Threats To The Sustainable Management Of Indigenous People And Their Knowledge Systems: The

Indian Scenario

Dr. P.R. Arun

envirorights@gmail.com

Indigenous Communities

• Inhabit 20% of the earths surface

• Stewards of biodiversity and traditional knowledge

• The boundaries with other communities are getting increasingly amorphous

• Worst sufferers of environmental changes

Traditional Knowledge

• Developed and refined by the indigenous people

• Mostly associated intricately with the local biodiversity

• Contributed significantly to various fields of science and technology, especially – Pharmaceuticals and cosmetics

Characteristics of Traditional Knowledge

• Collective rights on the knowledge

• Close association and interdependence with the local environment

• Mostly transferred orally from generation to generation

• Often governed by strict rules and regulations

• Sacredness and secrecy associated

Indian Knowledge Systems

• As opposed to the western system– Less documented– Proven by experience, rather than experiments– Often more complex

• Eg:- does not involve the separation of active component in the case of medicines

The Threats

• Traditional knowledge is fast depleting• It does not come under the purview of the IPR laws

(the scenario is changing after the CBD)• Practice of benefit sharing with indigenous

communities are yet to gain its ground • Identifying the real ownership of any particular

knowledge is practically difficult• Lack of scientific documentation

Sustainable Management

• It involves the management of today’s communities without affecting the future

Why to Manage ?

• Some of the age-old traditional practices can no longer be practiced sustainably– Slash and burn cultivation

– Traditional hunting practices

• Changing environmental conditions– Deterioration in the quality of the environment

– Resource crunch

How to Manage ?

• No panacea solution for management

• Highly site-specific depending on – Nature of the the problems, – Prevailing conditions,– Attitude of the people

And so on,

Management Options

1. Conserve the traditional people along with their knowledge systems?

– A people centered approach

2. Conserve the knowledge systems in isolation and bring the indigenous people to the mainstream community?

– A knowledge centered approach

Option 1

• Conserve the people and their knowledge systems, by assisting them to sustain their existing livelihoods with only minor changes, wherever necessary.– Education system and curricula needs to be

accordingly modified.– Necessary legislature to protect and help their

sustenance.

Option 2

• Thorough documentation of the traditional knowledge– Context and environment also need to be documented

• Weaning away the traditional people from their traditional lifestyle into the mainstream population– Provide alternate livelihoods

– Modern education

Option 2 Contd….

• Documentation using appropriate medium.– medicinal plants,– agricultural practices,– traditional varieties of cultivars,– hunting skills,– handicrafts,– ceremonies,– festivals,– arts and so on.

Conclusion

• People’s attitude is very important. Unless the people are made to feel through awareness campaigns that their tradition and skills are worth conserving, sustainable management cannot be materialised in its true sense