Indigenous knowledge is a sustainable solution to climate change

Indigenous knowledge is a sustainable solution to climate change, food, nutrition and water security.

Papua New Guinea contains the third largest rainforest in the world and is home to 7% of the planet’s biodiversity. Every 3-4 years it bears the brunt of El Niño, along with other Pacific countries, including Vanuatu, Fiji, and the Solomon Islands. Five million people across the region are at elevated risk of experiencing hunger, poverty, and disease due to weather-related droughts, erratic rains, flooding, and frosts. Combined with climate change, these effects will have devastating impacts on food security.

Traditionally, all Indigenous families once maintained a biodiverse food garden for their own sustenance. This densely intercropped system allowed communities to harvest foods at different times of the year. The rise of industrial agroforestry and imported foods has disrupted these practices.

I hope Melanesians can become their own agents of change by learning from the past, adopting technical innovations of the present and preparing sustainable livelihoods for the future.