Indigenous peoples' control over contemporary challenges of traditional subsistence socio-ecological systems sustainability: The case from the taiga zone of Siberia

Abstract

Traditional subsistence socio-ecological systems (TSSESs) based on hunting, gathering and fishing are widely spread all-over the taiga zone of Siberia. Nowadays, they are strongly impacted by several drivers of change, coming from human activities and climate changes with cascading both positive and negative effects on all components of ecosystem functions and services. The effects may influence quality of life of indigenous people and human capacities. Key multi-scale issues and possible ways of their solution are identified in TSSESs of Evenkia municipal district of the Krasnoyarsk region based on scientific research and traditional local knowledge and perceptions integration. Among key issues the degradation of ecosystems heavily impacting local subsistence resources availability (fish and meat for food as well as wild animals' skins for sale) is the most urgent for the indigenous people living on land. Several negative driving forces both socio-economic and natural such as widespread poaching, forest land auctions and increasing annual rent obligations for hunting grounds to the indigenous peoples, imposing limits (quarters) without taking into account real subsistence need of indigenous communities, non-compensated impact of spreading infrastructure and logging on taiga forest ecosystems and hunting grounds, as well as climate changes, are impacting quality of life and human capacities of indigenous people. This analysis of key issues and driving forces leading to them gives us opportunity to propose several ways of such issues solution. The improvement of control and management of TSSESs sustainability with active participation of indigenous people is the principle way for achieving TSSESs resilience and sustainability.

Development of Northern Rural Areas: International and Russian Experience

“…According to the proposed approach, conflict problems should be tracked within the framework of complex socio-ecological systems in various types of environmental management [27][28][29]. In addition to the application of legislative measures, in these situations, it is necessary to look for opportunities to develop mutually beneficial solutions among all actors, as it was demonstrated in Evenkia by successful resolving the conflict in land use between the indigenous community and a large wood cutting company [29].…”

Global Change Impacts on Indigenous Sustainability in Sakha Republic: A Synthesis of Knowledge

“…Thus, open auctions of forest land may make it possible to legally exploit traditional lands of the Indigenous peoples for up to 49 years in Land in Russia, including the territories for traditional practices, are owned by the federal government and Indigenous communities are allowed to utilize their traditional lands (so called TTP-"Territories of Traditional Nature Use") free of charge; however, the registration process to claim the use of land for traditional practices is complicated and there are bureaucratic hurdles around registration [20]. Forest land auctions have become another factor to affect the availability of traditional land use territories and hunting grounds, which negatively impacts traditional activities and limits access of subsistence resources [88]. Forest land auctions in Russia imply land rentals for various activities, including logging, commercial harvesting, and industrial extraction, and auctioneers accept applications from both individual entrepreneurs and commercial organizations from all over the country.…”

Cool cats and communities: Exploring the challenges and successes of community-based approaches to protecting felids from the illegal wildlife trade

“…The harvest of wildlife and wildlife products is an important component of rural and Indigenous people's nutritional (e.g., Kuhnlein et al, 2008;Haq et al, 2022) and cultural (e.g., Ngoufo et al, 2014;Kumera et al, 2022) identities and have proven to be sustainable, even ecologically beneficial (e.g., Bodmer et al, 2020). The persistence of traditional subsistence socio-ecological systems has been jeopardized by conservation-related injustices, such as the criminalization of subsistence hunting, that disproportionately affect Indigenous peoples and local communities (see van Vliet et al, 2015;Vlasova et al, 2017). Subsistence hunting typically is exercised by local hunters, and involves the snaring or trapping of less at-risk animals for the intention of consumption (Witter, 2021).…”