Guide on Climate Change and Indigenous Peoples

Aside from the cases presented above, indigenous peoples are adaptingto extreme weather patterns and changing climate impacts in many moredifferent ways. The table below gives specific examples of indigenousstrategies in responding to various climate change risks.CATEGORYSPECIFICSTRATEGIES• Growing manydifferent cropsand varieties• Diversity in fieldlocation• Selling ofsurplus crops,handicrafts,wage labor,forest productsRESPONSETOCASESDiversifiedResourceBaseRisk dueto harvestfailureThe Dayaks of Borneo are adapting toclimate change by diversifying crops tominimize the risk of harvest failure.Change inVarietiesandSpecies• Planting newcrop varieties orspecies• Harvestingof unusualresourcesChangesin climatepatternthat leadharvestfailureRecent changes in precipitationencouraged people in the Kalaharito shift from rain-fed agricultureto manually-watered homesteadgardening and a shift from cattle togoats.The Kenyah in Borneo plant new cropssuch as maize in the drying river bedsduring droughts caused by El Niño.Changein HuntingStrategies• Change huntingstrategies totake advantageof new specieswhile trying tomanage thepopulation ofnew species• change ofhunting, fruitgatheringand fishingtechniquesReducedpopulationof someanimalspecies,due towarmerclimateThe Inuits change their fishing andhunting areas and they adjust theirtravel routes in order to continue theirdaily activities.Change inthe Timingof Activities• Adjustments tocrop harvesting,wild plantgathering,hunting andfishingChangesin growingseasonsand timesof animalmigrationsand reproductionThe indigenous peoples of Belize aretrying to make use of meteorologicalagriculture system in order to predictthe weather. In this manner, they areable to change timing in their plantingto cope with the changing weatherpatterns.44 <strong>Guide</strong> on Climate Change and Indigenous Peoples