Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim

Chadian climate activist leading indigenous climate resilience efforts

Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim is a groundbreaking Mbororo pastoralist woman from Chad whose work has redefined climate resilience strategies for indigenous communities. As a UN Expert Member and IPCC contributor, she has brought global attention to the critical role of traditional knowledge in addressing climate change. Her advocacy for nomadic pastoralists' rights led to the inclusion of indigenous knowledge systems in the 2021 UN Climate Change Conference outcomes. Through her organization, the Association for Indigenous Women and Peoples of Chad (AFPAT), she developed innovative early warning systems using satellite data combined with traditional ecological knowledge. These systems have saved countless lives in the Lake Chad region facing desertification and conflict.

Her 2022 TED Talk How Indigenous Knowledge Can Help Solve the Climate Crisis has been viewed over 2 million times. In 2023 she co-authored the IPCC Sixth Assessment Report, making her the first Chadian author in this landmark climate science publication. Her leadership inspired the creation of the Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities Platform at COP27, marking a historic shift in climate governance.