Oftentimes, funders see the value of activists and lawyers who work with indigenous communities to negotiate and oppose oil and gas exploration and mining development. Yet a missing piece in the puzzle over free, prior and informed consent is independent scientific analysis. Technical information and tools will help communities protect the inherent quality of their environment and effectively oppose or modify projects.
E-Tech International’s staff scientists and engineers provide independent environmental assessments of extractive industry projects, train indigenous environmental monitors, and disseminate technical information in a form comprehensible to the public.
In this briefing for funders and others interested in promoting free, prior and informed consent, we talked about the role of independent scientific analysis as a piece of the response.
E-Tech staff highlighted their work with the Achuar in the contaminated oilfields of Loreto, Peru, and discussed and presented images of the challenges facing the Shuar in the Cordillera del Condor region of Ecuador, where fast-tracked large-scale copper and gold mining is imminent.
You can view a copy of E-Tech’s presentation here.
The Gate
Peter Kostishack is program director for Global Greengrants Fund and a board member of E-Tech and International Funders for Indigenous People (IFIP). Peter opened a funders briefing in San Francisco on the use of science in supporting indigenous prior informed consent with an unusual metaphor. To Peter, this consent is a gate with three faulty hinges. Click here to read on…
Here is the poster from the event:
