The Land of the World of Indigenous people, a part of solutions to the Global Warming
By G. Gaingam
It is said that because of the huge emission of gas, smoke and carbon dioxide that is emitted mostly from the Industrialized Countries and when these emission in the atmosphere is heated by the hot sun, the whole world is affected by Global Warming. The consequences are climate change, melting ice and snow, raising sea level, weather change, severe draughts, increased floods, food and water security threatened, cultivation and farming activities threatened, crops failure, rainforest replaced by savanna.Then again these bring displacement, diseases, sickness and untimely deaths.
While seeking solution to the Global Warming, apart from many programmes to be launched by different bodies of Governmental, NGOs and others, the world Bank will launch ‘FCPF’ (Forest Carbon Partnership Facility) and REDD (Reduce Emission from Deforestation and Degradation) programmes for taking up afforestation, reforestation, conservation of forest and biodiversity with many components of programme including sustainable economic activities for the people. The main thrust will be (1) for absorption of carbon gas/smoke in the forest and (2) for emission of oxygen from the forest of the land of the World Indigenous people.
EVALUATION OF THE FOREST:
Measurement/Evaluation of quantity of absorption of Carbon gas and Emission of Oxygen from the forest will be carried out by the experts periodically. This evaluation will be reflected into money value.
BENEFIT SHARING:
(1) Benefit to the whole world since it will be a part of solution to the Global Warming
(2) Benefit to the industrialized countries under the programme of FCPF and REDD which will make possible for Carbon finance & Credit.
(3) Benefit to the World Indigenous people who could get opportunity to rediscover the value of their forest land (The Gift of God): much more than the value of the standing trees which the people see and understand only in the form of commercial timber.
PEOPLE’S PARTICIPATION & SAFE-GUARD
One of the main agenda of the 7th Session of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issue held on 21 April – 2 May 2008 in UN HQ New York is on “Climate Change” and recommendation for the safe guard/protection of the Indigenous people and the aforesaid programme is going to be launched in the land of the world Indigenous people so as to ensure Indigenous people’s participation in the programme. It also recommended that indigenous people should be represented in every level/stage of committee of planning, advisory, financial, implementing and monitoring and at the expert committee etc.
Need of permanent field
It is needed to enforce strict Rules and Regulations for banning all type of timber felling business and start conservation of forest to save the whole world from the danger of global warming. Slash and burn practice of jhumming/shifting cultivation which destroys a huge area of forest every year is also needed to be abandoned to save the forest from deforestation and degradation. Here, we have made a humble attempt in this paper to suggest for a permanent field of 2-3 hectares of land for every family for a settled farming without shifting/changing the location of the field for years to come.80% Families of Indigenous people living in the North-East India are without Permanent field and are only dependent on Shifting cultivation. Hence, making one permanent field for every family in every village will be a prerequisite for a settled farming. This permanent field of cultivation requires Expert’s Consultancy on how to manage (1) Water (2) Soil (3) Organic fertilizer (4) Weed Control and (5) need of summer and Winter Crops. And Rain-Fed Crops where there is no any irrigational facility.
Identification of Crops:
Detailed consultation with the people from the very beginning in identification of alternative crops should be taken as one of the most important step. Identification of crops by the people for themselves will make them feel a sense of belonging and ownership. This will produce great enthusiasm and interest that will make them fully participate or involve in the scheme/programme. This important part is always ignored or neglected by the planners and the implementing agencies of the government or NGOs. This is one of the main reasons that have made every scheme a failure. Out of identified crops, 60% should be annual cash crops for those families who are living below poverty line.
Technical Consultancy:
Need of technical consultancy including market link for taking up their sustainable economic growth, a special emphasis for Organic farming and products will be one of the top items in the consultancy. Hence, Centres for technical consultancy and awareness need to be opened at every Block Level within the jurisdiction of the Indigenous tribal people.
Bank loan a major role:
Bank can play a major role towards abandoning of slash and burnt practice of cultivation and replacing it with permanent field of cultivation/farming for the Indigenous peoples of North East India. Giving financial grants by the government to the people becomes a harmful system. Instead of helping them for work culture, the people are taught how to get money without work. Here, instead of giving financial grant to the beneficiary, giving bank loan at minimum interest rate will make a farmer adopt a new spirit of work culture with the concern for repayment of bank loan and also will make the programme a success. Unfortunately, most of the hill area inhabited by tribal Indigenous people is not covered by the commercial Banks.
Hence, the needed steps are suggested below:
1. Opening of Bank at every Block Level. Or the area operation of the existing commercial Bank in the state capital and district Headquarter can be extended to cover all the hill areas of the Indigenous peoples.
2. Arrangement for Insurance and mortgage of the land with the scheme of the family and of the village for making Bank loan possible so that the indigenous tribal people may able to avail Bank loan for the identified permanent land( field) as alternative to slash and burn.
3. The Government should also provide assistance/programme/schemes to each beneficiary to those families who are living below poverty line in the form of food grain (Rice) as a food security during the first year of alternative cultivation to fill up the gap of new cash crops harvest and its income.
Conclusion: If the various stated steps are undertaken, it will serve the following purposes.
1. A huge area of Slash and burn of Jungle every year will be abandoned by the people.
2. Sustainable economic growth for the Indigenous peoples from their new permanent field of farming/cultivation.
3. Conservation of forest along with afforestation programme can be fully launched and materialized and restoring the natural forest, as a part of solution to the Global Warming.
Sd / -
G.Gaingam
Former Vice President Naga Hoho.
(Participant of World Bank consultation at Kathmandu 2008)
It is said that because of the huge emission of gas, smoke and carbon dioxide that is emitted mostly from the Industrialized Countries and when these emission in the atmosphere is heated by the hot sun, the whole world is affected by Global Warming. The consequences are climate change, melting ice and snow, raising sea level, weather change, severe draughts, increased floods, food and water security threatened, cultivation and farming activities threatened, crops failure, rainforest replaced by savanna.Then again these bring displacement, diseases, sickness and untimely deaths.
While seeking solution to the Global Warming, apart from many programmes to be launched by different bodies of Governmental, NGOs and others, the world Bank will launch ‘FCPF’ (Forest Carbon Partnership Facility) and REDD (Reduce Emission from Deforestation and Degradation) programmes for taking up afforestation, reforestation, conservation of forest and biodiversity with many components of programme including sustainable economic activities for the people. The main thrust will be (1) for absorption of carbon gas/smoke in the forest and (2) for emission of oxygen from the forest of the land of the World Indigenous people.
EVALUATION OF THE FOREST:
Measurement/Evaluation of quantity of absorption of Carbon gas and Emission of Oxygen from the forest will be carried out by the experts periodically. This evaluation will be reflected into money value.
BENEFIT SHARING:
(1) Benefit to the whole world since it will be a part of solution to the Global Warming
(2) Benefit to the industrialized countries under the programme of FCPF and REDD which will make possible for Carbon finance & Credit.
(3) Benefit to the World Indigenous people who could get opportunity to rediscover the value of their forest land (The Gift of God): much more than the value of the standing trees which the people see and understand only in the form of commercial timber.
PEOPLE’S PARTICIPATION & SAFE-GUARD
One of the main agenda of the 7th Session of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issue held on 21 April – 2 May 2008 in UN HQ New York is on “Climate Change” and recommendation for the safe guard/protection of the Indigenous people and the aforesaid programme is going to be launched in the land of the world Indigenous people so as to ensure Indigenous people’s participation in the programme. It also recommended that indigenous people should be represented in every level/stage of committee of planning, advisory, financial, implementing and monitoring and at the expert committee etc.
Need of permanent field
It is needed to enforce strict Rules and Regulations for banning all type of timber felling business and start conservation of forest to save the whole world from the danger of global warming. Slash and burn practice of jhumming/shifting cultivation which destroys a huge area of forest every year is also needed to be abandoned to save the forest from deforestation and degradation. Here, we have made a humble attempt in this paper to suggest for a permanent field of 2-3 hectares of land for every family for a settled farming without shifting/changing the location of the field for years to come.80% Families of Indigenous people living in the North-East India are without Permanent field and are only dependent on Shifting cultivation. Hence, making one permanent field for every family in every village will be a prerequisite for a settled farming. This permanent field of cultivation requires Expert’s Consultancy on how to manage (1) Water (2) Soil (3) Organic fertilizer (4) Weed Control and (5) need of summer and Winter Crops. And Rain-Fed Crops where there is no any irrigational facility.
Identification of Crops:
Detailed consultation with the people from the very beginning in identification of alternative crops should be taken as one of the most important step. Identification of crops by the people for themselves will make them feel a sense of belonging and ownership. This will produce great enthusiasm and interest that will make them fully participate or involve in the scheme/programme. This important part is always ignored or neglected by the planners and the implementing agencies of the government or NGOs. This is one of the main reasons that have made every scheme a failure. Out of identified crops, 60% should be annual cash crops for those families who are living below poverty line.
Technical Consultancy:
Need of technical consultancy including market link for taking up their sustainable economic growth, a special emphasis for Organic farming and products will be one of the top items in the consultancy. Hence, Centres for technical consultancy and awareness need to be opened at every Block Level within the jurisdiction of the Indigenous tribal people.
Bank loan a major role:
Bank can play a major role towards abandoning of slash and burnt practice of cultivation and replacing it with permanent field of cultivation/farming for the Indigenous peoples of North East India. Giving financial grants by the government to the people becomes a harmful system. Instead of helping them for work culture, the people are taught how to get money without work. Here, instead of giving financial grant to the beneficiary, giving bank loan at minimum interest rate will make a farmer adopt a new spirit of work culture with the concern for repayment of bank loan and also will make the programme a success. Unfortunately, most of the hill area inhabited by tribal Indigenous people is not covered by the commercial Banks.
Hence, the needed steps are suggested below:
1. Opening of Bank at every Block Level. Or the area operation of the existing commercial Bank in the state capital and district Headquarter can be extended to cover all the hill areas of the Indigenous peoples.
2. Arrangement for Insurance and mortgage of the land with the scheme of the family and of the village for making Bank loan possible so that the indigenous tribal people may able to avail Bank loan for the identified permanent land( field) as alternative to slash and burn.
3. The Government should also provide assistance/programme/schemes to each beneficiary to those families who are living below poverty line in the form of food grain (Rice) as a food security during the first year of alternative cultivation to fill up the gap of new cash crops harvest and its income.
Conclusion: If the various stated steps are undertaken, it will serve the following purposes.
1. A huge area of Slash and burn of Jungle every year will be abandoned by the people.
2. Sustainable economic growth for the Indigenous peoples from their new permanent field of farming/cultivation.
3. Conservation of forest along with afforestation programme can be fully launched and materialized and restoring the natural forest, as a part of solution to the Global Warming.
Sd / -
G.Gaingam
Former Vice President Naga Hoho.
(Participant of World Bank consultation at Kathmandu 2008)
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