Indigenous People: Combating Climate Change in a Fast-Pace Society
By Claudia Brauer
August 9 is celebrated as the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples.
Let’s do one thing to celebrate indigenous people today, whether it is or not August 9. I chose to write this blog. What will you do? Choose something doable, small but relevant. Remember that ripples may travel far.
During the last four decades, as a global political society, we have been promoting the advancement of rights for indigenous people around the world. Much has changed in the past 40 years (from the previous 100 years). Important advancements have been achieved, especially in creating a global awareness and acceptance of the rights held by indigenous people, such as the rights to preserve their culture and heritage, to education, and to the development with identity and dignity.
Many efforts are in place to preserve indigenous languages and improve their health and well-being. We have become better at honoring treaties and agreements, empowering indigenous voices and celebrating their cultures while allowing them to craft their own future. And yet, even after all these achievements, we, the societies in which they are embedded, still fall short in so many areas. One of them is climate change.
Indigenous peoples are more vulnerable to climate change
Indigenous peoples have a complex and delicate relationship with the ecosystems, where they have lived for hundreds, if not thousands, of years. They are highly dependent upon these diverse ecosystems for their nutritional, economic, cultural, social and spiritual existence.
“Climate change issues are related to our basic struggles for rights to lands, territories and resources, rights to culture and to self-determination, including our right to development… The extent and magnitude of present-day climate change seriously challenge our capacities to cope and adapt.
Many of the environmental challenges we face, be these climate change, pollution, environmental degradation, etc., are not caused by our own actions…Indigenous peoples are among those who suffer the most adverse consequences of climate change.” (Source: Guide on Climate Change)
For several decades, indigenous peoples have been observing the impact of climate change on their environment. These observations are scientific in nature and have produced knowledge that has developed practices to allow them to cope and adapt to the changes. Such an ability to adapt is what has allowed indigenous people all over the world to survive for so long.
Some of the changes observed by indigenous people include massive floods, landslides, stronger-than-usual hurricanes/cyclones/typhoons and storm surges. These cause a decrease, loss or destruction of crops, ancestral lands, resources, homes, reefs, mangroves, livestock, and even the spawning beds of local fish. Other changes noticed include loss of freshwater supplies and increased prevalence and virulence of infectious diseases such as cholera.
There are also more recurrent and prolonged droughts that cause the disappearance of subsistence food (plant and animals). In certain regions, it is the extreme and extended cold and wet environments that cause bronchitis and pneumonia, for example.
Indigenous people roles to face climate change
The United Nations has stated that
“…indigenous peoples’ holistic views of community and environment can serve as a major resource for adapting to climate change.” (source)
This means that the point of view that indigenous people have as to their environment is in itself an asset in adapting to climate change. Maintaining and disseminating the local knowledge acquired and passed from one generation to the next by indigenous populations is now held as a “vital complement to modern science.” We are at a point in time where the United Nations are urging the promotion and recognition of the sustainable practices of indigenous peoples.
In such context, one of the core tasks is to provide the space, means, resources, and platforms for indigenous people who have achieved local success in mitigation and adaptation to exchange experiences and share best practices. A good example of such efforts was presented by Douglas Nakashima during the 2017 Multi-Stakeholder Dialogue. UNESCO envisions a platform that brings together elements of scientific and indigenous peoples’ knowledge to co-produce best available knowledge. He shared examples of UNESCO’s approaches for incorporating indigenous knowledge into its procedures.
“ We, indigenous peoples, have observed and adapted to the climatic changes in our communities for tens of thousands of years. Because of our sustainable lifestyles and our struggles against deforestation and against oil and gas extraction, we have significantly contributed in keeping gigatonnes of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases under the ground and in the trees.” (Source: Guide on Climate Change)
In closing, what will YOU do to support indigenous peoples today?
“Choose something doable, small but relevant. Remember that ripples may travel far.”
Interested in knowing more? Visit UN CC:Learn library.
About UN CC:Learn
UN CC:Learn is a partnership of more than 30 multilateral organizations supporting countries to design and implement systematic, recurrent and results-oriented climate change learning. Through its engagement at the national and global levels, UN CC:Learn contributes to the implementation of climate change training, education and public awareness-raising.
