Presentation short abstract

This study argues Kayambi knowledge offers essential alternatives to dominant conservation and climate models for páramo management. Using feminist critique, it advocates for integrating Indigenous epistemologies into climate policy to advance equity and effective environmental governance

Presentation long abstract

The proposed paper delves into how Indigenous perspectives, particularly those of the Kayambi people in Northern Ecuador, offer vital contributions to páramo management—high-altitude grasslands essential for water supply and carbon sequestration—during the Anthropocene. By examining Kayambi’s ecological knowledge and practices, this study challenges the dominant IPCC climate models, advocating for a revision that integrates Indigenous and feminist perspectives. It explores how these perspectives not only address environmental issues but also confront epistemic, social, and ecological inequalities rooted in colonial histories of land dispossession. Through feminist critical discourse analysis and ethnographic work, this study emphasizes the knowledge encounters and confrontations, as well as the necessity of intercultural dialogue for addressing the marginalization of Indigenous knowledge in global climate models. Hence, this paper will discuss the intersection of Indigenous environmental knowledge, feminist frameworks, climate justice, and self-determination, advocating for the inclusion of Indigenous epistemologies in climate policy. It aims to contribute to a more equitable and inclusive climate justice discourse by rethinking conservation strategies through Indigenous and feminist lenses, and by amplifying the voices of Indigenous communities as essential actors in global biodiversity, conservation, and sustainability.