Can Indigenous people`s knowledge be used to develop climate change solutions?

“No climate change solution exists without traditional and indigenous peoples’ contributions.”

How is it possible to say that in today’s era, when scientific development is at its peak, the solution to climate change can be solved through traditional methods and the advice of tribal people without looking for scientific discoveries? Sometimes this title can even be humorous. But we must realize one thing deeply here. Even though our educational methods and technologies have developed due to scientific knowledge, it is questionable whether we have understood this environment and the earth to the extent that the tribal people have understood. Now I hope you are more interested in finding the answer to the first question. Let’s continue with the article.

Indigenous peoples have long-standing relationships with their lands and have developed sustainable practices and technologies enabling them to live harmoniously with the natural environment. For example, they have developed agroforestry, land management, and water conservation techniques that help mitigate climate change by sequestering carbon and enhancing biodiversity. Indigenous knowledge also includes understanding the patterns of climate variability and how to adapt to them. This knowledge has been passed down through generations and can provide valuable insights into coping with climate change’s impacts, such as droughts, floods, and extreme weather events.

To find out about this, the Climate fact checks team contacted Nallathambi Velayutham, the leader of the Coastal Veddas, an indigenous people of Sri Lanka. 

Indigenous people and their deep ecological understanding and Spiritual Connection

Humans were generating, transmitting, and applying information about the natural world long before the scientific inquiry was formalized. Indigenous peoples worldwide have developed, maintained, and evolved knowledge systems via direct experience interacting with biophysical and ecological processes, landscapes, ecosystems, and species over millennia. Applying this broad and deep knowledge in a scientific context has led to many contributions to the literature in ecology, evolution, and related fields but has yet to be comprehensively synthesized. Link

“Environments are the treasures available to us. Simply put, now we are standing under a tree and talking. That tree gives us the best shade from this sun. So this is also a deity. That is what we are considering. Trees give us so many resources. We consider it as God’s gift. For that, we generally call wild deities “Kala Deiyo.” We worship Neem and banyan trees as deities. Our traditional practice is to bow down to those trees while going to forestry.” Nallathambi Velayutham, the leader of Coastal Vedus, gives his opinion to us.

Indigenous peoples and their sustainable land management 

Indigenous peoples have a long history of sustainable land management practices deeply rooted in their cultural traditions and knowledge systems. These practices have enabled them to maintain a harmonious relationship with the environment and sustainably use natural resources.

Velayutham said, “We used to do more chena farming than mass farming. We used to cultivate different types of plants like grains, tubers, and vegetables in those lands according to the seasons. We don’t do it on a single-crop basis. We used to do these cyclically. After the harvest seasons, we used to plant plants like teak, bamboo, nochi, and stone bamboo in those lands. Due to this, the lands are cultivated in the post-harvest period, and the lands cleared for chena are allowed to revert to forests.”

including the climate, nature of the soil, and other environmental and topological factors of the area. Men mainly practiced chena cultivation in Sri Lanka; however, women and children also extended their aid in various ways, such as protecting crops from raiding birds and animals. Link. Archived

Indigenous peoples and their weather patterns

“Our ancestors had a way of knowing the coming weather changes by looking at the stars in the sky. The number of stars will increase as if dust had been thrown into the sky. Based on that, we predict it will rain in a few days. And we used to predict that the rainy days were approaching with the changes in the body. That means our body can feel more tired. Blood pressure can also be felt to be high. Based on these, our agricultural activities were also carried out. Notably, such predictions helped our ancestors carry out better agricultural practices.” Said, Velayudham.

Many indigenous communities closely connect with the celestial bodies and use their movements and positions to indicate weather changes. They observe the moon, stars, and constellations to determine potential shifts in weather patterns. Indigenous communities possess a wealth of traditional knowledge passed down through generations orally. This knowledge includes weather lore, folklore, and proverbs that contain wisdom about weather patterns. They may have developed specific sayings or rhymes that provide clues about weather conditions. It’s important to note that these traditional weather prediction methods are based on observation and accumulated knowledge over generations. While they may provide a different level of accuracy than modern meteorological techniques, they offer valuable insights into local weather patterns. They can be a vital part of indigenous cultural heritage.

Also, Nallathampy Velayudham said, “But in today’s time, summer has changed to the rainy season and rainy season to summer. If you predict rainy days based on the rise of the stars in the sky, they turn out to be more sunny than rainy days. Before the southwest monsoon, we clear the forest and prepare the land for chena cultivation. Due to the high temperature of the season, the cut trees dry well. Then during the southwest monsoon, we set fire to these dry trees and burn them. They spread over the land as ashes. After the particular wind, the southwest monsoon will start. Due to rain, the above ash gets mixed with the soil and becomes a fine fertilizer. This is how our farming activities are linked to weather forecasting.”

Indigenous people’s disaster preparation

Indigenous peoples often live in close harmony with nature and deeply connect with their lands. Climate change contributes to environmental degradation, including deforestation, desertification, and loss of biodiversity, directly impacting the ecosystems that indigenous communities rely on for food, medicine, and cultural practices. Indigenous communities, particularly those living in vulnerable areas such as coastal regions, mountains, and forests, face increased risks from natural disasters intensified by climate change.

Indigenous communities’ strong social networks and structures contribute to their disaster resilience. For example, they often share resources, knowledge, and support during and after a disaster. In addition, traditional practices of mutual assistance, cooperation, and collective decision-making play a vital role in their ability to cope with the impacts and recover more effectively.

“Our indigenous communities have developed unique agricultural and food systems adapted to local environmental conditions. These systems often prioritize biodiversity, resilience, and sustainable practices. Indigenous farming techniques such as agroforestry, terrace farming, or traditional seed preservation contribute to their ability to recover and rebuild food production after a disaster. When I was young, I saw other communities coming to us for food during famines and droughts. They were helped by food from our community. When I was little, I never saw our society without food shortages. But now it can be said that our society has become increasingly affected by drought and rain, “ said Nallathampy Velayudham.

What do they say about climate change?

“What we believe about climate change is the second part. But the truth here is that we perceive them. They called us coastal Veddas. That’s because we live near the coast. The seaside of this Vaharai region looked very beautiful before. Coconut trees did shade the beach, and Oil – nut trees along the shores. Now, to be precise, the place where those trees used to be has gone into the sea. The sea has come in front. This is something I have seen in my experience. As I mentioned above, we cannot make accurate predictions about the weather nowadays. I think these are the changes we are seeing directly. “ Said the leader of coastal Veddas.

For more, read about coastal Veddas and climate change impact article here.

Velayutham also said, “We are mainly saying that the Forest Management Board has now taken over the areas that were our native lands. They were forfeited due to a lack of proper documentation for us. At present, our society is living with massive land problems. However, if the lands acquired from us are protected, we, as indigenous, are happy. But these protected forest areas are now being destroyed. We used to protect these forests during our land tenure. Currently, many acres of land are being destroyed in this Vaharai area. But we are not even allowed to take our livelihood products like honey from the forest. So when we talk about climate change, we also must talk about the importance of forests.”

Globally Large-scale deforestation driven by logging, agriculture expansion, mining, and infrastructure development has led to the destruction of forests and the displacement of indigenous communities who depend on them. In addition, indigenous peoples often face encroachment on their ancestral lands by external actors, such as governments, corporations, and settlers. This encroachment disrupts their traditional way of life and can lead to the loss of their livelihoods. In many cases, indigenous peoples have faced challenges in having their rights recognized and protected by governments. This can lead to their exclusion from decision-making processes regarding the management and use of forest resources.

Thus, when the damage we do to the environment leads to climate change, we must listen to the voices and needs of the indigenous people.

In the agreement at COP15, Greenpeace welcomes the explicit recognition of Indigenous Peoples’ rights, roles, territories, and knowledge as the most effective biodiversity protection from the UN biodiversity talks. More Cop 15 outlooks can be read here.

Also, without a commitment to safeguarding human rights, the 30×30 target will result in conservation efforts, leading to Indigenous Peoples and local communities being evicted from their ancestral lands and denied access to critical resources needed to sustain their rights to food, health, and land.  When creating protected areas, the free, prior, and informed consent of Indigenous Peoples should be respected. They should be allowed to manage such sites and be provided with the financial resources required to support them.

Recognizing the importance of traditional and indigenous knowledge, international frameworks like the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) have acknowledged the role of indigenous peoples in climate change mitigation and adaptation.

It is essential to respect and support the rights of indigenous peoples, including their land tenure, self-determination, and participation in climate action. Collaborative partnerships with indigenous communities can lead to more effective and equitable climate change solutions that benefit both people and the planet.

If you have any queries or come across suspicious content related to climate change or the environment and want us to verify them for you, then send them to us on our WhatsApp hotline: +917045366366

-With Inputs from Dinesh Balasri–