The State of the Environment report 2022 released this week found all areas of the nation are in a poor and deteriorating state, as a result of increasing pressures from climate change, habitat loss, invasive species, pollution and resource extraction.
Traditional Indigenous cultural burning can provide an answer to a number of the horrific results in the Report. The Firesticks Alliance - leaders in cultural burning practices, and The Aboriginal Carbon Foundation - carbon farming experts, may hold a solution through their Cultural Fire Credits initiative.
Both Indigenous-led organisations have partnered to create the ground-breaking Cultural Fire Credits initiative, which aims to counteract the negative consequences of inefficient land management and protect biodiversity.
The State of the Environment report has revealed the unforeseen impacts on Australia's land and wildlife. In particular, the Report identified that 19 of Australia's ecosystems are showing signs of near collapse, and significantly we have lost more mammal species than any other continent in the world.
Barry Hunter, one of the Indigenous Co-authors and Chair the Aboriginal Carbon Foundation, commented on the revelations in the Report.
"The Australian Government is to be commended for including Indigenous co-authors in developing the State of the Environment Report," he said.
"However, inclusion of cultural fire is still seen as a novelty with no real investment.
Increases in Indigenous rangers are welcomed, but it is nowhere near the level of investment for effective management of country.
"For example, we have already seen the enablement of an economic return in the Carbon industry. Future opportunities include further off-set credits and the Cultural Fire Credit."
Victor Steffensen Lead Fire Practitioner of the Firesticks Alliance explained "For a very long time, Aboriginal communities and people have had a connection with the land - our culture is inextricably linked to Country,"
"The most effective way to protect biodiversity, address climate change, mitigate destructive bushfires and support Indigenous people looking after Country, is to invest in Cultural Fire Credits."
Australia employs a wide variety of land management strategies that are intended to preserve the ecosystem's natural flow. However, the strategies are proving to be inefficient as many have the potential to either enhance or deteriorate the state of the land. Although there is more and more support for Indigenous land management, this support does not always mean that Aboriginal people will be able to access, manage and realise the welfare of their land as they see fit.
"Cultural burning involves burning or prevention of burning of Country for the health of specific plants and animals. It may involve patch burning to create different fire intervals across the landscape," Hunter continued.
"The core motivation is cultural maintenance and revitalisation. The credits support Indigenous community led cultural fire programs, in addition to mentoring the next generation of Cultural Fire Practitioners to ensure the continuation of cultural knowledge and practices.
To guarantee the preservation, intergenerational transfer and revitalisation of Aboriginal cultural fire practices, you can purchase a Cultural Fire Credit on the Catalyst Markets trading website.
