International Savanna Fire Management Initiative

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San - Kimberley Indigenous Fire Management Exchange

In May 2019 the ISFMI team visited the Tsodilo Hills Development Trust and /Oabatsha community within the Tsodilo Hills Enclave together with Indigenous rangers from the Kimberley in the north of Australia as part of an international Indigenous ranger exchange. The purpose of the visit was to exchange knowledge of traditional fire management used historically by both the local communities and Kimberley peoples. The cultural exchange created a spark of common interest as cultural knowledge of fire was shared and the similarities between the cultural practices in northern Australian and San were revealed. The local community participants included women, men, young people and elders, who shared their knowledge of the differing roles of each group in the fire management process.

The community exchange followed an ISFMI team visit with the government of Botswana as part of a regional fire conference. The visit was an important opportunity to engage with government, community and scientists to reconfirm of the overall aims of the ISFMI pilot activities in Botswana. The report is available here. The visit also helped shaped and consolidate other activities of the ISFMI in 2019 that included an exchange by Botswana representatives to Northern Australia in August 2019.