Lessons From People Already Adapting to the Climate Crisis | Dorcas Naishorua | TED

Greetings from the hats of Masaylan. My name is Dorcas Nashoro and I'm honored to be here today, not only as the first misclimate in the world, but also a daughter of the Savanna, hailing from the vast plains of Kajado County, Kenya. I bring with me a story of resilience, one shaped by the changing patterns of our land and the challenges we face in our world, grappling with climate change. Imagine waking up to the symphony of the Savanna, the gentle mowing of cattle, the vibrant calls of buds and the graceful sway of the golden grass, and the aesthetic sounds from the beautifully beaded clothing. This is the melody of my life, deeply intertwined with the well-being of our environment.

来自马萨扬的问候。我叫多卡斯·纳索罗，今天很荣幸能在这里，不仅以世界上第一个气候变迁使者的身份，还以来自肯尼亚卡亚多郡广袤平原的萨瓦纳之女的身份。我带来了一段关于韧性的故事，这段故事由我们的土地不断变化的模式和我们应对气候变化的挑战所塑造。想象一下，每天醒来，都能听到萨瓦纳的交响乐，牛群的低鸣，鸟儿的欢叫，金色草原的优雅摇曳，以及美丽的串珠服饰发出的悦耳声音。这是我生命的旋律，与我们环境的健康息息相关。

Cattle are not only our companions, but also our livelihoods. As the Masay community, we rely on our cows, not just for income, or to keep our children in school, but also for sustenance, as they form the foundation of our mills and provide the fuel that keeps our families going. However, this melody is changing. We are witnessing longer droughts and unreliable rains. The signs of climate change are becoming increasingly evident, the land that once sustained us now fasts. The struggle for limited resources, particularly food and water, pushes us into dangerous encounters with wildlife and other people as we fight for survival. It's a competition where the very ground beneath our feet seems to shift.

牛不仅是我们的伙伴，还是我们的生计。作为玛赛社区的一员，我们依赖牛群，不仅是为了收入，或是支付孩子的学费，更是为了生存，它们是我们的粮食来源，提供了让家庭得以运转的动力。然而，这种和谐正在改变。我们正面临更长的干旱和不稳定的降雨。气候变化的迹象越来越明显，以前养育我们的土地现在正在枯竭。对有限资源，特别是食物和水的争夺，把我们推向与野生动物和其他人的危险对抗中，我们为了生存而战。竞争激烈，脚下的土地似乎也在动摇。

This is not just about food insecurity. It's about the erosion of our way of life. Let me provide a clearer picture of our daily lives. After milking their cows, the sale of the milk brings in our modest income, allowing us to purchase essentials and have our children go to school. At home, a simple mill of milk and ugali, a step of food, sustains us. However, this routine is often disrupted. The dry season presents a different reality. The once vibrant plains transform into graveyards for cattle with their skulls serving as a hounding reminder of the harshness of climate change. Our crops wither, leaving families with empty stomachs and skulls with empty plastrums. The impact extends beyond hunger.

这不仅仅是关于粮食不安全的问题，而是关于我们生活方式的逐渐消失。让我为您描绘一下我们的日常生活。在挤完奶牛后，卖奶赚到的微薄收入让我们能够购买必需品并送孩子上学。在家里，一顿简单的奶和乌加里的餐食就能维持我们的生活。然而，这种日常经常被打断。旱季带来了截然不同的现实。曾经充满生机的平原变成了牛的墓地，它们的头骨成为气候变化无情的提醒。我们的庄稼枯萎，家庭饥肠辘辘，脑海中充满空白。这种影响不仅限于饥饿。

Gals, already vulnerable, are forced to walk for long distances in such a water and this leads to increased health risks and also compromises their safety. Gals, in particular, bear the brunt of this harsh reality. Education is often sacrificed as families strive to make ends meet. In desperate attempts to survive, unimaginable things happen. Gals are traded for grass. What goes beyond this harsh reality is the right of passage from childhood to adulthood, which involves a painful circumcision, known as female genital mutilation, followed by alima rage. Gals are exchanged for grass to feed the remaining livestock to sustain the family for some time and save them live miserably for what they didn't choose. This desperate measure highlights the depths of our struggle, where gals are married off for as little as a hundred bells of grass to sustain the cattle for some time in times of drought.

女孩们本就脆弱，还得在这样的环境中行走很长距离，这增加了健康风险，同时还威胁到了她们的安全。尤其是女孩们，往往承受着这种残酷现实的主要负担。为了维持生计，教育常常被牺牲。为了求生，无法想象的事情发生了。女孩们被用来交换草料。而这种残酷现实之外，还涉及从童年到成年的过渡，伴随着痛苦的割礼，即女性生殖器切割，然后是“阿里玛”仪式。女孩们被换取草料以喂养幸存的牲畜，维持家庭一段时间的生计，免于因非自愿的状况而悲惨地生活。这种绝望的举动凸显了我们困境的深度，在干旱时期，女孩们甚至被换取少至百捆草料来维持牲畜的生活。

Livestock have been our sole source of income. Now, due to the actions of others, our way of life must change. This is happening in any other pastoral communities as well, whether it's adapting to climate change or defending against attempts to seize their land. However, we, the Maasai, are not people who surrender. We are people who adapt. We are planting trees alongside our crops to create a shield against the scorching sun and to provide additional food and herbal medicine. We are transforming our new land into community ranches for beekeeping, and we are dividing our land into products to secure enough pasture for our livestock.

牲畜一直是我们唯一的收入来源。如今，由于他人的行为，我们的生活方式不得不改变。这种情况在其他牧区社区也在发生，不论是适应气候变化还是抵御土地被夺。 然而，我们马赛人不是轻易屈服的人。我们是懂得适应的人。我们在庄稼旁植树以抵挡灼热的阳光，并提供额外的食物和草药。我们将新的土地改造成社区牧场，用于养蜂，并划分土地以确保有足够的牧草供牲畜食用。

These efforts aims to embrace a more sustainable form of pastoralism, enabling us to better withstand the extreme dry seasons while also utilizing our land for agriculture. Renewable energy projects, such as solar power, are also taking roots. They allow us to produce water for nurturing, tree seedlings and contributes to combating climate change. Renewable energy also helps us produce and store food more efficiently, reducing waste and safeguarding our livelihoods. Education is also crucial, and empowering our communities with knowledge and skills to adapt to climate change is key to long-term resilience. By fostering climate resilience, livelihoods and diversifying our sources of income, we can provide alternatives during times of hardships. We are learning, we are evolving and embracing innovation to rewrite the narrative of our struggle.

这些努力旨在拥抱更可持续的畜牧业形式，使我们在极端干旱季节中更好地应对，同时也能利用我们的土地进行农业。太阳能等可再生能源项目也在扎根。这些项目不仅能为培育树苗生产水，还能帮助应对气候变化。可再生能源还使我们能够更高效地生产和储存食物，减少浪费，保障我们的生计。教育同样至关重要，赋予我们的社区应对气候变化的知识和技能是长期韧性的重要因素。通过增强气候韧性、生计保障和多样化收入来源，我们可以在困境时期提供替代方案。我们正在学习、进步，并接受创新，以改写我们奋斗的故事。

But we cannot work this journey alone. We need both international and local support, collaborating with organizations that understand our unique challenges and respect our indigenous knowledge. We require policies that recognize and protect our land rights, as secure land is the foundation of our food security. Additionally, our learning systems for extreme weather will assist us in preparing and responding to climate-related disasters, ensuring the stability of our food supply.

但我们无法独自完成这段旅程。我们需要国际和本地的支持，与那些理解我们独特挑战并尊重我们土著知识的组织合作。我们需要承认并保护我们土地权利的政策，因为安全的土地是我们粮食安全的基础。此外，我们应对极端天气的学习体系将帮助我们准备和应对气候相关的灾害，从而确保我们的粮食供应稳定。

As we work towards nourishing 10 billion people, that I believe we can, while restoring the earth, we must prioritize sustainability, equity and respect for the environment. From the hats of the Kenyan savannah, I urge you, let us not only nourish our bodies, but also nurture the spirit of resilience, the power of community and the unwavering hope for a sustainable future. Together, we can rewrite the ending of this story, where the Masai girl not only survives, but thrice, her laughter, echoing across the plains, a testament to the enduring spirit of our land. Thank you.

在我们努力养活100亿人的同时，我相信我们可以做到，同时恢复地球的生态，我们必须优先考虑可持续性、公平性和对环境的尊重。从肯尼亚大草原上，我恳请大家，不仅要滋养我们的身体，还要培养我们的韧性精神、社区的力量和对可持续未来的坚定希望。共同努力，我们可以改写这个故事的结局，让马赛女孩不仅仅是生存下来，还能茁壮成长，她的笑声在平原上回荡，见证着我们这片土地不屈的精神。谢谢大家。