Indigenous people can show us how to adapt to climate change

[Dead_Parrot]

HANOI (AlertNet) – Indigenous communities around the world are highly vulnerable to climate change but instead of seeing them as victims, policy-makers should tap into their centuries-old knowledge of adapting to extreme weather patterns, aid workers say.

In Iran, which has some 700 nomadic tribes, pastoralists have been successfully adapting to climate fluctuations for 12,000 years, development expert Catherine Razavi told an international conference on climate change.

In recent years they have adjusted their migration patterns and switched to more drought resistant strains of livestock, said Razavi who is executive director of Iran’s Center for Sustainable Development (CENESTA).

In central Iran, where much pastureland has been destroyed by drought, she said pastoralists were now planting drought tolerant crops on previous grazing land. These crops include pistachios and fodder barley which can be used to feed livestock.

More: http://www.trust.org/alertnet/news/indigenous-people-can-teach-us-how-to-adapt-to-climate-change-experts

[saras]

1. Sure thing - as soon as we abandon mining and manufacturing.