Two projects committed to understanding the social and cultural consequences and impacts ofCOVID-19 and the climate crisis on indigenous communities received significant fundingfrom the Canada's national research agency, the International Development Research Centre (IDRC).
Dr. María Eugenia Ulfe will develop the Vocesen recuperación project: recognizing interrelated risks, capacities, and recovery needs from the pandemic inmarginalized communities in Latin America. “This project seeks tounderstand the effects of the pandemic on communities that have experienced different forms of violence and crisis, and how they overcame it. We will consider six case studies: two in Peru, two in Colombia, and two in Brazil. In addition, we will encourage the participation of Latin American researchers to strengthen national science, technology and innovation systems,” the specialist says.
On the other hand, Dr. Maritza Paredes will conduct her research on the Contributions of indigenous peoples' knowledge systems for fair climate action. “This project seeks to understand and make visible the perspectives of indigenous peoples in climate policies, in particular the climate adaptation processes existing in Chile and Peru. In other words, it will explore how indigenous peoples' perspectives are being incorporated into official adaptation narratives, policies and practices, as well as the nature of indigenous peoples' participation in the process,” Dr. Paredes says
Both projects are within the IDRC actionlines: recovery, climate resilience, democracy and inclusive governance. This will allow them to execute articulated work with researchers from different regions, through the strategic alliances generated within them.
“Through this project, we want to promotethe different ways in which the pandemic was experienced, the local practices to overcome it, and that public policies are nourished by the knowledge ofindigenous communities and peoples".
Dr. María Eugenia Ulfe | CISEPA PUCP Researcher
María EugeniaUlfe: This is a project presented to the Trans Atlantic Platform competition, a worldwide competition that encourages work in research teams from different countries through funds from different financial institutions. In this case, there are four research teams with funding from four entities: Fapesp for Brazil, Miniciencias for Colombia, the IRDC of Canada for Peru and the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) for United Kingdom. The total amount exceeds half a million dollars. Our team received a fund of 153,000Canadian dollars (CAD).
This project also offers the possibility of doing field work in different areas and coordinating with allied researchers, such as Dr. Roger Few, from the University of East Anglia, United Kingdom; Dr. Liana Anderson, from the National Center for Monitoring and Early Warning of Natural Disasters (Cemadem) of São João do Campos, Brazil; and Dr. María Victoria Lugo, from the University of Caldas, Colombia.
Maritza Paredes: It is a project of 800,000 CAD to be implemented in three years in Chile and Peru. The team has specialists, such as Dr. Paulina Aldunce of the Center for Climate and Resilience Research (CR2), hosted by the University of Chile; and Daniel Morchain of The Nature Conservancy (TNC). The Chilean core teamis also made up of Dr. Rosario Carmona Yost (CR2) and a junior researcher; while the Peruvian core team is also made up of Dr. Anke Kaulard (PUCP) and a junior researcher.
"We want to create links with ongoing projects to increase the impact of different initiatives and make the total impact of the project greater than the sum of its parts".
Dr. Maritza Paredes | CISEPA PUCP Researcher
María Eugenia Ulfe: Through this project, we want to promote the different ways in which the pandemic was experienced, the local practices to overcome it, and that public policies are nourished by the knowledge of indigenous communities and peoples. All case studies will be conducted in the Amazon territory of Peru, Brazil and Colombia. The idea is also to have the possibility of conducting research in different regions.
Maritza Paredes: We seek that the findings of the project influence and inform the importance of the inclusion of indigenous peoples and marginalized populations in international research programs and initiatives, and the adaptation plans and climate policies of the corresponding governments.
María Eugenia Ulfe: We want to extend the collaboration and research networks that we have been strengthening, for several years, with the University of East Anglia, through the British Council and the agreement signed with PUCP. Moreover, we learned from the project with Concytec that we must strengthen research training, through funds that can also be used for undergraduate and graduate students to conduct their thesis work.
Maritza Paredes: We want to create links with ongoing projects to increase the impact of different initiatives and make the total impact of the project greater than the sum of its parts. For instance, links will be created with the ongoing project Andes Resilientes(2020-2024), which is focused on climate change adaptation and water and food security for high mountain Andean communities in Peru, Bolivia and Ecuador.
