10 March 2009
Indigenous people will offer
their perspectives on water management in northern Australia at the
5th annual World Water Forum being held in Istanbul,
Turkey 16-22 March 2009.
The North Australian
Indigenous Land and Sea Management Alliance (NAILSMA) will send the
delegation to the global forum which will focus on “Bridging
Divides for Water”. The Delegation includes Nolan
Hunter, Deputy Director of the Kimberley Land Council, and Joe
Ross, Chairperson of the Indigenous Water Policy Group.
“The World Water Forum
provides an excellent opportunity for Indigenous people from
northern Australia to present their concerns and ideas for
sustainable water management that bridges the divide between modern
and traditional water management practices,” says Joe
Morrison, NAILSMA Chief Executive Officer.
“Traditional knowledge
offers a significant contribution to modern science and water
management, but until this understanding is articulated and
accepted by the wider community, this expertise will be ignored at
the detriment of the environment and the security of water sources
for all peoples,” he said.
The delegates attending the
Forum will represent the NAILSMA Indigenous Water Policy Group. The
group addresses Indigenous rights, responsibilities and interests
in water across northern Australia.
Joe Ross, Chairperson of the
Indigenous Water Policy Group, will be presenting with other
Indigenous leaders from across the globe on a ‘Traditional
Water Management and Global Environmental Change’ panel at
the Forum.
“Discussing the role
of Indigenous Peoples and Traditional Knowledge in water resource
management is important for the community when facing the fast pace
at which governments roll out water reforms and the significant
environmental changes that challenge the ways in which we perceive
our water resources,” said Mr Ross.
“Water is fast
becoming a tradeable commodity on the open market. Indigenous
people in Australia are not well positioned in terms of economic
opportunity, we are usually relegated to non-commercial resource
use,” he said.
A key event at the Forum
will be the launch of the International Indigenous Water
Declaration.
The declaration was
conceived last year at the International Water Experts Forum on
Indigenous Water Knowledge and Interests held at the Garma Festival
in north east Arnhem Land last year. The Forum was convened by
NAILSMA and the United Nations University - Institute of Advanced
Studies Traditional Knowledge Institute.
The Declaration provides a
statement and set of principles on the rights of Indigenous Peoples
to maintain custodial responsibilities to managing water resources.
The NAILSMA delegation has
been invited to attend the World Water Forum by the United Nations
University - Institute of Advanced Studies Traditional Knowledge
Institute and the attendance has been funded by The Nature
Conservancy.
NAILSMA is an alliance of
Kimberley Land Council, Northern Land Council, Carpentaria Land
Council Aboriginal Cooperation and Balkanu Cape York Development
Corporation. The Indigenous Water Policy Group is a NAILSMA
initiative funded by the National Water Commission.
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Media
Contacts:
To arrange an
interview with Mr. Joe Morrison, please contact Lorrae McArthur,
Indigenous Water Policy Group Coordinator.
More
Information:
For more
information about NAILSMA and the Indigenous Water Policy Group,
visit the NAILSMA web pages www.nailsma.org.au
For more information about
the World Water Forum, visit the NAILSMA Forum web site.
Partners of the NAILSMA
Indigenous Water Policy Group
- Kimberley
Land
Council
- Miriuwung
Gajerrong Yirrgeb Noong Dawang Aboriginal Corporation
- Northern
Land Council
- Carpentaria
Land Council Aboriginal Corporation
- Balkanu Cape
York Development Corporation
- Cape
York Land Council
NAILSMA
Alliance
- Kimberley
Land
Council
- Northern
Land Council
- Carpentaria
Land Council Aboriginal Corporation
- Balkanu Cape
York Development Corporation
