Indigenous ecological calendars define scales for climate change and sustainability assessments

• Published in: Sustainability science 2016, Vol.11 (1), p.69-89
• Main Authors: Cochran, Ferdouz V., Brunsell, Nathaniel A., Cabalzar, Aloisio, van der Veld, Pieter-Jan, Azevedo, Evaristo, Azevedo, Rogelino Alves, Pedrosa, Roberval Araújo, Winegar, Levi J.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Agricultural ecosystems; Agricultural land; Agriculture; Analysis; Calendars; Climate change; Climate Change Management and Policy; Climate science; Collaboration; Data collection; Earth and Environmental Science; Economic activity; Economic theory; Economics; Environment; Environmental Economics; Environmental Management; Global climate; Greenhouse effect; Hunter-gatherers; Indigenous peoples; Knowledge; Landscape Ecology; Native peoples; Participatory research; Precipitation; Public Health; Research methodology; Responsibilities; Rivers; Social capital; Socioeconomics; Spawning; Special Feature: Case Report; Special Feature: Weaving Indigenous and Sustainability Sciences to Diversify Our Methods (WIS2DOM); Studies; Sustainability; Sustainability management; Sustainability science; Sustainable Development
• ISSN: 1862-4065; 1862-4057
• DOI: 10.1007/s11625-015-0303-y

Identifying appropriate temporal and spatial boundaries for assessments of human–environment systems continues to be a challenge in sustainability science. The livelihood of Indigenous peoples in the northwestern Brazilian Amazon are characterized by complex ecological management systems entwined with sociocultural practices and sophisticated astronomical and ecological calendars. Sustainability of fisheries and bitter manioc production, key elements of food systems and economic activities in this region, depend on cyclic high river levels for fish spawning as well as periods of dry days for preparation of agricultural fields. Since 2005, participatory research has been underway between Indigenous communities of the Tiquié River and the Brazilian Socio-environmental Institute (ISA). Indigenous agents of environmental management (AIMAs) keep notebooks of ethno-astronomical, ecological, and socio-economic observations of the annual cycles, and some of them have reported that river levels and dry periods have become more irregular in some years. To investigate how these possible climatic changes may impact the sustainability of resources, we share knowledge from the Tukano ecological calendar with methodology for examining changes in precipitation and river levels and their interactions at multiple timescales. Our collaboration indicates that high spatial and temporal variability in precipitation patterns and river levels may complicate climate change and sustainability analyses. However, combining results from participatory research with novel methods for climate analysis helps identify a 4-day trend in precipitation that may impact agroecosystem management. Indigenous participation in systematic data collection and interpretation of results is essential for distinguishing between socio-economic and climate forcings and evaluating climate impacts. Continued efforts to bridge Indigenous and Western knowledge systems are vital for sustainable environmental management in Indigenous territories and other regions where traditional management may be challenged in the context of global climate change.