Mohammed Rashid Al-Sulaiti
It is a rule of thumb that the instinct is the nucleus of the universe. Applying this way of thinking over a broader domain, indigenous peoples are the only remaining whose have valuable knowledge around healthy environments. Due to the collective manifold thought, until recently, indigenous communities were seen as victims of the effects of climate change, rather than as agents with commendable efforts helping on environmental conservation. To mitigate climate change effects, perhaps the time factor is important, however, seeking behind the available tools can make a noticeable big difference.
Indigenous communities pose important party in terms of the most affected group of climate change adverse effects. This importance resulted from their “Regional Power”, I used here political term in purpose, as the numbers indicate the territories of the world’s 370 million indigenous communities cover 24% of land worldwide, and contain 80% of the world’s biodiversity. The previous statistics — in my opinion — draws important glance for future scenarios, as the political power plays important role in the United Nations Climate Change Conferences, I speak here about speculations which may allow those communities to take control area in decision making in future. Also, indigenous people’s importance lies on the nature of the sites they occupy as they often live in ecosystems particularly prone to the effects of climate change including: polar regions, small islands, mountain regions, humid tropics, coastal regions and deserts. Not to mention their heavily dependent on lands and resources for the most basic needs and livelihoods like food, medicine, shelter and fuel.
However, recently, indigenous communities were viewed as agents of environment conservation and they are not simply victims of climate change. This strength lies on their ability to make to address climate change. Because of their close relationship with their environment, indigenous communities are repositories of learning and knowledge in successfully coping with local-level climate variability and they can effectively responding to major environmental changes such as natural disasters. In addition, those communities play a fundamental role in the conservation of biological diversity and the protection of forests and other natural resources.
Indigenous communities have shown their effective responses to climate change in creative ways, drawing on traditional knowledge and other technologies to find solutions which may guide society at large to cope with unexpected changes. Here I shed lights on important examples showing indigenous communities strength on facing natural disasters.
In Bangladesh, in order to face the potential risks resulting from flooding, villagers are creating floating vegetable gardens to protect their livelihoods, whereas in Vietnam, in order to diffuse tropical-storm waves, several communities insist on planting dense mangroves along the coast. In the other side of the earth, indigenous communities in the Central, South American and Caribbean regions are thinking well by shifting their agricultural practices and their settlements to suitable locations less prone to climate variability. Their response to climate conditions reflects their deep knowledge and this is what we can described it as an environmental instinct, the hidden and the rational behavior behind the thoughtful steps.
On the political table, world leaders attending the United Nations Climate Change Conference, in Bali, in December 2007, agreed that mitigation, adaptation, new technologies and financing, are the ideal ways to address climate change effectively. It is essential to note that enhancing and supporting the adaptive capacity of indigenous people will result positive impacts, putting into consideration this support is integrated with other strategies such as disaster preparation, land-use planning, environment conservation and national plans for sustainable development.
Adaptation poses grand challenge for indigenous communities as it requires additional financial resources and the transfer of technological capacity that most indigenous communities do not possess. Whereas short-term adaptation activities are underway, resource and capacity constraints are limiting the implantation of long-term strategies. Such problems distract an important focus in environment conservation which can result in further adverse effects. Unfortunately, some mitigation measures can lead to undesirable direct and indirect consequences for indigenous communities. For instance, certain agricultural initiatives may result in reducing greenhouse gas emissions, at the same time, it may lead to an increase in monoculture crops and plantations and an associated decline in biodiversity and food security.
Unfortunately, indigenous communities face double discrimination as both migrants and as indigenous peoples, particularly those communities who are forced to migrate away from their traditional lands. As a result of severe climatic events, indigenous communities be prone to irregular migration, limited legal migration options and limited opportunities to make informed choices. Although the rights of indigenous communities are preserved in the United Nations, this gap can put the international community in front of ethical inquires.
To conclude, despite the fact that indigenous peoples contribute little to greenhouse emission, climate change poses serious risks and dangers to their survival worldwide. The full and effective involvement of indigenous peoples is crucial to develop mitigation measures and ensure that such conditions do not negatively affect vulnerable communities.
The writer is Environmental Scientist graduated from the University of Nottingham.
