Issues Surrounding Eco-Centric Approaches in Problem-Solving

In the realm of international climate policy, nature-based solutions have gained significant attention, with philanthropy channelling a record $5 billion dollars towards the cause last year. However, not everyone is in agreement with this approach.

One critic is Thomas Joseph, a carbon educator organizer with the Indigenous Environmental Network (IEN). Joseph expresses concern over the romanticization of nature that ignores its stewards and places a price upon Mother Earth. He urges government leaders to end their relationship with the fossil fuel industry and return Indigenous land to its rightful caretakers.

The IEN is not alone in their criticism. Indigenous advocates argue that the idea of nature-based solutions takes an Indigenous framework and mutates it into something harmful. For instance, the Baiga tribe in India has suffered due to foreign tree-planting campaigns entering their region.

Nature-based solutions involve protecting key ecosystems to sequester and store carbon, and conserve biodiversity in forests, wetlands, and rivers. However, many advocates argue that these solutions encourage polluters to continue their dirty business and do not stop carbon pollution. Eriel Deranger, executive director of Indigenous Climate Action, criticizes this approach as a polluter-pay mechanism that allows companies to continue contributing to climate change.

Ashish Kothari, founder-member of Indian environmental group Kalpavriksh (previously misspelled as Kalparvish in this article), echoes similar sentiments. He argues that nature-based solutions within the current capitalist system are insufficient as they often strip Indigenous people of their rights. Kothari points out that these solutions can go wrong in the same ways conservation has, by imposing state-centered or corporate-centered approaches over local community ones, creating islands of nature conservation while promoting destructive activities elsewhere, and prioritizing one kind of knowledge, governance, and management.

The attention on the carbon storing potential of nature ignores what's most urgent in the climate fight: the end of fossil fuels. This was highlighted by Andrea Polanco, The Frontline Fulbright Fellow, in her research contributions to this article.

The debate around nature-based solutions is not new. In 1992, about 400 Indigenous people gathered near Rio de Janeiro, Brazil to declare their commitment to the Earth and their mother. This event, known as the Earth Summit, marked a significant moment in the fight for Indigenous rights and environmental justice.

Syncrude, a tar sands company in Canada, claims to have created the world's largest protected boreal forest area. While this may be a step in the right direction, it is crucial to ensure that such initiatives do not displace Indigenous communities or overlook their historical relationship with the land.

Janene Yazzie, the southwest regional director for NDN Collective, emphasizes that Indigenous people have a long historical memory of a different way of living that honors their responsibility to all things around them. This perspective, rooted in respect for the land and its stewards, is essential in any discussion about climate policy and nature-based solutions.

In conclusion, while nature-based solutions have gained traction in climate policy, it is crucial to engage with Indigenous voices and perspectives to ensure that these solutions are not harmful but beneficial for all. The fight against climate change is a collective effort, and it is essential to respect and learn from the knowledge and traditions of Indigenous communities.