A seasonal calendar, based on traditional knowledge of ecological indicators, seasonal variations and associated activities, can provide a baseline for understanding the practices of indigenous along with climatic variation. This paper investigates the ethno-ecological knowledge of indigenous people in Taxkorgan regarding the use of ecological cues to conduct seasonal activities that harmonize with climatic variations. Meteorological data from the nearest station was used to understand climatic variations and develop indices. The results revealed that indigenous elders still adopt traditional methods to decide the time of various annual activities observing and using seasonal cues, such as the height and color of grass, the arriving of migratory birds and phenological observations. Moreover, same or diverse indicators were used at settlements located in different elevations. The analysis revealed that the region was recently getting warmer and wetter compared to previous decades, and local perceptions were matched with climatic recordings. Local inhabitants already practiced earlier plantation of crops (e.g., wheat) in recent years. Climatic indices calculated revealed and validated recent weather condition can support earlier plantation of crops. Hence, the strong forecasting system using meteorological evidence to support existing local knowledge on ecological indicators and adjust seasonal calendars can improve indigenous people’s abilities to cope with climate risks. Furthermore, this can support in developing adaptation schemes that respond to community needs. The approaches and findings can be used to facilitate the management of these natural resource based on the adaptive framework and to create data that can be tested in subsequent studies.
Tag: indigenous people
Factors inflncing wildmeat trade in Guyana and expected changes in the context of the oil-related development prospects
The recent offshore oil discovery in the Guiana Shield is expected to bring about significant changes to the area, such as increased GDP per capita, infrastructure development, and urbanization. The potential impact on the wild meat trade depends on factors influencing its demand and provision. Through interviews and group discussions with trade chain stakeholders in all towns of Guyana, we evaluate wildmeat trade sector and explored predicted changes on it in 2033 with the prospects for short term oil-related development. The most traded species in Guyana included paca, white-lipped peccary, deer, tapir and capybara and a total of 38.46% (5 out of 13) of the taxa being traded is classified as threatened of extinction. Regions with higher population size and GDP per capita, are the main trade hubs for wildmeat. Access to improved preservation methods (e.g. freezers) and motorized transportation options (eg.: boat with engines and vehicles) significantly influence higher volumes of wildmeat traded. The economic growth anticipated in Guyana is expected to boost population growth and, by the same time, wildmeat demand in urban areas. Concomitantly, with improved infrastructure and increased access to electricity, wildmeat provision will be facilitated across a wider catchment area. Based on the assumption that cultural patterns shaping wildmeat demand and environmental regulations will likely not change at the same rapid path as economic growth in the next ten years, we predict wildmeat trade volumes to increase to 10,280 tons/year by 2033. We identify three main opportunities to ensure a sustainable wildmeat sector in the context of the economic boom: First, the sector requires to be well regulated through a licensing and a quota system that can be adequately enforced. Second, efforts to curve demand on the Coast need to be strengthened based on well designed and culturally adapted behaviour change campaigns. Third, local communities and indigenous people need to be empowered to protect and conserve their territories and wildlife resources, in particular with the authority to exclude illegal hunters.
Considering context in participatory forest landscape initiatives
Why do some participatory processes help level the playing field in conservation and development projects while others reinforce unequal power relationships among participants? Complex problems, such as those related to land use and climate change, involve many people —government officials, non-profit conservation groups, private enterprises, local communities and funders.
REDD+ safeguards in Indonesia: Lessons from East Kalimantan
Summary
- In 2015, East Kalimantan was selected as the pilot Forest Carbon Partnership Facility (FCPF) province in Indonesia. This required government agencies to comply with the World Bank’s safeguards standards, which go beyond most reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation and enhancement of forest carbon stocks (REDD+) countries’ legal and policy frameworks for community rights.
- In the context of the FCPF initiative, East Kalimantan has issued regulations, published formal documents (Indigenous Peoples framework and benefit sharing plan), and implemented a regional regulation for a feedback and grievance redress mechanism integrated with the National Public Service Complaint Management System (SP4N LAPOR!).
- Customary rules and sanctions are used to regulate resource management and tenure arrangements at the community level, but the resolution of tenurial conflicts falls under government authority. A history of conflicts between communities and private companies has led to wide acceptance of the Social Forestry programme.
- Research participants perceived free, prior and informed consent (FPIC) to be the least challenging aspect of safeguards to comply with. This was due to the familiarity many non-governmental organizations (NGOs) working with communities have with FPIC. Challenges remain regarding the clarity of FPIC processes, and ensuring the participation of all communities that will be impacted by FCPF activities, and women in those communities.
- Research participants perceived the benefit sharing mechanism to be the most challenging aspect related to community engagement in the FCPF initiative. Incentives derived from results-based payments will be managed by the Environmental Fund Management Agency, and an intermediary organization has been developed to disburse incentives.
Flexible local ecological knowledge surveillance indicators reveal long-term change in the Yangambi wildmeat system
Conservation and management in Indigenous hunting systems requires an understanding of social-ecological change. We present the Flexible Local Ecological Knowledge Surveillance Indicators (FLEKSI) framework, which uses standardized questionnaires to derive time series of semi-quantitative LEK state indicators that can support ecosystem-based management. We applied FLEKSI in the Weko hunting territory of the Yangambi landscape, Democratic Republic of Congo. The aim was to capture Indigenous and local knowledge of how the wildmeat system has changed during the living memory of participating hunters. Most respondents believed that larger target species have become less abundant and more wary over the last 30 years, while the local wildmeat market has grown. Perceived declines in animal populations contrasted with the view that the broader forest ecosystem remains relatively unchanged. The FLEKSI descriptors and indicator questions can be readily tailored for a given social-ecological system, with potential for general application in data-limited hunting and fishing systems.
Wild animal attacks and other occupational risks perceived by Indigenous hunters and fishers in the Yangambi landscape
Hunting and fishing support diverse food systems in tropical forest areas, but carry serious occupational risks. Health and safety at work is important to human wellbeing and constitutes an element of Indigenous rights. This issue has received attention in the regulated sector, but needs additional focus in subsistence and informal economies. We draw on semi-structured interviews with Turumbo hunters and fishers in the Yangambi Biosphere Reserve region (DRC) to assess perceptions of occupational risk, especially attacks from wild animals. Fishers were concerned about drowning and cuts, while hunters cited bad weather and injuries from faulty equipment. There was gender-specific perception of risk from wild animals that reflected different roles: women noted snake bites and wasps, while men feared larger animals. Retaliatory behaviors among respondents included killing various species. The risks associated with fishing and hunting in tropical forests should be addressed in policies that consider the wellbeing of the poor.
No basis for claim that 80% of biodiversity is found in Indigenous territories
For the past 20 years or so, a claim has been made in all sorts of outlets, from reports and scientific publications to news articles, that 80% of the world’s biodiversity is found in the territories of Indigenous Peoples. Those using this figure invariably aim to highlight the essential roles that Indigenous Peoples have in conserving biodiversity, and seem to have quoted it in the belief that it is based on solid science.
Tenure Security Perception Patterns among Amazonian Communities in Peru: Gender and Ethnicity
This study delves into perceptions of land and forest tenure (in)security among Indigenous and mestizo populations in the Peruvian Amazon. Despite all having collective lands, the selected communities vary in their formalisation processes. This research seeks to enhance comprehension of tenure security perceptions in the Peruvian Amazon by investigating sources of security and insecurity across key tenure components. A combination of descriptive, bivariate, and multivariate analyses is employed, based on fieldwork conducted between July 2015 and December 2017 in 22 Native and Peasant Communities in Loreto and Madre de Dios, utilising 1006 intra-household surveys, 52 in-depth interviews, and 44 focus group discussions. The results reveal similarities and differences in (in)security sources between titled and untitled communities. The study also explores the influence of gender and ethnicity on these perceptions, finding ethnicity-based variation in security perception over the past 20 years (1995–2015). Recognising these differences in perception is critical for assessing the robustness of exercising acquired collective rights.
Islamic Sacred Groves: Ecological Niches of Plant Diversity and Climate Change Mitigation in Northern Ethiopia
Islamic sacred groves represent critical ecological niches, fostering diverse habitats for plants and animals. Despite their ecological significance, safeguarding these areas presents formidable challenges stemming from multifaceted factors. Consequently, our study examines plant diversity, biomass and carbon stock estimation in eight Islamic cultural centers in northern Ethiopia. The data were collected from sixty-three plots: 20×20 m for trees, 5×5 m for shrubs, and five 1×1 m subplots within each main plot. We identified 204 plant species belonging to 144 genera and 66 families. The Asteraceae family emerged as dominant, comprising 17 species accounting for 15.3% of the total species identified. Herbs were the predominant growth form, constituting 102 species (50.2%), followed by shrubs (48 species, 23.7%), trees (43 species, 21.2%), and climbers (10 species, 4.9%). Thirteen endemic plant species were identified, while six indigenous tree species predominantly populated the sites. The altitude and slope significantly influenced the plant species distribution patterns. The total biomass of the stud sites ranged from 12.2 to 283 tons per hectare, contributing 6.1 to 141.5 tons of carbon per hectare. The exhibited CO2 sequestration potential ranged from 17.7 to 408.8 tons per hectare. The study sites serve as repositories of plant genetics, essential for conserving biodiversity and providing germplasm for restoration initiatives. Moreover, they play a crucial role in mitigating climate change impacts in northern Ethiopia.
Distribution of forest types and changes in their classification
The second largest block of dense moist forest after the Amazon, Central Africa’s forests are an exceptional reservoir of carbon and biodiversity for the countries they cover and the planet as a whole. These forests provide a livelihood to 60 million people and help to feed 40 million more in nearby towns and cities. They play an essential social and cultural role in the lives of indigenous peoples and local communities. The ecological, economic, social and cultural importance of Central Africa’s forests places them at the heart of international discussions aimed at preserving these unique ecosystems, which are vital to the health of the planet.