We are happy to announce a new open-access article in Geo: Geography and Environment titled "Cultural Heritage in Motion: Adaptive Mobile Cultures of (Semi)nomadic Indigenous People in Changing Climates." With Simon Bunchuay-Peth serving as the corresponding author, this paper challenges the "sedentary bias" of global climate policy by reframing mobility not as a crisis, but as a living heritage and vital adaptation strategy.
Drawing on decolonial ethnographic fieldwork among the Moken in Thailand, the Nyangatom in Ethiopia, and the Fulani and Guet Ndar fishers in Senegal, the research illustrates how mobile livelihoods embody centuries of empirical climate knowledge. The authors argue that mainstream sustainability projects often inadvertently threaten these adaptive practices by imposing sedentary restrictions. By highlighting the deep connection between movement, rituals, and environmental stewardship, the paper advocates for a rethinking in climate governance toward a justice-oriented approach that protects the mobility rights and cultural identities of Indigenous peoples worldwide.
Read the full article here: https://rgs-ibg.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/geo2.70054
