From the ADB Governor’s Meeting held in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. We co-organized a session with Asia Indigenous Peoples’ Network on Extractive Industries and Energy (AIPNEE) on the 5th May, titled "From Policy to Practise: Advancing Indigenous Peoples' Leadership in the Energy Transition."
Prabindra Shakya, the convener of AIPNEE explained Indigenous perspectives on a just and equitable transition in Nepal, using experiences from ADB‑financed projects and Indigenous‑led energy solutions. AIPNEE is a regional network of Indigenous human rights defenders supporting communities affected by hydro-power, solar, “critical minerals” mining (such as nickel) and geothermal projects, providing technical and financial support for advocacy with international mechanisms. Since late 2023, the network has issued 25 sub‑grants to community campaigns, most related to energy transition projects.
Mr Shakya argued that many hydro-power, mining and other “green” projects have been imposed in the name of a “just energy transition” without Indigenous Peoples defining what “just” means or which minerals are truly “critical” from their perspective. He described a business‑as‑usual pattern: weak impact assessments, lack of respect for FPIC, displacement and dispossession, reprisals against defenders, and specific impacts on women and youth.
A 2024 regional conference co‑organized with REP documented these gender and youth impacts, but the convener who is also Community Empowerment and Social Justice Network (CEMSOJ) Executive Director emphasized that a critical barrier is that transition projects are often shielded from criticism as “necessary” for climate action, especially in contexts like Nepal where hydro-power is framed as a path to prosperity and a climate solution despite continuing non‑recognition of Indigenous land and self‑determination rights.
