Indigenous Knowledge: An Asset for the Climate

Indigenous knowledge was not taken seriously for a long time. It did not enjoy genuine international legal protection until the 21^st century and was not considered a source of knowledge capable of informing policy-making processes, unlike science. However, in recent years, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has recommended that this knowledge be taken into account in decision-making processes in order to combat climate change more effectively.

This article is based on an interview with Dr. Camila Perruso, a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Fribourg and a research associate at the Chair of International Law of Institutions at the Collège de France. Her work on Indigenous knowledge is part of the project titled “Institutionalizing the Human Right to Science,” led by Prof. Samantha Besson and recently funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation.

The harmful effects of global warming are now visible on every continent. However, not all regions are equally affected by the current and future upheavals. Tropical rainforests, polar regions, high mountains, small islands, coastal areas, and arid and semi-arid lands are particularly vulnerable. These vulnerable geographic areas are often inhabited by indigenous peoples [ descendants of those who inhabited a country or geographic region at the time when population groups of different cultures or ethnic origins arrived and subsequently became predominant, through conquest, occupation, colonization, or other means— High Commissioner for Human Rights ]. Their relationship to the world—and particularly to nature—differs from that which predominates in so-called Western societies. As Philippe Descola, former holder of the Chair in Anthropology of Nature , demonstrates, the clear-cut distinction we draw between “nature” and “culture” makes no sense to them. Their perception of life often encompasses humans, fauna, flora, and sometimes even inanimate objects—such as stones or rivers—on an equal footing. Philippe Descola has extensively studied this duality and the distinctions that societies do or do not make. This worldview and the close relationships that Indigenous peoples have with their environment give rise to local knowledge based on experience, observation of the environment, and rituals that are passed down from generation to generation. This is what we can call “Indigenous knowledge.”

While Western science claims to be based on a form of objective knowledge, Indigenous knowledge is rooted in group culture and lived experiences. By comparison, it appears to be highly subjective. However, numerous studies in anthropology, sociology, and the natural sciences have shown that Indigenous peoples’ management of their environments is exemplary, with significant positive impacts on the conservation, restoration, and sustainable use of nature. As a result, this knowledge is increasingly being taken into account by international environmental scientific platforms, such as the IPCC and IPBES [ Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystems ], even though the process of integrating it into the “state of knowledge” regarding climate change or biodiversity loss is still in its early stages.

We must therefore explore possible ways to build bridges between these two knowledge systems—science and Indigenous knowledge—without the latter being viewed in an instrumental manner or equated with the former. There are at least two reasons for this. The first is pragmatic. Indigenous peoples have demonstrated their knowledge and expertise in managing their environment, as they understand the cycles of nature around them. Incorporating their perspectives into policies for managing and preserving the environment would allow us to benefit from local expertise tailored to on-the-ground realities. The second reason is ontological. Examining the worldview of Indigenous peoples also presents an opportunity to (re)examine societal models based on the unbridled overexploitation of the environment.

Thus, one of the objectives of the project “Institutionalizing the Human Right to Science” is to analyze the institutional dimensions of incorporating Indigenous knowledge into the scope of this human right. While, on the one hand, aspects related to the interactions between science and Indigenous knowledge are likely to broaden the very scope of the right to science, on the other hand, the participation of Indigenous peoples in scientific endeavors will require identifying the obligations of States and other international actors to make this right more effective. This openness to the perspectives of Indigenous peoples and their knowledge within the framework of the human right to science can help strengthen cultural diversity, which is essential for addressing contemporary challenges, including those related to climate change.