9th August is celebrated as International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples. It is a day that aims to raise awareness of indigenous populations around the world; Educating people about the rights of indigenous peoples. Indigenous people make up about 6.2% of the world’s population. More than 476 million people live in 90 countries around the world.
According to statistical observation, about 80% of the world’s biodiversity is inhabited and protected by indigenous populations. their Culture, lifestyle and activities are integral to the sustenance of our environment and vice versa.
Their intuitive, diverse knowledge of land, nature and its development is of utmost importance to ensure the protection of important ecosystems and natural resources.
Therefore they are a key figure in environmental protection as they play a vital role in the development, management and conservation of natural places and ecosystems.
On International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples, let’s find out how indigenous peoples help protect the environment:
Ecosystem Restoration:
Indigenous peoples have proved to be important stewards of our environment and its rapidly depleting resources. They protect the area in which they live against trespassing, illegal encroachments, and in the process protect nature from harmful consequences of man-made deforestation, mega-dams on rivers, forest mining, waterlogging. In short, the indigenous people uphold the tradition of conservation.
Help with conventional wisdom:
Indigenous people are the ideal ‘guardians’ of the ecosystem. They are closely related to their surroundings in which they live. The Paris Agreement on Climate Change in its preamble recognized this fundamental, inherent bond that exists between indigenous peoples and nature. Their heritage, knowledge aid in environmental assessment, and create sustainable solutions for ecosystem management. For example, with their help reclaimed Hawaii’s native fish pond, a conservation corridor was established in Suriname. This is why the United Nations ensures that they are involved in the decision-making and management of ecosystems.
Warriors to stop global climate change:
Their time-tested, age-old farming practices do not harm nature. Such methods are resilient to climate change. For example, the techniques of terracing prevent soil erosion, or the practice of creating floating gardens from flooded fields, or their approach to fighting wildfires (with the ancient understanding of quick-burning) extremely eco-friendly approaches. and are well suited for handling extreme temperatures. In the process, they conserve, restore forests and natural resources.
Indigenous foods adapt to climate change:
The crops grown by indigenous people are highly adaptable. They can survive droughts, altitudes, floods and any kind of temperature extremes. As a result, these crops help in creating resilient farms. In addition, quinoa, moringa, oka are some of the indigenous crops that have the potential to expand and diversify our food base. These will contribute towards the goal of achieving zero hunger.
Indigenous people’s lifestyles help sustain fossil fuels in the land:
They respect the environment and are ideal conservationists of our natural resources. Their way of thinking, lifestyle, culture helps in providing a global solution. They believe that petroleum is the blood of their ancestors. They aim to reduce global dependence on fossil fuels and promote non-petroleum alternatives.
read all Breaking Newshandjob breaking news And coronavirus news Here
.