A/HRC/45/34/Add.3 World Heritage Committee and IUCN, raising concerns about alleged violations against the Karen, the lack of consultation and the failure to seek their free, prior and informed consent and also about how World Heritage status, if awarded, might affect Karen communities’ land rights and livelihoods. 32 In July 2019, at its forty-third session, the World Heritage Committee decided not to award World Heritage status to the Forest Complex and referred the nomination back to the Government to Thailand, asking it to demonstrate that all concerns had been resolved, in full consultation with the local communities. 33 In January 2020, the Government once again nominated the Complex for World Heritage status and, in April 2020, the Special Rapporteur reiterated that her concerns remained unaddressed.34 32. In her 2016 thematic report to the General Assembly, the Special Rapporteur presented global recommendations on how indigenous peoples’ rights should be better protected in conservation policy and practice, underlining the importance of indigenous peoples being consulted, participating in the design, implementation, management and monitoring of conservation initiatives and having effective access to complaints mechanisms so that they can seek remedy for violations of their rights.35 D. Climate change 33. Participants in the regional consultation identified and discussed a wide range of serious impacts that climate change has on their communities across the region, including droughts in mountain areas, the escalation of wildfires, rising sea levels affecting coastal areas, floods, landslides and overall changes in seasonal patterns brought on by rising temperatures. Land grabbing has intensified as the area of fertile lands shrinks. Tropical insects and vector-borne diseases are proliferating. Pollution is increasing as more fertilisers and chemicals are being used to keep lands fertile and combat pests. The livelihoods and food security of indigenous peoples are affected as biodiversity is shrinking and crops are failing. 34. The expansion of single-crop, export-oriented plantations aggravates the impact of climate change. It has resulted in the destruction of natural habitats in both highlands and lowlands and in the depletion of water sources and has severely limited the amount of land available for indigenous livelihoods.36 35. The impact of climate change also has a gender dimension, as women and girls are forced to walk further and spend more time collecting water and firewood. Indigenous persons with disabilities and indigenous elders too face additional climate-related challenges. The loss of the traditional livelihoods and environmental destruction also affects the mental health of indigenous peoples. 36. Climate-induced displacement is taking place as indigenous peoples, especially youth, are forced to migrate to urban areas due to shortages in resources and food. This situation may be aggravated by climate change adaptation and mitigation projects that commercialize the forests upon which indigenous peoples are dependent. Displacement is also taking place as the proliferation of dams, erroneously claimed to constitute climate change mitigation measures, force indigenous peoples to relocate, often without consultation or redress. The displacement of indigenous peoples from their traditional lands and territories deprives them of their connection to their lands and ruptures the transmission of traditional knowledge to future generations. 37. Participants in the regional consultation emphasized that the most diverse ecosystems are within the territories taken care by indigenous peoples and that increased levels of carbon capture are recorded on indigenous lands. A holistic approach to human rights, development and the environment should be applied, as everything is interdependent. 38. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has expressed concern that existing climate change policies and regulations might lead to limiting access to territories, the substitution of traditional livelihoods, reduced genetic diversity and harvesting opportunities and loss of transmission of indigenous knowledge, which in turn may limit the effects of 32 33 34 35 36 THA 2/2019, OTH 7/2019 and OTH 8/2019. Decision 43 COM 8B.5; https://whc.unesco.org/archive/2019/whc19-43com-18-en.pdf. THA 4/2020, OTH 22/2020 and OTH 23/2020. A/71/229. A/HRC/36/46. 9