Decolonizing wildfire risk management: indigenous responses to fire criminalization policies and increasingly flammable forest landscapes in Lomerío, Bolivia

Drawing on decolonial thought, this article provides a perspective on local indigenous knowledge and governance systems as a resource for informing wildfire risk policy approaches and collaborative environmental security. In 2019, the Indigenous Territory of Lomerío in Bolivia was heavily affected b...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:	Environmental science & policy Vol. 147; pp. 103 - 115
Main Authors:	Rodríguez, Iokiñe, Inturias, Mirna, Masay, Elmar, Peña, Anacleto
Format:	Journal Article
Language:	English
Published:	Elsevier Ltd 01-09-2023
Subjects:	Bolivia Cognitive justice Decolonial thought Indigenous people Wildfire risk management Wildfire risk management Cognitive justice Bolivia Indigenous people Decolonial thought
Online Access:	Get full text
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Summary:	Drawing on decolonial thought, this article provides a perspective on local indigenous knowledge and governance systems as a resource for informing wildfire risk policy approaches and collaborative environmental security. In 2019, the Indigenous Territory of Lomerío in Bolivia was heavily affected by wildfires, due to a combination of fires that penetrated the territory from outside and others that spread from inside. As result, the Bolivian Forest Management Agency (ABT) started threatening indigenous people with criminal action for using fire in their livelihood practices. In response, in 2020 and with the support of several institutions, the Union of Indigenous Communities of Lomerío (CICOL) initiated a series of activities to ensure local control of wildfire risk management in the territory. These include a written burning protocol, a fire monitoring programme, water basin and forest conservation policies, participatory research conducted by indigenous researchers about the use of fire in Lomerío and cultural revitalization strategies. The article presents the results of these different strategies and their contributions to creating awareness of appropriate regulations for wildfire risk management by national authorities from the perspective of the Monkoxɨ indigenous people. •Wildfire risk management is a central part of the Monkoxi self-determination agenda.•The Monkoxi are combining traditional and modern knowledge and techniques to manage wildfire risk in their territories.•Multiple causes of wildfire in Lomerio require multiple wildfire management strategies.•Indigenous governance has been key in coordinating actions with external actors to introduce wildfire management innovations.
ISSN:	1462-9011 1873-6416
DOI:	10.1016/j.envsci.2023.06.005