The cultural context of biodiversity conservation - Oapen

The global context
2.4 Biodiversity conservation and indigenous knowledge
As indigenous communities inhabit many of the remaining significant areas of high
natural value, they depend directly or indirectly upon the wealth of these ecosystems
for their livelihoods. It has been widely acknowledged that the economies of indigenous
peoples are closely adapted to the natural resources of their particular environments,
of which they reveal a high degree of knowledge based on observation and
long practice. In this way they have developed and maintained a cumulative body of
knowledge representations based on extended histories of interaction with specific
natural environments. This acknowledgement points to one of the most frequently
discussed elements of the CBD with regard to indigenous peoples, namely the direction
it takes on the central role of knowledge in the formation of local-global relationships.
The preamble claims to recognise the close dependence of many indigenous
and local communities on biological resources and gives expression to the desirability
of sharing equitable benefits arising from the use of traditional knowledge relevant to
the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity. In several provisions explicit reference
is made to the importance of such knowledge. Official commitments embodied
in article 8(j) mark the starting point the present study is departing from. The section
requires the contracting parties to take measures ›as far as possible‹ and ›subject to
their national legislations‹ to
respect, preserve and maintain knowledge, innovations and practices of indigenous and local communities
embodying traditional lifestyles relevant for the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity
and promote their wider application with the approval and involvement of the holders of such
knowledge, innovations and practices and encourage the equitable sharing of the benefits arising from
the utilization of such knowledge, innovations and practices (Gündling 2000: 8). 23
With reference to in situ conservation, article 10(c) likewise calls upon the signing
countries to »protect and encourage customary use of biological resources in accordance
with traditional cultural practices that are compatible with conservation or sustainable
use requirements«. Article 17(2) addresses the exchange of information. This
includes the »exchange of results of technical, scientific and socio-economic research,
as well as information on training and surveying programmes, specialized knowledge,
indigenous and traditional knowledge [...]. It shall also, where feasible, include repatriation
of information.« Article 18(4) states that parties shall »in accordance with national
legislations and policies, encourage and develop methods for cooperation for
23 Gündling (2000: 9) assumes that the term indigenous ›communities‹ as opposed to indigenous
›peoples‹ was chosen intentionally in order to avoid the debate over the concepts of ›people‹ and
›peoples‹, which has been under way for years in the international arena and UN institutions. Behind
the concept of ›peoples‹ lies the notion of self-determination, following the International Covenant on
Civil and Political Rights, as noted by Oviedo (2002: 4). Just as the term ›indigenous‹ lacks a coherent
understanding, the term ›local‹ with its multiple meanings not only relates to questions of scale. In
the CBD, there is neither a definition nor orientation as to what a ›community‹ is and how the
phrase ›embodying traditional lifestyles‹ is to be understood.
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