This week some of the worst bushfires on record continued to intensify. In Australia, thousands of homes have been destroyed, millions of acres of land scorched and at least 24 people have been killed.
These bushfires may be happening in Australia, but this is a global emergency.
With the devastating Amazon fires fresh in all our memories, this is yet another sign of the escalating climate crisis.
But amid the destruction and loss, stories of hope have emerged. In New South Wales, "cultural burning" prevented the total destruction of one family’s land. This Indigenous techniquebased on deep local knowledge uses controlled burning to moderate intense bushfires and promote biodiversity. It was heavily disrupted by European invaders, who dismissed it as "primitive."
But conservationists have much to learn from indigenous forestry methods, and it’s time to start listening. After conservationists banned controlled burning in the Indian state of Karnataka, there was a 350% increase in forest fires between 2015 and 2017.
The Soliga tribe warned that this increase was entirely preventable, if only they'd been allowed to continue managing the forest.
There's extensive, well-documented evidence that indigenous and tribal peoples have shaped, nurtured and protected their environments for thousands of years, and it’s time to start learning from them, before it’s too late.
We're campaigning for indigenous voices to be at the heart of conservation, leading the fight against climate change – their knowledge is essential for all our futures.
P.S. Unlike many NGOs, we reject government funding so our integrity is never compromised. We rely entirely on your donations to keep fighting for tribal peoples worldwide. Please donate today. Without you, there can be no Survival.
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