Lasting solutions

For the first time, the UN has recognised the role of indigenous communities in tackling aridity. A repository of traditional knowledge India has the wherewithal to lead the way

- SUSMITA SENGUPTA RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA

THE 16th Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) was a game changer. Held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in December 2024, the conference for the first time initiated a dialogue with local communities from different parts of the world so that the role of indigenous people can be included in the protection of the land, water and food. "Tackling aridity demands more than just science-it requires a diversity of perspectives and knowledge systems. By weaving Indigenous and local knowledge with cutting-edge data, we can craft stronger, smarter strategies to slow aridity's advance, mitigate its impacts and thrive in a drying world," said Nichole Barger, Chair, SciencePolicy Interface (SPI), UNCCD.

It is important to keep the decision-makers informed about the data, but the local knowledge is also important, said Helene Gichenje, early career scientist fellow of UNCCD-SPI. "This time rain was late in Kenya and people did not know when to sow seeds; it is the knowledge of the community which came to rescue," Gichenje said, adding that data and traditional wisdom should go hand in hand.

Citizen science should be included as an innovative tool and grassroots communities should have space on the decision-making table.

The UNCCD-COP16 released a report that clearly says the last three decades saw around 77 per cent of land experiencing a drier condition.