Sustainable Development and Indigenous Peoples

Updated January 2007
 
The term Sustainable Development has been widely used and discussed for since the mid-1980s. There are numerous definitions of sustainability and sustainable development, but the best known is possibly the one stated in World Commission on Environment and Development's (the Brundtland Commission) report "Our Common Future" from 1987. This suggests that development is sustainable where it "meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs." 
 
Sustainable Development and Indigenous Peoples
Indigenous peoples usually live in isolated areas, outside the mainstream of national economies and development support. The areas they inhabit are even more likely to lack infrastructure such as roads, schools and health posts. Indigenous peoples very often inhabit resourceful areas, which are exposed to logging, mining, oil-industry and other kinds of commercial exploitation.
 
Indigenous peoples' distinct livelihoods depend on access to land and natural resources and sustainable development is therefore an issue of crucial concern to indigenous peoples all over the world. The recognition of indigenous peoples as a major group by the UN Conference on Environment & Development (UNCED), popularly known as the Earth Summit, held in 1992, was a breakthrough enabling the political participation of indigenous peoples in various processes relating to sustainable development. In 2002 the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) was held in Johannesburg, South Africa. Here the potential of indigenous peoples as 'stewards' of national and global natural
resources and biodiversity was acknowledged and the important role of indigenous peoples in sustainable development reaffirmed.
 
However, translating this political recognition into concrete advances locally, nationally, regionally and internationally remains a big challenge for indigenous peoples. Development interventions in favour of indigenous peoples have been rare, and are not usually guided by their own priorities. In the name of development or free trade, mining, oil and gas developments, plantations and the like encroach on indigenous peoples' lands and territories and make their life and survival increasingly difficult. The strategies adopted by indigenous organizations around the world to defend their rights vary from all sorts of local organizing and protests and the issue of sustainable development is followed closely by indigenous peoples, their representatives and their organisations.

Example of a natural resource management project
In northern Australia, the national alliance of Indigenous Land Councils across Northern Australia works closely together with the Australian Indigenous Traditional Owners and communities on a national Dugong and Marine Turtle Management project. This project involves communities across the north coast of Australia and the Torres Strait, working together to develop sustainable, community-driven management plans for dugong and sea turtle protection and management. The project combines Indigenous knowledge and traditional management practices with the best of scientific research and 'western science' to develop land and sea management plans with the best outcomes for all.  Visit the following webpage http://www.nailsma.org.au/projects/dugong_turtle.html to find out more.

More information
Indigenous Affairs 4/2001 - Sustainable Development (can be downloaded as a PDF file). This issue seeks to give an overview of the WSSD process, the input to the process provided by indigenous peoples, and to present concrete case studies relating to sustainable development and the problems faced by indigenous peoples around the world on these issues.
 
During the WSSD representatives of the indigenous peoples attending the summit submitted a document known as the "Kimberly Declaration" and defined a Plan of Implementation for the next decade. It is part of indigenous peoples' contribution for achieving human and environmental sustainability of the world.
 
The Partnership on Indigenous Peoples Rights and Sustainable Development traces its roots to the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) when several indigenous representatives and bilateral and multilateral agencies formed a "Partnership on Indigenous Peoples Rights and Sustainable Development - Capacity-building for dialogue".
 
Indigenous Peoples' International Centre for Policy Research and Education (Tebtebba) in the Philippines publishes a bi-annual journal titled "Indigenous Perspectives" and many of the volumes deal with sustainable development issues. Click here to see the list of journals.
 
Visit the website of Resource Conflict Institute (RECONCILE), which is a regional policy research and advocacy NGO that promotes policies, laws and institutions for the sustainable utilization of natural resources and the environment and sustainable development of East Africa.
 
International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) has made a discussion paper titled "Indigenous Peoples and Sustainable Development". Click here to read the discussion paper. 
 
The United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD) is responsible for reviewing progress in the implementation of Agenda 21 and the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development; as well as providing policy guidance to follow up the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation (JPOI) at the local, national, regional and international levels.
 
Visit the Johannesburgsummit website to read more about the 1992 WSSD.

Read the article "What kind of environment? Reconciling Indigenous People's Rights and Environmental Conservation Policies - A case study from Thailand" by Christian Ern and Prawit Nikornuaychai

Read the Guidelines for Practitioners from IGNARM: Integrating Indigenous and Gender Aspects in natural Resource Management from 2005. Copyright 2005: WWF, IWGIA, KULU, Nepenthes & DIIS. Editors: Gertrud Bjørning and Elisabeth Kiørboe. Authors: Elisabeth Kiørboe, Diana Vinding, Martha Salazar, Vibeke Tuxen and Helle Munk-Ravnborg.

Guidelines for
Practitioners