Asia Regional Workshop and Indigenous Perspectives Forum Indonesia May 2015
Participants during field trip for International Savanna Fire Management Initiative Asia Regional Workshop, Nusa Tenggara Timor Indonesia. Photo: UNU
From 19 – 21 May 2015 in Kupang, Indonesia, the United Nations University International Savanna Fire Management Initiative co-hosted an Asia workshop in conjunction with the local organisation CIS Timor. The workshop included a field visit to key savanna areas of West Timor and included discussion on the physical and cultural aspects of fire management in the region.
The goals of the workshop were to:
share information and raise awareness of the Australian experience of savanna fire management;
explore the trends, challenges and possibilities for emissions reduction savanna fire management in Asia;
connect governments, civil society, indigneous people’s organisations, intergovernmental organisations, research institutions and the private sector concerned with savanna fire management in Asia; and,
support the Initiative’s Asia Regional Assessment.
Approximately 25 participants attended including representatives from Australia, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea and Timor-Leste. The workshop was welcomed and opened by the Vice Governor of East Nusa Tengarra Province Indonesia.
The Asia workshop was an activity of the UNU supported by the Australian Government through its aid budget. The initiative aims to raise awareness globally of Australia’s experience in methodology based fire management and explore the feasibility of the approach as a tool for emissions reductions, biodiversity protection and creating sustainable livelihoods opportunities for indigenous and local communities in fire dependent landscapes globally.
Immediately prior to the Asia Workshop, the UNU co-hosted a workshop on Indigenous Perspectives on Savanna Fire Management in Kupang, Indonesia, in conjunction with the local organisation CIS Timor. A small number of invited participants attended including indigenous representatives from Australia, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea and Timor-Leste. The goal of the forum was to provide a time for Indigenous fire experts from Australia and Asia to share fire knowledge with each other, and to feed this back to the wider group during the Asia regional workshop.