…a project in Cross River State reveals that the wisdom to protect our planet has been cultivated in its forests for centuries.
In the rugged, forested mountains of Obanliku, Cross River State, a vital dialogue is taking place. It’s not just between elders and youth, but between a timeless ecological wisdom and the pressing global challenges of our time: climate change and biodiversity collapse. The recent community validation of a report on the indigenous forest knowledge of the Becheve people, led by researcher Gift Uyain Oji, reveals a startling truth—the most advanced conservation technology in the fight against environmental ruin may not be a new invention, but a very old one, rooted in culture and respect.
Dr. Vincent Dania, a Programme Coordinator at the African Centre for Leadership, Strategy & Development (Centre LSD), set the stage for this revelation during his opening remarks to the Becheve community. “Forest is very important in this period because of climate change,” he stated, connecting local practice to global science. “The reason for that is because of global warming. And forest plays a big role in reducing global warming… So, by the time we have more forest, we will have less global warming. And part of climate change will be reduced.”
Dr. Dania’s words underscore the immense value of the Becheve’s heritage. This isn’t merely cultural preservation; it is strategic climate defense. The project, which documented the community’s practices, was born from this recognition. As Dr. Dania explained, after witnessing the Becheve’s remarkable harmony with nature, Centre LSD empowered its Intersectional Leadership Incubator (ILI) Fellow, Gift Uyain Oji, to answer a critical question: What is the knowledge that has enabled you to live in harmony with the forest, despite depending on it for firewood and bushmeat?
The findings of Oji’s study provide a powerful answer. The Becheve people have, for generations, operated a sophisticated, belief-based conservation system that functions as a natural bulwark against ecological degradation. Their practices offer a masterclass in sustainable coexistence:
* Sacred Groves as Carbon Sinks and Sanctuaries: Sites like the Imigileh Shrine and Olanga Cave are protected by ancestral taboos, making them off-limits to logging or hunting. In ecological terms, these are pristine, community-preserved biodiversity reserves and vital carbon sinks. The fear of spiritual retribution has proven a more powerful enforcement tool than many modern laws, ensuring these areas remain intact and actively sequester carbon.
* Totemic Species Protection: The story of the Ako-tonguh tree and the monkeys—regarded as “brothers of man”—functions as a perfect species conservation policy. By forbidding the harm of monkeys, the community has unconsciously safeguarded a key species that plays a crucial role in forest regeneration through seed dispersal. This protects the entire ecosystem’s health and resilience.
* Sustainable Resource Management: The strict, spiritually enforced rules governing rivers like Monande (Megbe) and Ijimo—where fishing is seasonal or method-restricted—prevent overfishing and allow populations to thrive. This maintains aquatic biodiversity and the health of the watershed, which is critical for adapting to changing rainfall patterns.
The Becheve’s indigenous knowledge represents a form of distributed climate resilience. Their agricultural practices, like fallowing and mixed cropping, maintain soil health and prevent erosion. Their protection of specific trees ensures the forest canopy remains dense, regulating local temperatures and humidity—a direct mitigation against the rising heat Dr. Dania noted the community is experiencing.
However, this vital system is under threat. As Oji’s report highlights, deforestation, youth disinterest, and external religious and economic pressures are eroding the very knowledge that has kept the forest standing. Losing this wisdom would be a double tragedy: a profound cultural loss and a self-inflicted wound in the fight against climate change.
The work of Gift Uyain Oji and Centre LSD, therefore, is more than academic; it is an act of securing a climate-safe future. By documenting this knowledge, they are not just creating an archive but a playbook. The recommendations—from integrating traditional practices into formal conservation policy to promoting eco-tourism and renewable energy—are a blueprint for how to scale this model.
The message from the Becheve forests to the world is clear. As Dr. Dania asserted, the global interest in forests is no coincidence; they are our planet’s lungs. The Becheve people have been tending to these lungs for centuries. The question now is whether the modern world, in its rush for technological solutions, is wise enough to listen to the guardians who have held the line all along. Supporting and learning from communities like the Becheve isn’t just an option for conservation—it is one of our most intelligent and urgent strategies for planetary survival.
