Indigenous knowledge critical to address climate change - Shifeta

Namibia has made good progress in integrating indigenous knowledge and practices into the country’s mainstream programmes.

Environment minister Pohamba Shifeta said this at the 29th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29), taking place in Azerbaijan from 11 to 22 November.

He was speaking at a Commonwealth Secretariat side event on Tuesday on the 'Role of Indigenous and Local Knowledge Systems in Climate Action: Delivering Together a Resilient Future for All'.



Indigenous knowledge

The minister said the UN special rapporteur has acknowledged that since independence, Namibia's government has achieved significant progress in rolling back some of the destructive legacies left by colonialism and apartheid, which had adversely impacted “indigenous people in Namibia who had suffered injustices that were perpetuated by the colonial systems in the past that left them disadvantaged, to varying degrees”.

Shifeta said in practice and to capture the aspirations of all groups, including the previously marginalised, climate change programming in Namibia involves all communities.

“In order to protect the rights of the local communities over biological and genetic resources and their associated traditional knowledge thereof, the government, after consultation with all traditional communities, enacted the Access to Biological and Genetic Resources and Associated Traditional Knowledge Act in 2017, which came into effect in 2021.”

The minister said Namibia will continue to involve all communities to address climate change and its impacts.

“We appreciate their knowledge and stewardship of our environment and climate. We acknowledge that their knowledge is critical for addressing the greatest challenge of our time: climate change.”