THEME 1
HEALTH, WELLBEING AND FOOD SECURITY
Jump to topic: News Items | Conferences, Meeting Outcomes & Declarations | Research, Reports & Local observations
News Items
TEBTEBBA Statement on Agriculture
Tebtebba | 04-04-2009
Summary: TEBTEBBA’s intervention on the Workshop on Agriculture at the 5th session of the AWG-LCA noted that Indigenous agricultural and agro-forestry practices are some of the best examples of agro-ecological agriculture. Concerns have been raised about how swidden agriculture has been misrepresented as a driver of deforestation, and called for sustainable ecological agriculture to be recognized as a key mitigation measure for climate change and as a key element for sustainable and low carbon development.
Keywords: global, agriculture, food security
Kiribati Islanders Seek Land to Buy as Rising Seas Threaten
Bloomburg | 09-02-2009
Summary: Kiribati, a Pacific island-nation in danger of being submerged because of
global warming, may purchase land elsewhere to relocate its people. “We would consider buying land,” Tong said in an interview in New Delhi. “The alternative is
that we die, we go extinct.” Kiribati, between Hawaii and Australia, is the second island-nation after the Maldives that’s floated the idea of buying land should their islands be swamped by rising seas and more powerful storms.
Keywords: pacific, health, wellbeing, marine
Senegal: Forecasting the future in an erratic climate
IRIN News | 06-01-2009
Summary: Many traditional methods are becoming increasingly unreliable predictors of the weather due to climate variability, and African farmers already facing fluctuations need scientific data to help them adapt, farmers and climate experts say … Farmers need scientific data on soil fertility levels and adaptive seed varieties in order to assure a good harvest, but traditional cultivation methods and local perspectives on climate change are also vital to maintaining crop yields.
Keywords: africa, traditional knowledge, food security
Why climate change is a human rights issue
ASNS News (Naftali Mungai) | 2008-07-16
Summary: Climate change is unequivocal and only the die-hard sceptics still believe that it is a myth. This is the scientific consensus globally. But while a plethora of literature has been generated over the years on the impacts of climate change in different countries and regions, few studies have been conducted on the human rights implications of climate change.
Keywords: human rights
Indigenous Groups Win Major Battle in Congress in Peru
IPS News (Milagros Salazar) | 2008-08-22
Summary: The Peruvian Congress voted Friday to repeal two decrees that opened up communally owned native lands to private investment and that triggered a wave of protests this month by indigenous people in Amazon jungle provinces.
Keywords: latin america, forests, human rights, environmental stewardship
Native People Warn U.N. of Biofuels Disaster
ISPS News (Haider Rizvi) | 2008-04-30
Summary: Experts on agro-economics say biofuels production is largely responsible for the current food shortages and soaring prices. The crisis, according to them, is not going to end unless the rich countries change their energy consumption patterns. If rich nations stopped biofuels production this year, it would lead to a price decline in corn by about 20 percent and wheat by about 10 percent within the next two years, according to the International Food Policy Research Institute, a think tank in Washington.
Keywords: human rights, food security
Conferences, Meeting Outcomes & Declarations
Declaration of Indigenous Peoples at the World Social Forum, 2009
World Social Forum | 2009-02-02
Summary: This declaration from the World Social Forum, held in Brazil from 27 January - 1 February 2009, is an appeal from Indigenous Peoples to outline alternatives to decolonization, and to provide good living, social rights, self-determination and climate justice.
Keywords: human rights
Climate Change, Human Rights and Indigenous Peoples: Submission to the United Nations High Commissioner on Human Rights
International Indian Treaty Council (IITC) | 2009-01-17
Summary: The International Indian Treaty Council provided this information relevant to the Council on Human Rights’ resolution 7/23 adopted on March 28th 2008, entitled “Human Rights and Climate Change”, in response to an invitation by the United Nations High Commissioner on Human Rights. It provides and introduction to the threats of global warming, causes of climate change, and human rights of Indigenous Peoples; provides elements for an effective human rights framework and the role of international conventions; and examines the human rights impacts of market-based solutions.
Keywords: human rights
International Arctic Change Conference 2008
Arctic Change | 12-12-2008
Summary: Scientists and representatives of indigenous peoples from 16 countries shared their findings and concerns about the rapidly warming Arctic region at the International Arctic Change conference in Quebec City. Indigenous peoples are struggling as the landscape melts from under their buildings and their traditional “country foods” decline. “The ecosystem changes are forcing us to move to a western diet that we are genetically unsuited to,” said Duane Smith, president of the Inuit Circumpolar Council (Canada), an indigenous organisation. Inuit have lived primarily off “country food,” like seal meat, caribou and birds, but many of those populations have declined. That has forced them to switch to an imported processed food diet resulting in an epidemic of diabetes and other dietary problems.
Keywords: Arctic, food security, tundra, biodiversity
Ad Hoc Technical Expert Group on Biodiversity and Climate Change
Convention on Biological Diversity | 2008-11-28
Summary: The first meeting of this AHTEG took place in London, from 17 to 21 November 2008. A number of draft findings are of relevance to indigenous peoples and climate change, including conditions needed to achieve potential benefits for forest-dwelling indigenous and local communities from REDD activities; impacts on traditional ways of life from anthropogenic changes in climate and atmospheric CO2; disproportionate impacts from climate change on Indigenous peoples way of life, and others.
Keywords: biodiversity, wellbeing, redd
Submission of the Maldives to the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights
Human Rights Council (Government of the Maldives) | 2008-09-25
Summary: The Maldives Government’s Submission under Resolution HRC 7/23 "Human Rights and Climate Change" provides incontestable proof that climate change is already affecting the lives, livelihoods and rights of people across our island nation. Moreover, while our analysis is based on the experience of the Maldives and of Maldivians, it is clear that the findings are equally applicable to many other vulnerable countries around the world – countries that bear almost no responsibility for the problem that threatens to consume them.
Keywords: asia, human rights, marine
Press Release from the Chairperson of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues Regarding the Recent Events in Bolivia
UNPFII (Vicky Tauli-Corpuz) | 2008-09-08
Summary: The President of the Permanent Forum, Victoria Tauli-Corpuz, expresses grave concern over the recent developments in Bolivia. She notes that violence and racism have been unleashed against the indigenous peoples of the departments of Santa Cruz, Tarija, Beni and Pando with the purpose of ensuring and increasing the control over lands and resources by a small minority and perpetuating the existence of captive indigenous communities in the Amazon and the Chaco. This represents a gross violation of human rights.
Keywords: latin america, human rights
Ghana Youth and Climate: Global day of action on climate change, Government, G8 Leaders Must Act on Climate Change
Ghana National Youth Coalition on Climate Change (GNYCCC) | 2008-06-08
Summary: Climate change is a challenge that needs to be addressed now to reduce the risk it poses to the youth of today and generations unborn. The Coalition and signatories to the Banners on Climate are using the Global day of action on climate change to make note of the costs of the flood of September 2007, and to demand that, inter alia, the Government of Ghana sets up an independent secretariat to work on climate change, the G8 pursue technology agreements and related initiatives that will lead to large emissions reductions and to the adoption of appropriate and sustainable farming methods, and REDD must be first and foremost a mechanism for forest protection and climate stabilization, not off-setting and profit-generation for Annex-1 countries. It must guarantee the security of land and property rights of local and indigenous peoples.
Keywords: africa, human rights, forests, food security, grasslands
Meeting Summary of the Convening of Indigenous Peoples for the Healing of Mother Earth
The Convening of Indigenous Peoples for the Healing of Mother Earth | 2008-03-13
Summary: Meeting report of The Convening of Indigenous Peoples for the Healing of Mother Earth, Cultural Territory of the Maya in Palenque, Chiapas, Mexico, held from March 10-13, 2008 (released in June 2008), including list of participants and opening and closing remarks.
Keywords: wellbeing
Message of the Living Spirit of the Convening of Indigenous Peoples for the Healing of Mother Earth
The Convening of Indigenous Peoples for the Healing of Mother Earth | 2008-03-13
Summary: Message from The Convening of Indigenous Peoples for the Healing of Mother Earth, Cultural Territory of the Maya in Palenque, Chiapas, Mexico, held from March 10-13, 2008, on the vision, the pain of mother earth, and the healing of mother earth, including a call to action for indigenous peoples
Keywords: wellbeing
Early flowers, new fish - late berries, few whales
Climate Frontlines Forum | 2008-07-23
Summary: Participants in the Climate Frontlines project have submitted to the Forum their observations of environmental shifts attributed to climate change.
Keywords: wellbeing, indigenous assessments, environmental stewardship
Tamaynut, IPACC & Conservation International pan-African indigenous peoples’ consultative conference on Climate Change: Adaptation and Mitigation
IPACC | 2008-11-10
Summary: Indigenous peoples’ representatives from twelve African countries, representing hunter-gatherers, nomadic herders and oasis dwellers ended a four day conference in Marrakech, Morocco with a firm commitment to greater engagement with international and national policy forums on climate change.
Keywords: africa, food security, environmental stewardship
Statement of the Eighth Conference of Parliamentarians of the Arctic Region
Conference of Parliamentarians of the Arctic Region | 2008-08-14
Summary: Statement of the Eighth Conference of Parliamentarians of the Arctic Region, Fairbanks, USA, held from 12-14 August 2008, on human health in the Arctic, development of an Arctic maritime policy for safety at sea, adaptation to climate change and development of renewable energy resources.
Keywords: health, tundra, energy
Global Indigenous Peoples Consultation on Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation
Tebtebba and UNU-IAS | 2008-11-14
Summary: Participants at the Global Indigenous Peoples Consultation on Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD) held from 12 to 14 November 2008 in Baguio City, Philippines, adopted an Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities’ Global Strategy on REDD. The strategy makes reference to a number of overarching principles, including a human-rights approach to all REDD activities on the basis of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, and the free, prior and informed consent of indigenous peoples in REDD activities. It also stresses the need to distinguish between reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation as a goal that interests all climate change stakeholders including indigenous peoples (redd) and the use of term REDD to signify possible future policies and instruments designed to achieve this goal.
Keywords: redd, forests, food security, environmental stewardship
Report of the Cambio Climatico y Pueblos Indigenas (Climate Change and Indigenous Peoples) Training Event
CICA and CIMA | 2008-02-09
Summary: Report of the Cambio Climatico y Pueblos Indigenas meeting held in Solola, Guatemala, from 7 to 9 February 2009. This meeting was organised by Pueblos Indígenas el Consejo Indígena de Centro América, el Consejo Indígena Mesoamericano and Conservación Internacional, and focussed on climate change in Mesoamerica.
Keywords: mesoamerica, environmental stewardship
Research, Reports & Local observations
Alaska Baseline Eroision Assessment
US Army Corps of Engineers | 2009-03
The US Army Corps of Engineers has conducted a study to provide an overall assessment of erosion in the State of Alaska. The Corps, working with the State, Federally recognized Tribes, and other stakeholders, developed this Alaska Baseline Erosion Assessment to provide a measured assessment of erosion issues in Alaska. This study provides communities affected by erosion with an estimated erosion rate map, potential recommendations, and guidance for implementation on ways they can address their concerns. As an initial stage in the process, a document that lists 181 communitied affected by erosion was prepared.
Francis X Hezel, SJ: High Water in the Low Atolls, Micronesian Counselor #76, March 2009
In recent years, islands in the Micronesian region have suffered serious damage due to wave surges, salt water flooding, and drought. While shoreline erosion is a common and increasingly serious impact, a more insidious one has to do with the salt water damage to agricultural crops. Can these wave surges and high tides simply be ascribed to the confluence of causes having to do with orbital cycles of the earth, moon and sun? Or is there something more ominous at work here? Whatever cause we ascribe to these recent events, it is incontestable that the wave surges and high tides did serious damage to features of the islands and to important food resources, especially taro, in the coral atolls. Whatever its cause, the damage is real and people who depend on these crops are harmed.
Report of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights on the relationship between climate change and human rights
Human Rights Council | 2009-01-15
Summary: This report discusses how observed and projected impacts of climate change have implications for the enjoyment of human rights and for the obligations of States under international human rights law. Chapter I discusses the main features of climate change as defined in the reports of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and central aspects of current climate change debates under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Chapter II outlines various implications of climate change for human rights, commenting on: (a) the relationship
between the environment and human rights; (b) implications of the effects of climate change for the enjoyment of specific rights; (c) vulnerabilities of specific groups; (d) human rights implications of climate change-induced displacement and conflict; and (e) human rights implications of measures to address climate change. Chapter III relates the discussion of the impacts of climate change on human rights with relevant obligations under international human rights law, which are also summarized in annex 1 to the present report. Chapter IV draws conclusions on the relationship between climate change and human rights.
Keywords: human rights, wellbeing
Climate Change and Food Security in Pacific Island Countries
FAO | 2008-12
Summary: This report by FAO includes case studies in Vanuatu, Marshall Islands and Cook Islands, in addition to reports from the regional expert group on food security and climate change (October 2008) and the Declaration of the high-level conference on food security (June 2008).
Keywords: pacific, food security, small islands
Tibetan Alpine Ethnobotany and Climate Change
Agrobiodiversity platform | 2008-11-17
Summary: Posted as an input to a web discussion to identify gaps and needs in agrobiodiversity and climate change research, this project focuses on the Tibetan community who perceive, adapt by becoming wine producers and mitigate the effects of climate change by practicing traditional conservation methods and managing land so to enhance organic matter in the soil.
Keywords: biodiversity, tk, asia, food security, grasslands
Chatham House Debate on the Motion ‘Climate change violates the universal rights of all peoples to live in a safe and sustainable environment’
Chatham House | 2008-09-17
Summary: On Wednesday 17 September 2008, the Permanent Mission of Maldives, the Permanent Mission of New Zealand and the Oxford Union, convened a Chatham House debate on the motion: “Climate change violates the universal rights of all Peoples to live in a safe and sustainable environment”. The event took place on the sidelines of the 9th Session of the Human Rights Council. When considering the implications of climate change for human rights, a key issue to be addressed is the relationship between environmental quality and the full enjoyment of fundamental rights. The event aimed to contribute towards a greater understanding of this issue, first raised more than 36 years ago in the Stockholm Declaration on the Human Environment.
Keywords: human rights, wellbeing
Climate Wrongs and Human Rights: Putting Peoples at the heart of climate-change policy
Oxfam International | 2008-09-08
Summary: In failing to tackle climate change with urgency, rich countries are effectively violating the human rights of millions of the world’s poorest people. Excessive greenhouse-gas emissions are leading to floods, droughts, hurricanes, sea-level rise, and seasonal unpredictability. These impacts are undermining millions of people’s rights to life, security, food, water, health, shelter and culture. Such human-rights violations could never truly be remedied in courts of law. Human-rights principles must be put at the heart of international climate change policy making now, in order to stop this irreversible damage to humanity’s future.
Keywords: human rights
REDD money is blood money (REDD is the colour of blood)
Akha Heritage Foundation | 2008-05-08
Summary: REDD is a new global project cooked up by the World Bank Group and its “experts” to pay those who claim present or future income from deforestation and degradation of remaining natural forests, to refrain from cutting down forests. The climate change related rationale behind this new recipe is that the world (read industrialized world) is committed to a certain trajectory of market based economic growth fatally addicted to fossil fuel technology and high consumption patterns that it does not want to abandon or change. The recipe offers an attractive incentive to high-end emitters of GHGs to make further profits doing more of the same while washing their dirty hands by paying off forest conservation efforts in the global south.
Keywords: redd, forests
Indigenous Perspectives on Climate Change: Australia
UNU-IAS / Kowanyama Aboriginal Land and Natural Resources Management Office (Australia) | 2009-01-31
Summary: The UNU-IAS Traditional Knowledge Initiative, in conjunction with the Kowanyama Aboriginal Land and Natural Resources Management Office, Cape York Peninsular, Australia, presents a video brief about the effects of climate change on Kowanyama, a coastal indigenous community in tropical Queensland, Australia. The short presentation is told from the perspectives of Kowanyama and highlights the impacts of rising sea levels on the community due to climatic global warming.
Keywords: multimedia, indigenous assessment, marine
