My usual online reading spree brought me here, an article about environmental conservation but at the expense of families being displaced. Read the full article by clicking the image.

April 2008

Eviction Slip

by Mark Dowie

While many governments now involve indigenous groups in environmental conservation, India is on the verge of creating what might become the largest mass eviction for conservation ever. Groups like India’s Adivasis have come to be called “conservation refugees.” But many conservationists now say conservation initiatives are doomed to fail without them. (Art by Emily Hunt)

The article reminded me of the research work I did for Dr. Lejano. I was privileged to work with him on a project about the Turtle Islands Management Program. I conducted interviews with PAWB and other collaborators here in the Philippines about how it is being accepted by the people in the Turtle Islands. The reactions of the Mapun population in the Turtle Islands and the tribal population of India were almost the same. Although the two cases have different contexts, there are certain things that came to mind.

Why do some institutions approve of relocating tribes who have long proven that co-existing with nature and the environment is what we all intend to do? More so, displacing them from their roots and immediate source of food?

The western concept of environmental conservation is not the only solution to problems of dwindling species and endangered ecosystems. In our context, I believe we are capable of thinking and devising methods to achieve conservation of the environment. We need to have a paradigm shift. Not all western concepts can and will work for our Asian environment. We have our own culture, our own geographical and social contexts that we need to consider. Therefore there is a need to change the way we think and we resolve our problems as Asians. I do hope our government leaders remember our context. Most of those who hold government offices seem to be forgetting service for the common good.

I believe that most relocation efforts aiming to preserve an ecosystem or some endangered species is an excuse for other plans motivated by greed. I do still know of a few who conduct relocations of families because the situation really calls for it. However, although not yet proven, it is almost implied that conservation purposes become an excuse to promote or establish projects for development.

High rise buildings and structures do not give us a natural cooling system. Trees do but when we remove them, and we want to have them back, it does not take only a few months to have them provide us the natural cooling system we need. Can high-rise buidlings and structures like malls save us when there is a typhoon, an imminent flood? Trees do.

We already have an imbalanced ecological system. We all know that. It is good to be aware of that but knowing is different from doing something about it. This is something we can all ponder about…and after we do so, we must do what is necessary and what is right!