ROUNDTABLES

TRADITIONAL POPULATIONS AS WATER GUARDIANS

The main cause of this roundtable was to show how traditional communities around the world take care of water. Initially, a rich experience of the African people was brought in relation to water, highlighting that the African religions have respect for the waters since birth, that all are children of water and from an early age it is studied how to take better care of the waters. In this sense, it was pointed out that the absence of a better environmental education in Brazil is one of the major causes for not caring for water.

This educational issue was widely debated in the dialogue that pointed to the lack of environmental education as a serious problem worldwide, pointing that providing children with ways and options for how they should take care of water is a way out of a big future scarcity.

It was also evidenced by the indigenous leaders that the water treatment by the communities is always considered sacred and that this should be the motto of all human and not only indigenous thinking.

It was remembered in the debate that many traditional communities began to be invaded by mining companies and other forms of natural resources exploitation, which caused great imbalance in several regions of the planet.

It has been presented that traditional peoples can contribute largely to the preservation of the environment, especially water. Regarding documentation, it was explained that under Convention 169 (1989), Tribal Peoples have legitimacy to occupy traditional territories, to apply traditional practices for sustainable development and the very preservation of the hydrological cycle goes through this occupation of traditional peoples in their lands.

In conclusion, it was emphasized that it is past time to apply and implement good water-related practices inside and outside traditional communities, finishing the roundtable with a song of praise to mother earth and water.