Indigenous Rights and Resource Extraction in Guyana: A Learning Opportunity for the New Offshore Sector?

Indigenous Autonomy and the Contradictions of Plurinationalism in Bolivia

Latin American Politics and Society ◽

10.1111/j.1548-2456.2014.00239.x ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 56 (03) ◽

pp. 46-69 ◽

Cited By ~ 47

Author(s):

Jason Tockman ◽

John Cameron

Keyword(s):

Indigenous Rights ◽

Legal Framework ◽

Resource Extraction ◽

Indigenous Autonomy ◽

Party Strategy ◽

Renewable Natural Resources ◽

Central Elements ◽

Indigenous Territories ◽

The Government ◽

Economic Development Model

Abstract The government of Bolivia led by President Evo Morales and the Movement Toward Socialism (MAS) party claims to be constructing a new postliberal or plurinational state. However, this alleged experiment in plurinationalism conflicts with two central elements of government and MAS party strategy: the expansion of the economic development model based on the extraction of non-renewable natural resources, and the MAS's efforts to control political space, including indigenous territories. This article analyzes these contradictions by examining how Bolivia's constitution and legal framework appear to support indigenous autonomy while simultaneously constraining it. Specifically, it explores how political and bureaucratic processes have seriously limited opportunities to exercise indigenous rights to autonomy. The article makes a comparative analysis of the implications of Bolivia's experience for indigenous autonomy and plurinationalism for other resource extraction–dependent states.

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Including Indigenous Knowledge Systems in Environmental Assessments: Restructuring the Process

Global Environmental Politics ◽

10.1162/glep_a_00519 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 19 (3) ◽

pp. 120-132 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Rachel Arsenault ◽

Carrie Bourassa ◽

Sibyl Diver ◽

Deborah McGregor ◽

Aaron Witham

Keyword(s):

Indigenous Peoples ◽

Indigenous Rights ◽

Indigenous Communities ◽

Knowledge Systems ◽

Community Capacity ◽

Risk Assessments ◽

Resource Extraction ◽

Natural Resource Extraction ◽

Indigenous Knowledge Systems

Indigenous peoples around the world are concerned about the long-term impacts of industrial activities and natural resource extraction projects on their traditional territories. Environmental impact studies, environmental risk assessments (EAs), and risk management protocols are offered as tools that can address some of these concerns. However, these tools are not universally required in jurisdictions, and this Forum intervention considers whether these technical tools might be reshaped to integrate Indigenous communities’ interests, with specific attention to traditional knowledge. Challenges include unrealistic timelines to evaluate proposed projects, community capacity, inadequate understanding of Indigenous communities, and ineffective communicatio, all of which contribute to pervasive distrust in EAs by many Indigenous communities. Despite efforts to address these problems, substantive inequities persist in the way that EAs are conducted as infringement continues on constitutionally protected Indigenous rights. This article highlights challenges within the EA process and presents pathways for improving collaboration and outcomes with Indigenous communities.

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Partnerships Generate Co-Benefits in Agricultural Stream Restoration (Canterbury, New Zealand)

Case Studies in the Environment ◽

10.1525/cse.2020.1229632 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 4 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Catherine M. Febria ◽

Maggie Bayfield ◽

Kathryn E. Collins ◽

Hayley S. Devlin ◽

Brandon C. Goeller ◽

...

Keyword(s):

New Zealand ◽

Large Scale ◽

Agricultural Land ◽

Indigenous Rights ◽

Freshwater Ecosystem ◽

Reduced Pressure ◽

Ecosystem Integrity ◽

Riparian Management ◽

Scale Change ◽

Large Scale Change

In Aotearoa New Zealand, agricultural land-use intensification and decline in freshwater ecosystem integrity pose complex challenges for science and society. Despite riparian management programmes across the country, there is frustration over a lack in widespread uptake, upfront financial costs, possible loss in income, obstructive legislation and delays in ecological recovery. Thus, social, economic and institutional barriers exist when implementing and assessing agricultural freshwater restoration. Partnerships are essential to overcome such barriers by identifying and promoting co-benefits that result in amplifying individual efforts among stakeholder groups into coordinated, large-scale change. Here, we describe how initial progress by a sole farming family at the Silverstream in the Canterbury region, South Island, New Zealand, was used as a catalyst for change by the Canterbury Waterway Rehabilitation Experiment, a university-led restoration research project. Partners included farmers, researchers, government, industry, treaty partners (Indigenous rights-holders) and practitioners. Local capacity and capability was strengthened with practitioner groups, schools and the wider community. With partnerships in place, co-benefits included lowered costs involved with large-scale actions (e.g., earth moving), reduced pressure on individual farmers to undertake large-scale change (e.g., increased participation and engagement), while also legitimising the social contracts for farmers, scientists, government and industry to engage in farming and freshwater management. We describe contributions and benefits generated from the project and describe iterative actions that together built trust, leveraged and aligned opportunities. These actions were scaled from a single farm to multiple catchments nationally.

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