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As climate change intensifies the threat of wildfires across Canada, many are turning to the traditional knowledge of First Nations for solutions. For thousands of years, Indigenous Peoples have been stewards of the forests, using sophisticated land management techniques to maintain ecological balance. Today, these time-honoured practices are gaining recognition as powerful tools in mitigating wildfires and reducing carbon emissions.

The Ancient Wisdom of Fire Management

Long before the concept of carbon emissions entered our vocabulary, First Nations across Canada were practicing advanced forms of forest management, with fire playing a central role.

Cultural Burning: A Time-Honoured Tradition

Cultural burning, also known as prescribed or traditional burning, involves deliberately setting small, controlled fires to manage the landscape. This practice, passed down through generations, serves multiple purposes: it reduces fuel loads that could feed larger fires, promotes biodiversity, and maintains the health of ecosystems.

Elder Mack Michell of the Nlaka’pamux Nation in British Columbia explains, “Our ancestors understood fire as a tool, not just a threat. They knew that small fires could prevent big ones, that some plants need fire to thrive, and that a diverse forest is a healthy forest.”

Traditional Practices in Modern Wildfire Management

Today, many First Nations are working to revitalize and apply these traditional practices in the context of modern wildfire management. An online Indigenous resource can be found here: Cultural Burning & Prescribed Fire.

The Revitalization of Cultural Burning

(Image Credit: Karsten, Winegeart, Unsplash)

In recent years, there’s been a resurgence of cultural burning practices across Canada. In British Columbia, the First Nations’ Emergency Services Society has been training Indigenous firefighters in both modern techniques and traditional burning practices.

Shane Warwick, a firefighter from the Stz’uminus First Nation, shares his experience: “Learning about cultural burning has been eye-opening. It’s not just about fighting fires; it’s about working with the land to prevent them. This knowledge, combined with our modern training, makes us more effective in protecting our communities.”

Traditional Knowledge in Fire Prediction and Response

First Nations’ deep understanding of local ecosystems is proving invaluable in predicting and responding to wildfire risks. In Alberta, the Beaver Lake Cree Nation has developed a wildfire management plan that incorporates traditional knowledge about weather patterns, vegetation cycles, and wildlife behaviour.

Crystal Lameman, a member of Beaver Lake Cree Nation, explains, “Our Elders can read the land in ways that complement modern scientific methods. By combining these approaches, we’re better able to anticipate and prepare for wildfire risks.”

Carbon Sequestration Through Traditional Land Management

Beyond wildfire mitigation, First Nations’ forest management practices have significant implications for carbon sequestration and climate change mitigation.

Promoting Forest Diversity and Resilience

(Image Credit: Jaël Vallée, Unsplash)

Traditional First Nations land management promotes diverse, multi-age forests that are more resilient to climate change and more effective at sequestering carbon. In Ontario, the Wikwemikong First Nation is working to restore mixed-wood forests, combining traditional knowledge with scientific research on carbon sequestration.

Forester Shauna Tait explains, “A diverse forest isn’t just more resistant to pests and diseases; it’s also better at storing carbon. By promoting a mix of species and age classes, we’re creating forests that can adapt to climate change while helping to mitigate it.”

Traditional Harvesting Practices and Carbon Storage

Many First Nations practice selective harvesting techniques that maintain forest cover and carbon stocks. The Iisaak Forest Resources, a forestry company owned by the Nuu-chah-nulth First Nations on Vancouver Island, employs traditional harvesting methods that prioritize ecosystem health alongside timber production.

Anne Mack, Tla-o-qui-aht Tribal Parks Coordinator, notes, “Our approach to forestry is about balance. We harvest in a way that respects the forest’s ability to regenerate and continue storing carbon. It’s about thinking seven generations ahead, as our teachings instruct us.”

Challenges and Opportunities in Implementing Traditional Practices

While the value of traditional forest management practices is increasingly recognized, challenges remain in their widespread implementation.

Regulatory Hurdles

Many current forestry and fire management regulations were developed without consideration for traditional practices. Some First Nations face bureaucratic obstacles when trying to implement cultural burning or traditional harvesting methods.

Joe Gilchrist, Fire Keeper for Stz’uminus First Nation, describes the frustration: “We know these practices work – our ancestors used them for thousands of years. But sometimes we have to jump through hoops to get permits for cultural burns. It’s a challenge, but we’re working with government agencies to change this.”

Knowledge Gaps and Capacity Building

As many communities work to revitalize traditional practices, there’s a need for knowledge transfer between Elders and younger generations. Additionally, building capacity within communities to implement these practices on a larger scale is an ongoing process.

Collaborative Approaches: Bridging Traditional and Western Knowledge

Some of the most promising initiatives in forest stewardship involve collaboration between First Nations, government agencies, and academic institutions.

The Indigenous Fire Marshall Office

The newly established Indigenous Fire Marshall Office is working to integrate traditional knowledge into fire safety and prevention strategies across Canada. This initiative aims to build capacity within First Nations communities while promoting the value of Indigenous fire management practices.

Research Partnerships

Universities across Canada are partnering with First Nations to study the effectiveness of traditional forest management practices. The University of British Columbia’s Faculty of Forestry, for instance, has several ongoing projects examining the ecological impacts of cultural burning.

Dr. Lori Daniels, a professor of forest ecology, shares, “Our research is showing that many of these traditional practices not only reduce wildfire risk but also promote biodiversity and ecosystem resilience. It’s a powerful validation of Indigenous knowledge.”

Policy Implications: Recognizing Traditional Stewardship

The growing recognition of First Nations’ forest stewardship practices is beginning to influence policy at various levels of government.

British Columbia’s Cultural and Prescribed Fire Program

In 2020, British Columbia launched a Cultural and Prescribed Fire Program, explicitly recognizing the value of Indigenous burning practices in wildfire management. This program provides funding and support for First Nations to implement cultural burning projects.

Federal Recognition of Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas

The federal government’s commitment to protecting 30% of Canada’s lands and waters by 2030 includes recognition of Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas (IPCAs). These areas managed according to Indigenous values and practices, play a crucial role in both conservation and carbon sequestration.

First Nations Leading the Way in Forest Resilience

As Canada grapples with the dual challenges of increasing wildfire risks and the need to reduce carbon emissions, First Nations’ traditional forest management practices offer a path forward. These time-honoured techniques, refined over millennia, demonstrate that effective forest stewardship is about more than just preventing fires or maximizing timber yield – it’s about maintaining a holistic balance within ecosystems.

The resurgence of these practices represents not just a return to traditional ways but a sophisticated, forward-thinking approach to forest management in the age of climate change. As First Nations reassert their role as stewards of the land, they’re not only protecting their own communities but offering valuable lessons for forest management across Canada and beyond.

In the words of Clearwater River Dene Nation Elder Evelyn Kittayacoot, “The forest has always been our home, our grocery store, our pharmacy. When we care for the forest with respect and wisdom, it cares for us in return. This is the teaching we offer to all who are willing to listen and learn.”

As we face an uncertain climate future, the revival of First Nations’ forest stewardship practices offers hope – a reminder that sometimes, the most innovative solutions are rooted in ancient wisdom.

Blog by Rye Karonhiowanen Barberstock

(Header Image Credit: Matt Howard, Unsplash)

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Forest Stewardship: First Nations’ Traditional Practices in Mitigating Wildfires and Carbon Emissions

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Big fishing nations secure last-minute seat to write rules on deep sea conservation

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January 20, 2026

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As a treaty to protect the High Seas entered into force this month with backing from more than 80 countries, major fishing nations China, Japan and Brazil secured a last-minute seat at the table to negotiate the procedural rules, funding and other key issues ahead of the treaty’s first COP.

The Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) pact – known as the High Seas Treaty – was agreed in 2023. It is seen as key to achieving a global goal to protect at least 30% of the planet’s ecosystems by 2030, as it lays the legal foundation for creating international marine protected areas (MPAs) in the deep ocean. The high seas encompass two-thirds of the world’s ocean.

Last September, the treaty reached the key threshold of 60 national ratifications needed for it to enter into force – a number that has kept growing and currently stands at 83. In total, 145 countries have signed the pact, which indicates their intention to ratify it. The treaty formally took effect on January 17.

    “In a world of accelerating crises – climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution – the agreement fills a critical governance gap to secure a resilient and productive ocean for all,” UN Secretary-General António Guterres said in a statement.

    Julio Cordano, Chile’s director of environment, climate change and oceans, said the treaty is “one of the most important victories of our time”. He added that the Nazca and Salas y Gómez ridge – off the coast of South America in the Pacific – could be one of the first intact biodiversity hotspots to gain protection.

    Scientists have warned the ocean is losing its capacity to act as a carbon sink, as emissions and global temperatures rise. Currently, the ocean traps around 90% of the excess planetary heat building up from global warming. Marine protected areas could become a tool to restore “blue carbon sinks”, by boosting carbon absorption in the seafloor and protecting carbon-trapping organisms such as microalgae.

    Last-minute ratifications

    Countries that have ratified the BBNJ will now be bound by some of its rules, including a key provision requiring countries to carry out environmental impact assessments (EIA) for activities that could have an impact on the deep ocean’s biodiversity, such as fisheries.

    Activities that affect the ocean floor, such as deep-sea mining, will still fall under the jurisdiction of the International Seabed Authority (ISA).

    Nations are still negotiating the rules of the BBNJ’s other provisions, including creating new MPAs and sharing genetic resources from biodiversity in the deep ocean. They will meet in one last negotiating session in late March, ahead of the treaty’s first COP (conference of the parties) set to take place in late 2026 or early 2027.

    China and Japan – which are major fishing nations that operate in deep waters – ratified the BBNJ in December 2025, just as the treaty was about to enter into force. Other top fishing nations on the high seas like South Korea and Spain had already ratified the BBNJ last year.

    Power play: Can a defensive Europe stick with decarbonisation in Davos?

    Tom Pickerell, ocean programme director at the World Resources Institute (WRI), said that while the last-minute ratifications from China, Japan and Brazil were not required for the treaty’s entry into force, they were about high-seas players ensuring they have a “seat at the table”.

    “As major fishing nations and geopolitical powers, these countries recognise that upcoming BBNJ COP negotiations will shape rules affecting critical commercial sectors – from shipping and fisheries to biotechnology – and influence how governments engage with the treaty going forward,” Pickerell told Climate Home News.

    Some major Western countries – including the US, Canada, Germany and the UK – have yet to ratify the treaty and unless they do, they will be left out of drafting its procedural rules. A group of 18 environmental groups urged the UK government to ratify it quickly, saying it would be a “failure of leadership” to miss the BBNJ’s first COP.

    Finalising the rules

    Countries will meet from March 23 to April 2 for the treaty’s last “preparatory commission” (PrepCom) session in New York, which is set to draft a proposal for the treaty’s procedural rules, among them on funding processes and where the secretariat will be hosted – with current offers coming from China in the city of Xiamen, Chile’s Valparaiso and Brussels in Belgium.

    Janine Felson, a diplomat from Belize and co-chair of the “PrepCom”, told journalists in an online briefing “we’re now at a critical stage” because, with the treaty having entered into force, the preparatory commission is “pretty much a definitive moment for the agreement”.

    Felson said countries will meet to “tidy up those rules that are necessary for the conference of the parties to convene” and for states to begin implementation. The first COP will adopt the rules of engagement.

    She noted there are “some contentious issues” on whether the BBNJ should follow the structure of other international treaties such as the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), as well as differing opinions on how prescriptive its procedures should be.

    “While there is this tension on how far can we be held to precedent, there is also recognition that this BBNJ agreement has quite a bit to contribute in enhancing global ocean governance,” she added.

    The post Big fishing nations secure last-minute seat to write rules on deep sea conservation appeared first on Climate Home News.

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    Climate Change

    Climate at Davos: Energy security in the geopolitical driving seat 

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    18 hours ago

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    January 20, 2026

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    The annual World Economic Forum got underway on Tuesday in the Swiss ski resort of Davos, providing a snowy stage for government and business leaders to opine on international affairs. With attention focused on the latest crisis – a potential US-European trade war over Greenland – climate change has slid down the agenda.

    Despite this, a number of panels are addressing issues like electric vehicles, energy security and climate science. Keep up with top takeaways from those discussions and other climate news from Davos in our bulletin, which we’ll update throughout the day.

    From oil to electrons – energy security enters a new era

    Energy crises spurred by geopolitical tensions are nothing new – remember the 1970s oil shock spurred by the embargo Arab producers slapped on countries that had supported Israel during the Yom Kippur War, leading to rocketing inflation and huge economic pain.

    But, a Davos panel on energy security heard, the situation has since changed. Oil now accounts for less than 30% of the world’s energy supply, down from more than 50% in 1973. This shift, combined with a supply glut, means oil is taking more of a back seat, according to International Energy Agency boss Fatih Birol.

    Instead, in an “age of electricity” driven by transport and technology, energy diplomacy is more focused on key elements of that supply chain, in the form of critical minerals, natural gas and the security buffer renewables can provide. That requires new thinking, Birol added.

    “Energy and geopolitics were always interwoven but I have never ever seen that the energy security risks are so multiplied,” he said. “Energy security, in my view, should be elevated to the level of national security today.”

    In this context, he noted how many countries are now seeking to generate their own energy as far as possible, including from nuclear and renewables, and when doing energy deals, they are considering not only costs but also whether they can rely on partners in the long-term.

      In the case of Europe – which saw energy prices jump after sanctions on Russian gas imports in the wake of Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine – energy security rooted in homegrown supply is a top priority, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in Davos on Tuesday.

      Outlining the bloc’s “affordable energy action plan” in a keynote speech at the World Economic Forum, she emphasised that Europe is “massively investing in our energy security and independence” with interconnectors and grids based on domestically produced sources of power.

      The EU, she said, is trying to promote nuclear and renewables as much as possible “to bring down prices and cut dependencies; to put an end to price volatility, manipulation and supply shocks,” calling for a faster transition to clean energy.

      “Because homegrown, reliable, resilient and cheaper energy will drive our economic growth and deliver for Europeans and secure our independence,” she added.

      Comment – Power play: Can a defensive Europe stick with decarbonisation in Davos?

      AES boss calls for “more technical talk” on supply chains

      Earlier, the energy security panel tackled the risks related to supply chains for clean energy and electrification, which are being partly fuelled by rising demand from data centres and electric vehicles.

      The minerals and metals that are required for batteries, cables and other components are largely under the control of China, which has invested massively in extracting and processing those materials both at home and overseas. Efforts to boost energy security by breaking dependence on China will continue shaping diplomacy now and in the future, the experts noted.

      Copper – a key raw material for the energy transition – is set for a 70% increase in demand over the next 25 years, said Mike Henry, CEO of mining giant BHP, with remaining deposits now harder to exploit. Prices are on an upward trend, and this offers opportunities for Latin America, a region rich in the metal, he added.

      At ‘Davos of mining’, Saudi Arabia shapes new narrative on minerals

      Andrés Gluski, CEO of AES – which describes itself as “the largest US-based global power company”, generating and selling all kinds of energy to companies – said there is a lack of discussion about supply chains compared with ideological positioning on energy sources.

      Instead he called for “more technical talk” about boosting battery storage to smooth out electricity supply and using existing infrastructure “smarter”. While new nuclear technologies such as small modular reactors are promising, it will be at least a decade before they can be deployed effectively, he noted.

      In the meantime, with electricity demand rising rapidly, the politicisation of the debate around renewables as an energy source “makes no sense whatsoever”, he added.

      The post Climate at Davos: Energy security in the geopolitical driving seat  appeared first on Climate Home News.

      Climate at Davos: Energy security in the geopolitical driving seat 

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      Climate Change

      A Record Wildfire Season Inspires Wyoming to Prepare for an Increasingly Fiery Future

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      21 hours ago

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      January 20, 2026

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      As the Cowboy State faces larger and costlier blazes, scientists warn that the flames could make many of its iconic landscapes unrecognizable within decades.

      By Jake Bolster

      In six generations, Jake Christian’s family had never seen a fire like the one that blazed toward his ranch near Buffalo, Wyoming, late in the summer of 2024. Its flames towered a dozen feet in the air, consuming grassland at a terrifying speed and jumping a four-lane highway on its race northward.

      A Record Wildfire Season Inspires Wyoming to Prepare for an Increasingly Fiery Future

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