Indigenous people have asked world leaders at Cop28 to protect ancestral land under threat from global warming, mining, oil and gas extraction. Chris Whiteoak / The National
Indigenous people have asked world leaders at Cop28 to protect ancestral land under threat from global warming, mining, oil and gas extraction. Chris Whiteoak / The National
Valdelice Veron is from the Guarani-Kaiowa community that has long fought for rights to its mineral-rich land in Brazil. Chris Whiteoak / The National
Valdelice Veron is from the Guarani-Kaiowa community that has long fought for rights to its mineral-rich land in Brazil. Chris Whiteoak / The National
Micah Lee Carpenter-Lott is among those asking that the voices of native people are heard by world leaders at Cop28. Chris Whiteoak / The National
Micah Lee Carpenter-Lott is among those asking that the voices of native people are heard by world leaders at Cop28. Chris Whiteoak / The National
Jon Sarmiento is campaigning for more financing to protect indigenous farmers from natural disasters. Chris Whiteoak / The National
Jon Sarmiento is campaigning for more financing to protect indigenous farmers from natural disasters. Chris Whiteoak / The National
The indigenous community from Ecuador has called for safeguards for people whose lands bear the brunt of climate change and exploitation of natural resources. Chris Whiteoak / The National
The indigenous community from Ecuador has called for safeguards for people whose lands bear the brunt of climate change and exploitation of natural resources. Chris Whiteoak / The National
Jaime Zehamy Rikbakta, from Brazil, is among several indigenous groups who want the world to listen to the challenges they face. Chris Whiteoak / The National
Jaime Zehamy Rikbakta, from Brazil, is among several indigenous groups who want the world to listen to the challenges they face. Chris Whiteoak / The National
Ingrid Silva de Assis Leitemberg, from Brazil, is at Cop28 to highlight the consequences of damage to ancestral land. Chris Whiteoak / The National
Ingrid Silva de Assis Leitemberg, from Brazil, is at Cop28 to highlight the consequences of damage to ancestral land. Chris Whiteoak / The National
Knowledge is passed down through listening and watching elders gather medicine and food in the forest. Chris Whiteoak / The National
Knowledge is passed down through listening and watching elders gather medicine and food in the forest. Chris Whiteoak / The National
Several indigenous groups are at Cop28 to address biodiversity challenges their regions face. Khushnum Bhandari / The National
Several indigenous groups are at Cop28 to address biodiversity challenges their regions face. Khushnum Bhandari / The National
The UN estimates there are more than 370 million indigenous people in 70 nations and recognises the need to respect and promote their unique cultures. Khushnum Bhandari / The National
The UN estimates there are more than 370 million indigenous people in 70 nations and recognises the need to respect and promote their unique cultures. Khushnum Bhandari / The National

Climate

Cop28

‘Guardians of the Earth’ urge Cop28 leaders to protect their lands

Indigenous people say ancestral land under threat from global warming

Ramola Talwar Badam
Ramola Talwar Badam

December 04, 2023

  • English
  • Arabic

Indigenous communities at Cop28 have called on world leaders to stick to commitments to protect ancestral land and forests in which their families have lived for generations.

Native communities from across the Americas and Asia say their heritage and unique traditions are under threat from climate change and mining companies setting up projects on protected land.

At the climate conference in Dubai's Expo City, indigenous people from various nations gathered in workshops and sang traditional songs on the streets.

My people are disappearing, our people have had to move but nobody asked for our consent
Maria,
from an indigenous community in the Khakassia mountains in Russia's southern Siberian

“We are the guardians of the Earth, guardians of nature and come here to demand from all governments of the world to protect our land,” said Valdelice Veron from the Guarani-Kaiowa community, which has long fought for rights to the mineral-rich land in south-western Brazil.

Wearing red face paint and a colourful headdress – symbols of power in her matriarchal community of 170,000 – she spoke of attempts by miners to evict villagers to extract deposits of iron ore and manganese.

“I’m here to say our forests must be saved. I come to Cop so people can know the cause of the Guarani-Kaiowa people.”

Protectors at risk

The UN estimates there are more than 370 million indigenous people spread across 70 nations and recognises the need to respect and promote their unique cultures.

But climate activists say despite official demarcation of land on which indigenous people have lived for decades, protected status is often not upheld by governments.

Indigenous people worry about being unable to pass on unique heritage and traditions to their children. Chris Whiteoak / The National
Indigenous people worry about being unable to pass on unique heritage and traditions to their children. Chris Whiteoak / The National

“We want to make ecocide – the severe destruction of nature – an international crime,” said Maite Mompo, director of non-government organisation Stop Ecocidio in Spain.

“It is to protect Mother Earth and also her defenders.

“We have come together at Cop28 to work for this.

“Protectors of the Earth, the indigenous people have been at risk for too many years.

“Coming here means the message spreads wider – it gives them a better chance to survive.”

Ecocide is a term that refers to illegal acts conducted in the knowledge of severe and long-term environment damage.

A number of world leaders, including Pope Francis and French President Emmanuel Macron, have cited wilful and widespread environmental destruction as a threat to humanity.

'We are sorrowful'

At a gathering in a Cop28 pavilion, a group from Khakassia, a mountainous region in the southern Siberian part of Russia, said its traditional way of life, hunting and foraging for food from the forest was being erased.

“My people are disappearing,” said Maria, who gave only a first name.

Indigenous people whose ancestors have lived by hunting and foraging say their traditional way of life is being erased. Khushnum Bhandari / The National
Indigenous people whose ancestors have lived by hunting and foraging say their traditional way of life is being erased. Khushnum Bhandari / The National

“We used to live on hunting. Our territory is rich in minerals, our lakes are rich with soil.

“Companies want to destroy our cultural heritage.

“Our people have had to move but nobody asked for our consent.

“We have filed cases in court but nobody is interested in our opinion.

“We are very sorrowful – coal companies carry on mining and we are deprived of our lives.”

More than 900 protected areas worldwide are under threat with continuing or planned fossil fuel extraction projects, with more than 2,000 oil, gas and coal ventures are within legally protected areas, said a report published this week by research group Earth Insight, the Leave it in the Ground Initiative and the IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas.

The study called for an end to such extraction and the immediate safeguarding of protected areas.

Wildfires destroy communities

Global warming also plays havoc with the land of native communities.

“Three massive wildfires converged on my community, burnt homes and displaced families,” said Britney Supernault, who belongs to the Metis people, an indigenous group in Canada.

She lives in Edmonton, a city in Alberta, while her father lived in a protected settlement devastated by last year's fires. Ms Supernault says they have received little help from the state or federal government since.

“My father was among the ones who lost his home, he is 68 and was forced to restart," she said.

“Our forest is scorched, my people cannot hunt, we cannot gather medicine, we cannot do our cultural rites as indigenous people."

Sharon Morin, also from the Metis, said more people need to hear their stories.

“We live closest to the land. The land is our sister, our mother,” she said.

“As a knowledge holder, I have learnt from sitting beside my grandmother, my grandfather, and want to pass on this knowledge from my ancestors.

“Our people need to be better protected.”

Match info

Huddersfield Town 0

Chelsea 3
Kante (34'), Jorginho (45' pen), Pedro (80')

Our legal consultant

Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais

Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.

Champion%20v%20Champion%20(PFL%20v%20Bellator)
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The Lowdown

Kesari

Rating: 2.5/5 stars
Produced by: Dharma Productions, Azure Entertainment
Directed by: Anubhav Singh
Cast: Akshay Kumar, Parineeti Chopra

 

In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe

Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010

Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille

Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm

Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year

Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”

Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners

TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013 

Company%20Profile
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EA Sports FC 25
ODI FIXTURE SCHEDULE

First ODI, October 22
Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai

Second ODI, October 25
Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Pune

Third ODI, October 29
Venue TBC

RESULT

Brazil 2 Croatia 0
Brazil: Neymar (69'), Firmino (90' 3)    

MORE ON IRAN'S PROXY WARS
Fight card

Preliminaries:

Nouredine Samir (UAE) v Sheroz Kholmirzav (UZB); Lucas Porst (SWE) v Ellis Barboza (GBR); Mouhmad Amine Alharar (MAR) v Mohammed Mardi (UAE); Ibrahim Bilal (UAE) v Spyro Besiri (GRE); Aslamjan Ortikov (UZB) v Joshua Ridgwell (GBR)

Main card:

Carlos Prates (BRA) v Dmitry Valent (BLR); Bobirjon Tagiev (UZB) v Valentin Thibaut (FRA); Arthur Meyer (FRA) v Hicham Moujtahid (BEL); Ines Es Salehy (BEL) v Myriame Djedidi (FRA); Craig Coakley (IRE) v Deniz Demirkapu (TUR); Artem Avanesov (ARM) v Badreddine Attif (MAR); Abdulvosid Buranov (RUS) v Akram Hamidi (FRA)

Title card:

Intercontinental Lightweight: Ilyass Habibali (UAE) v Angel Marquez (ESP)

Intercontinental Middleweight: Amine El Moatassime (UAE) v Francesco Iadanza (ITA)

Asian Featherweight: Zakaria El Jamari (UAE) v Phillip Delarmino (PHI)

Results
%3Cp%3E%0D%3Cstrong%3EElite%20men%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3E1.%20Amare%20Hailemichael%20Samson%20(ERI)%202%3A07%3A10%0D%3Cbr%3E2.%20Leornard%20Barsoton%20(KEN)%202%3A09%3A37%0D%3Cbr%3E3.%20Ilham%20Ozbilan%20(TUR)%202%3A10%3A16%0D%3Cbr%3E4.%20Gideon%20Chepkonga%20(KEN)%202%3A11%3A17%0D%3Cbr%3E5.%20Isaac%20Timoi%20(KEN)%202%3A11%3A34%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EElite%20women%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3E1.%20Brigid%20Kosgei%20(KEN)%202%3A19%3A15%0D%3Cbr%3E2.%20Hawi%20Feysa%20Gejia%20(ETH)%202%3A24%3A03%0D%3Cbr%3E3.%20Sintayehu%20Dessi%20(ETH)%202%3A25%3A36%0D%3Cbr%3E4.%20Aurelia%20Kiptui%20(KEN)%202%3A28%3A59%0D%3Cbr%3E5.%20Emily%20Kipchumba%20(KEN)%202%3A29%3A52%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Our family matters legal consultant

Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais

Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.

Earth under attack: Cosmic impacts throughout history

- 4.5 billion years ago: Mars-sized object smashes into the newly-formed Earth, creating debris that coalesces to form the Moon

- 66 million years ago: 10km-wide asteroid crashes into the Gulf of Mexico, wiping out over 70 per cent of living species – including the dinosaurs.

- 50,000 years ago: 50m-wide iron meteor crashes in Arizona with the violence of 10 megatonne hydrogen bomb, creating the famous 1.2km-wide Barringer Crater

- 1490: Meteor storm over Shansi Province, north-east China when large stones “fell like rain”, reportedly leading to thousands of deaths.  

- 1908: 100-metre meteor from the Taurid Complex explodes near the Tunguska river in Siberia with the force of 1,000 Hiroshima-type bombs, devastating 2,000 square kilometres of forest.

- 1998: Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 breaks apart and crashes into Jupiter in series of impacts that would have annihilated life on Earth.

-2013: 10,000-tonne meteor burns up over the southern Urals region of Russia, releasing a pressure blast and flash that left over 1600 people injured.

FIXTURES

Monday, January 28
Iran v Japan, Hazza bin Zayed Stadium (6pm)

Tuesday, January 29
UAEv Qatar, Mohamed Bin Zayed Stadium (6pm)

Friday, February 1
Final, Zayed Sports City Stadium (6pm)

What went into the film

25 visual effects (VFX) studios

2,150 VFX shots in a film with 2,500 shots

1,000 VFX artists

3,000 technicians

10 Concept artists, 25 3D designers

New sound technology, named 4D SRL

 

COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
 
Started: 2021
 
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
 
Based: Tunisia 
 
Sector: Water technology 
 
Number of staff: 22 
 
Investment raised: $4 million 
Teaching your child to save

Pre-school (three - five years)

You can’t yet talk about investing or borrowing, but introduce a “classic” money bank and start putting gifts and allowances away. When the child wants a specific toy, have them save for it and help them track their progress.

Early childhood (six - eight years)

Replace the money bank with three jars labelled ‘saving’, ‘spending’ and ‘sharing’. Have the child divide their allowance into the three jars each week and explain their choices in splitting their pocket money. A guide could be 25 per cent saving, 50 per cent spending, 25 per cent for charity and gift-giving.

Middle childhood (nine - 11 years)

Open a bank savings account and help your child establish a budget and set a savings goal. Introduce the notion of ‘paying yourself first’ by putting away savings as soon as your allowance is paid.

Young teens (12 - 14 years)

Change your child’s allowance from weekly to monthly and help them pinpoint long-range goals such as a trip, so they can start longer-term saving and find new ways to increase their saving.

Teenage (15 - 18 years)

Discuss mutual expectations about university costs and identify what they can help fund and set goals. Don’t pay for everything, so they can experience the pride of contributing.

Young adulthood (19 - 22 years)

Discuss post-graduation plans and future life goals, quantify expenses such as first apartment, work wardrobe, holidays and help them continue to save towards these goals.

* JP Morgan Private Bank 

COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Uefa Champions League play-off

First leg: Wednesday, 11pm (UAE)
Ajax v Dynamo Kiev

Second leg: Tuesday, August 28, 11pm (UAE)
Dynamo Kiev v Ajax

Fixtures (all times UAE)

Saturday
Brescia v Atalanta (6pm)
Genoa v Torino (9pm)
Fiorentina v Lecce (11.45pm)

Sunday
Juventus v Sassuolo (3.30pm)
Inter Milan v SPAL (6pm)
Lazio v Udinese (6pm)
Parma v AC Milan (6pm)
Napoli v Bologna (9pm)
Verona v AS Roma (11.45pm)

Monday
Cagliari v Sampdoria (11.45pm)

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The burning issue

The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.

Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins

Read part two: how climate change drove the race for an alternative 

Read part one: how cars came to the UAE

Zayed Sustainability Prize
Our commentary on Brexit
School uniforms report
We're better together
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Updated: December 04, 2023, 2:35 PM`
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