International Seminar

“Climate Change, Adaptation, Mitigation and Local Knowledge “

The cases of Kenya, Vietnam and Bangladesh

Date: 16th October 2009

Venue: Helsinki, Finland

Rikhardinkatu Library, Rikhardinkatu 3, Helsinki

See the Map to the Library:

Time: 10:00-13:10

Registration: Send an email to shalinry@gmail.com

in addition this seminar is supported by

and

The event is part of the Climate and Development Week: “The Unheard
Majority Voices towards Copenhagen Climate Treaty” (13th-22th of October).
Information on the other events are available at:
www.sll.fi/ilmastokiertue,

Programme

(See Profile of Speakers here)

10:00-10:15 Coffee & Registration

10:15-10:30 Introducing the speakers and the context of the seminar

10:30-11:10 The Role of Indigenous Knowledge in Understanding the Shifting of Risks in the Face of a Changing Climate in Kenya, Dr Kenneth Odero and Dr Nicholas Oguge, (see here an article on Kenya)

11:10-11:40 Floods and Adaptation in the Mekong Delta of Vietnam: Linking Government to Local Knowledge, Dr Bach Tan Sinh, Vietnam (See video here)

11:40-12:10 Knowledge Based Sustainable Natural Resource Management in Bangladesh, Dr Sukanta Sen, Bangladesh

12:10-12:40 Comments from Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland, Dr Matti Nummelin

12:40-13:10 Panel Discussion and Launch of the Report “Where is the knowledge, Where is the Climate?”

End of Seminar

13:20-13:30 Launch of the exhibition: Climate and Comics, Climate Change through the eyes of children, Veera Rönkkö

The seminar will be presenting papers based on 3 case studies on local/indigenous knowledge and climate change. It aims at  understanding better the shifting of risks between adaptation and mitigation measures and the role of local/indigenous knowledge in climate change.

The event is supported by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland.

Background Summary

Contrary to popular perception, indigenous or local communities have intimate knowledge of their environment (soils, water, forest, flora, fauna, etc), and most of their decisions and actions are informed by this knowledge-base.

Indigenous or local knowledge is the basis for local-level decision-making in many rural communities. It has value not only for the culture in which it evolves, but also for scientists and planners striving to improve conditions in rural localities.

Over time, human relationship with nature has produced complex knowledge systems, which are responsive to change, self regenerating as well as being multidimensional in nature. The close knit association between this knowledge systems and ecosystems offers us the greatest opportunity to understand how humans respond to change. This is crucial especially now that we are faced with a major environmental crisis related to climate change.

Incorporating indigenous knowledge into climate change policies can lead to the development of effective adaptation strategies that are cost-effective, participatory and sustainable (IPCC). However, the papers in this publication point out that the ecological space within which indigenous knowledge can effectively be used for adaptation has severely been degraded. They also highlight the continued and existing threat from development practices including those meant to assist in the processes of adaptation and mitigation.

The papers explore the role of the indigenous knowledge from two extreme ecological systems; the wet ecological systems of Vietnam and Bangladesh to the dry to semi arid ecosystems of Kenya. The three country case studies show that, often linear solutions have been designed to resolve issues or problems that are multidimensional in nature. This approach has more or less tended to shift the temporal problem and transferring the inherent risks to solitary ecological units or to whole ecosystems. This in turn degrades the active role of indigenous or local knowledge systems.

There is an emerging trend on how the role of indigenous or local knowledge systems has been systematically marginalised through developmental interventions over time in the Global South.

When nature is approached from the classical ecological principles it is seen in many dimensions, the papers argue. This gives a comprehensive understanding of the ecosystems and how they are impacted by external factors, including those contributing to climatic change over time.

The papers conclude that, it is crucially important to use indigenous or local knowledge to regenerate the ecological balance where such has been destroyed. Local knowledge should also be used to protect intact ecosystems and in the regeneration of new environments. This is the only way to guarantee that such knowledge systems continue to play their deserved role including providing insight into mitigation and adaptation processes.

The papers also call on governments to develop responsive policies and legally binding instruments informed by the local knowledge systems. It is only by engaging and integrating such a crucial knowledge base in the national development policies, that nations can effectively deal with the emerging global developmental crisis including climate change.

The IPCC report on Climate Change 2007: Climate Change Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability, says “a portfolio of adaptation and mitigation measures can diminish the risks associated with climate change.