Addressing multi-dimensional injustice in indigenous adaptation: the case of Uganda’s Batwa community

Abstract

Indigenous peoples, who depend on their environment for their livelihoods and are often subject to poverty and socio-economic marginalisation, are some of the most vulnerable to climate change. While the rights of Indigenous peoples are recognised at international level, these are often not translated into adaptation responses at national and local levels. Using insights from theories of environmental and social justice in the case study analysis of Batwa community in Uganda, we assess how justice-related factors impact the adaptive capacities of Indigenous peoples and discuss how these can be taken into account when designing and implementing adaptation responses. The findings from our fieldwork reveal a multidimensional range of systemic injustices experienced by the Batwa, resulting from their continued social-economic, cultural and political marginalisation after their eviction from Uganda's forests. We also observe that there is a variety of projects happening locally in relation to 'adaptation' but not labelled as such, suggesting how Batwa's vulnerability to climate change is rooted in wider aspects of livelihoods and development. More importantly, we find that most projects tend to focus on distribution of material benefits, while less attention is paid to the more intricate issues of compensation, political discrimination and uneven participation. This depoliticised and compartmentalised approach suggests a slow and incomplete way of operationalising justice in climate adaptation. Hence, we call for sincere efforts to address recognition, rights, and disproportionate levels of disadvantage for Indigenous communities, including their constitutional recognition, financial redress and more opportunities for participation in decision-making.

Seasonality, climate change, and food security during pregnancy among Indigenous and non-Indigenous women in rural Uganda: Implications for maternal-infant health

“…Approximately 700 Indigenous Batwa live in the District [ 9 ]. The Batwa are regarded as among the first inhabitants of the Great Lakes region in central Africa and were the only people living in the forests of southwestern Uganda until the mid-16 th century [ 39 , 40 ]. They were forest hunter-gatherers until their forced eviction without compensation from Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park in the 1990s to create a wildlife reserve [ 39 ].…”

“…They were forest hunter-gatherers until their forced eviction without compensation from Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park in the 1990s to create a wildlife reserve [ 39 ]. They were given little land and housing, and alternative livelihood options were not provided, resulting in limited access to capital and sustainable income [ 40 ]. Discrimination and low education rates continue to limit adaptive capacity and restrict the Batwa’s ability to influence policy at a systemic level, although they petitioned the Constitutional Court of Uganda in 2013 to recognize and compensate them for the historical and ongoing injustices they have faced [ 40 ].…”

“…They were forest hunter-gatherers until their forced eviction without compensation from Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park in the 1990s to create a wildlife reserve [39]. They were given little land and housing, and alternative livelihood options were not provided, resulting in limited access to capital and sustainable income [40]. Discrimination and low education rates continue to limit adaptive capacity and restrict the…”

“…Batwa's ability to influence policy at a systemic level, although they petitioned the Constitutional Court of Uganda in 2013 to recognize and compensate them for the historical and ongoing injustices they have faced [40]. The case is ongoing as of 2020.…”

Introducing the Multi-Dimensional Injustice Framework: a case study in climate-related health risks

“…Consider, for example, how Indigenous peoples are often socio-economically disadvantaged (a distributive injustice) and politically marginalised (a procedural injustice) within a given society. As Satyal et al (2021) show, this has frequently led to a lack of consultation of Indigenous peoples-in this case, the Batwa people of Uganda-in national climate planning, resulting in adaptation policies that have further disadvantaged and marginalised the Batwa people within society. The MDIF divides injustice into two main categories, namely distributive and procedural indicators of injustice, each of which is separated into sub-indicators.…”