THE INDIGENOUS PEOPLE AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONFLICTS: REFLECTION ON ENVIRONMENTAL DEMOCRACY FOR CONFLICT RESOLUTION

Researchers have shown that over the last sixty years not less than forty percent of all intrastate conflicts have a link to natural environment. As the world population continues to increase, and the demand for resources continues to rise, there is momentous potential for conflicts over natural resources to intensify in the coming decades. The indigenous people see themselves as the owner of the land and thus entitled to anything beneath it. This is so because the life of the indigenous people and their survival is predominantly tied to the environment in which they live. This believes has resulted into a conflict between the people and the government. Worse of all, the indigenous people are in most cases neglected and even were not consulted in matters relating to their environment. This, the indigenous people perceived as lack of concern on the part of the government which further contributed to the escalation of conflict over resources and other genetic materials. The acknowledgment that environmental issues can contribute to violent conflict underscores their significance as pathways for cooperation, transformation and the consolidation of peace in war-torn societies. Natural resources and the environment can serve as tools for peace building through economic development and the generation of employment, just as cooperation over the management of natural resources can foster peaceful atmosphere in the relevant area. It is thus imperative that these factors are taken into consideration from the outset. This paper therefore argues that there is a need to involve the indigenous people in decision making on matters of development and use of available resources that affect the environment in order to ensure a friendly atmosphere between the government and the indigenous people who are regarded as part of that environment.