Conservation Biology in the Boreal
HOW DOES NEWFOUNDLAND and LABRADOR COMPARE??
How Other Countries are Working with Indigenous People
The Sagarmatha (Mt. Everst) National Park (SNP) is located in Nepal and contains a high level of biodiversity in addition to some of the world’s highest peaks; including Mt. Everst. The indigenous Sherpa people are currently the main inhabitants of the park, distributed across eight major settlements. Historically, the Sherpa people have worked to develop their own community stewardship programs to protect their sacred forests and grasslands. For example, the shiingi nawa institution appoints local members to become “forest guards” who enforce rules and regulations across their lands to conserve their forests.
In 1957, the Forest Nationalization Act was passed, giving the government full rights to all forest cover within the country. Through this act, the areas previously owned by the Sherpa people now became a national park. This initiated conflict with the Sherpa since they were denied any local right to forest management (1).
Nepal
Now illegal, the Sherpa communities still continued to hunt and harvest timber, while avoiding park employees. The park staff realized they could not control all activities and needed local support to ensure the future of SNP. Local people were hired as specialists, to incorporate their skills in the park, and also to generate a positive relationship between park officials and the Sherpa people. This didn’t solve all the issues though because the National Parks and Wildlife Conservation Act still prevented anyone from living or harvesting within national parks, so the park boundaries were changed to exclude eight Sherpa settlements. By working with the Sherpa communities, instead of against them, governmental specialists were able to limit destructive activities (like decreasing logging), and also build trusting relationships with the Sherpa people, who wanted to protect the land as much as they did.(1).
View of the high peaks located within Sagarmatha National Park in Nepal.
Source: http://www.vacationhomes.net
Topography and boundary lines of Sagarmatha National Park. (Click the image for a larger, more detailed view)
Source: http://mappery.com/
Australia has many examples of how they involve indigenous people in conversation and management. In the Northern Territory of Australia, indigenous people currently own approximately 85% of the coastline and 44% of the total land mass. Historically, indigenous people of Australia have not been consulted with during water resource decisions but it is becoming clear that they need assistance to manage these areas as industrial development pressures increase (20).
Presently, water bodies and riparian landscapes in the area are being threatened with environmental degradation due to anthropogenic activities related to water resource development. Indigenous people want to conserve their lands and protect the biodiversity around them so they cooperate with conservationists; the Malak Malak people who live by the Daly River report that the river no longer has a narrow, deep channel as it once did, but has become wide and shallow. Given that there are no historical records regarding river measurements available, this firsthand knowledge is essential for determining how much damage has already occurred. The indigenous people have also brought to the attention of researchers the fact that their native grasses that once lined the riverbanks have now been replaced by invasive species, information that would otherwise require long-term studies to discover (20).
Austrailia
In order to better incorporate aboriginal ecological knowledge into their management strategies, Australia has proposed three strategies:
1) Community-based initiatives:
These developed due to a large increase in the “Caring for Country” movement and include stewardship programs developed by the North Australian Indigenous Land and Sea Management Alliance (NAILSMA). Basically, these work under the principle that “the land needs its people” and they recognize that the indigenous people have always practiced conservation on their own lands. Non-aboriginal agencies need to work with the indigenous people on traditional tried-and-true strategies, instead of attempting to take over the land.
2) ‘Two-ways’ research methods:
This is a strategy based on sharing scientific and TEK to benefit both groups.
3) Innovative regional management strategies:
This strategy is more influenced by regional governance than it is by science. Essentially, catchment management authorities are created for the various aboriginal settlements along the coastlines and riverbanks and each catchment area have their own regional resource governance structure and land-use management strategies. Ultimately, the regions are separate protected areas (20).
Indigenous people working in fire management (above right) and removing 'ghost' nets from the shore (bottom)
Source: http://www.environment.gov.au/
Djelk indigenous people cleaning up the coastline in the northern territory (above left) and aerial photo of a protected wetland (bottom).
Source: http://environment.gov.au/
You don't have to look far to find success stories from around the globe of how indigenous people have either acted as conservationists themselves, or cooperated with conservationists to protect the natural landscape. Below you will find two examples, one from Nepal and the other from Australia. Both cases exhibit strategies that could be applied right here in Newfoundland and Labrador to help protect our natural landscape.
Source: http://www.decodedscience.com