Page 6 - FMR64_Trafficking and smuggling & Climate crisis and local communities_2020_web

FMR 64
6 Climate crisis and local communities
www.fmreview.org/issue64 June 2020

including purple onion and tomato seeds. Celebrations (5 June) and National Day of
Secondly, they engaged in environment- the Tree celebrations during the first week
friendly practices, such as the production of of August. These actions, which have been
compost for enhancing soil fertility, whereas spearheaded by refugees, have helped to
the norm in the host community was to use dispel the idea that refugees are the greatest
unfermented animal dung, which has the degraders of the environment. They are
negative consequence of increasing attacks now rather seen as partners for change.
by soldier ants. Thirdly, indigenous water Refugees have equally learned from
conservation techniques, such as the use the host community and adopted local
of circular sunken seed beds as opposed to environment-friendly practices. Bushfires
the Mauritanians’ usual flat beds or sunken account for some of the worst environmental
rectangular seed beds, started being used. degradation in Mauritania. Following
The combined use of these techniques awareness-raising campaigns and directives
resulted in impressive yields during the 2019 on how to raise the alarm in case of a
farming season, and these positive results bushfire, the number of bushfire outbreaks
obtained by the refugees have aroused and disasters caused were reduced to four
enthusiasm in the host community for the in 2019. Malian refugees – who knew very
activity. An exchange visit was recently little about fire-tracing – now have a fire-
jointly organised by partners and UNHCR fighting brigade and jointly intervene with
at the Mbera camp, which afforded Malian host community brigades and gendarmes
refugee women engaged in gardening an to fight wild fires. They were also equally
opportunity to share their experiences in involved in preventive measures such as the
water management, soil fertility enhancement establishment of over 100km of firebreaks.
and natural pest control techniques with The openness of refugees to learning
women from the host community. has further resulted in their adopting small
Mauritania has passed a number of laws ruminant fattening techniques which enable
in order to protect its natural resources from animals to put on more weight for the same
being over-exploited, with the Ministry of quantity of pasture consumed, leading to
Environment and Sustainable Development the reduction of the pressure on pastures
responsible for enforcement. When there is no in the long term. In addition, for example,
effective presence of the Ministry in an area of the use of para-veterinarians – which was
the country, such as is the case in the district non-existent in the refugee community but
of Bassikounou where Mbera is located, is practised in the host community – has
Natural Resources Management Associations been embraced by the Malian refugees.
(NRMA) are created to regulate access to and Local-to-local knowledge exchange takes
rehabilitation of natural resources. In Mbera place through both formal and informal
camp, however, where NRMA do not exist, channels. Informal channels include
refugees have been inspired by their own interactions among community members
experiences back home and have created when they meet at water points, at pastures
several associations in order to combat and at weekly markets or festive ceremonies.
environmental degradation. For example, a Formal platforms of interaction are often
group, called Volontaires Réfugiés pour la created by UN agencies and other partners
Propriété du Camp (Refugee Volunteers for intervening at hosting sites on occasions held
Camp Cleanliness), regularly organises clean- to mark international days of observance and
up campaigns within the camp which they activism, such as World Refugee Day and
occasionally extend to the host community. the International Day for the Elimination of
Afforestation associations have meanwhile Violence against Women. Moreover, a partner
planted more than 60,000 locally adapted tree agency has facilitated the creation of mixed
species distributed by SOS Desert, within the refugee–host community committees in the
last five years. These campaigns are usually villages within the district of Bassikounou.
organised during World Environment Day These committees are empowered in the