How indigenous knowledge can reshape global climate policy

INDIGENOUS people face epistemic violence and climate calamities, with their knowledge often dismissed as unscientific.

- GCWALISILE KHANYILE

These concerns were highlighted during a recent webinar titled 'Decolonising Climate Risk Scholarship from the Global North to Africa,' hosted by the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) in collaboration with Midlands State University, the University of Venda, and partners in Namibia.

Epistemic violence refers to the systemic silencing and delegitimisation of particular knowledge by dominant groups, often in colonial contexts. Dr Mokhantšo Makoae, research director at HSRC, emphasised the need to decolonise climate risk from the Global North to Africa, noting that environmental disruptions are influenced by various factors, including wars and declining economic growth.

Makoae stated, "Geopolitical polarity affects how communities and governments collaborate to restore normality. Most worrying is that relationships are characterised by selective solidarity, posing a problem for humanity, particularly in the context of a human development programme shaped by multilateralism."

She pointed out that the world struggles to achieve the goal of avoiding global average temperatures above 1.5 degrees centigrade, reflecting the difficulty of pushing a common agenda effectively. Solutions to reduce climate risk disasters must be negotiated and implemented by governments and communities facing multiple risks.