22 March - World Water Day 2006: Water and Culture
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Rice terraces in the Philippines
© UNESCO - M. Spier-Donati |
There are as many water practices as there are cultures around the world - they number in the thousands, if not millions. Passed down from generation to generation, some practices eventually become part of the common consciousness, but many do not, and are preserved within their culture of origin, there for the sharing. Indigenous knowledge is rich and varied and is generally characterized by a deep respect of the Earth and the environment. These traditional practices range from water harvesting to water mills, but they are each important in terms of sustainable development and wise water management. Indigenous peoples number about 300 million, representing over 5,000 languages. They live in more than 70 countries in all of the world's regions, from the Arctic to the Amazon, from the Sahara to the Pacific Islands. The majority - more than 150 million - live in Asia, in countries such as Bangladesh, Burma, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Pakistan, the Philippines, Sri Lanka and Thailand. Around 30 million indigenous peoples live in Latin America. In Bolivia, Guatemala and Peru, indigenous peoples make up over half the population.
Water harvesting can be traced back through human history almost as far as the origins of agriculture. Water harvesting is defined as the redirection and productive use of rainfall. This ancient practice sustained populations when conditions would have otherwise totally prevented agricultural activities, and many peoples in the world have continued to rely on water harvesting. Harvested water is used for drinking (although this is less common now, since even rain water is of less safe quality), irrigation, livestock drinking water and groundwater recharge. One of the most well-known forms of water harvesting is that of the mist nets of Chile. The inhabitants of a small village in Chile, after having suffered from water shortages for years, devised an innovative solution. Huge plastic mesh nets trap the fog, and the condensed droplets then run through a series of gutters and pipes to the village. These mist nets have provided sufficient good-quality water to meet the basic needs of the villagers.
Other forms of traditional knowledge have been introduced into the everyday lives of many cultures around the world. The water mill is one case in point: in the Himalayan region alone, it is estimated there are more than 100,000 traditional water mills. This ancient technology has been used for centuries in hilly regions for grinding grain and other material or for rotating prayer wheels by Buddhist monks. Socially, they have been meeting points for villagers to get together. Water mills have been an integral part of people's lives for many centuries in India's northeast regions. These old, traditional devices are simple and mostly constructed from locally available material, such as wood, stones, bamboo and reeds. They contribute directly to the quality of lives of the people living in these areas and are mostly based on centuries-old technologies, which fail to fully utilize the benefits of water power. Improvements have been made recently, and the new machines can be serviced and repaired locally.
Many other instances of traditional knowledge exist, from the deserts of Africa to the rainforests of Brazil, and each is a pearl of wisdom that can be strung together to improve the way in which we manage and value water around the world.
BELIEFSThe people of Besao, in the Philippines, regard water as life itself, which needs sustenance in order to perpetuate itself and man. This notion is embodied in the concept of nakinbaey, a supernatural being believed to inhabit most water sources and other sacred sites in Besao. Among the Besao people, water is believed to be produced by the nakinbaey. To ensure water supply, therefore, the nakinbaey must be pleased and kept from leaving the source. This requires that people consciously respect the water source by observing culturally prescribed behaviours.
Centuries ago, the San, or Bushmen, were the only inhabitants of the semi-arid Kalahari area in southern Africa. Living in family groups as hunter-gatherers on their territorial areas, called N!ore, they were semi-nomadic and moved only when their water source was drying up. When food became scarce in some areas, they assisted each other by allowing other San tribes to visit their N!ore. They devised ways to access and protect water, without depleting its scarce reserves. When new settlers appeared with their livestock, the fragile balance the San had established with their environment was destroyed - ironically, their custom of sharing dispossessed them. New settlers introduced new technologies, such as boreholes, to pump water from deep within the ground, and the ever-increasing livestock herds depleted water and food resources. Finally, the San were dispossessed from their land: designated as nomadic, no land or services were allocated to them. 
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RESOURCES
Cultural Survival
US organization that promotes the rights, voices, and visions of the world's indigenous people. Website includes publications, links, resources, programmes, a membership page and events related to indigenous peoples.
UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues
Website contains detailed information on indigenous issues, information on UN involvement, official documents, speeches, panels, photo gallery and more.
International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development Best Practices
Information on best practices with regards to integrated mountain development and sustainable living for mountain communities.
Traditional water harvesting
Website containing information on historical and current practices of traditional water harvesting. Site also includes much other information on a host of water-related topics, from trade agreements to groundwater use to the issue of bottled water.
Facts and figures on water and indigenous people
Facts and figures on water and indigenous peoples from the International Year of Freshwater 2003 website.
UNESCO's database of best indigenous practices
This database is part of the MOST database of Best Practices, which concentrates on poverty alleviation. It contains examples of successful projects, illustrating the use of local and indigenous knowledge in the development of cost-effective and sustainable survival strategies, covering Africa, Asia-Pacific, Europe, North America and Latin America and the Caribbean. It also includes a geographical and thematic index and an index of institutions acting as indigenous knowledge resource centres.
UN Cyberschoolbus - Indigenous people
UN website targeting children. Site provides information on indigenous people around the world, their practices, locations, cultures and rights.
UNESCO's Local and Indigenous Knowledge Systems
The LINKS project builds dialogue amongst traditional knowledge holders, natural and social scientists, resource managers and decision-makers to enhance biodiversity conservation and secure an active and equitable role for local communities in resource governance. Contains links, events, documents, and information on local knowledge.
Survival International
International organization that helps tribal peoples defend their lives and lands. Website includes information and material on various indigenous peoples around the world, as well as related events, e-cards and more.
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UNESCO.ORG
