural identity and way of life. The Miskito practice environmentally friendly shifting agriculture, hunting, fishing, and gathering, relying on traditional knowledge passed down from generation to generation. Their community-based land management institutions, based on collective ownership, play a crucial role in forest conservation and the preservation of their cultural values, such as sharing and equity.