Indigenous lands hold the world’s healthiest forests

but only when their rights are protected

Themes: Conservation, FPIC, Indigenous people, Human rights, Parks

The world’s healthiest tropical forests are located in protected Indigenous areas (PIAs), according to a new study. However, research shows that forests with minimal human modification exist only on protected Indigenous lands. Indigenous lands that are unprotected lower forest integrity. Researchers believe the lower integrity of forests on Indigenous lands is due to mineral, oil, and gas deposits that are located on lands and communities that lack land tenure to prevent extractive projects. According to the researchers, strengthening Indigenous peoples’ land rights is critical to reaching global conservation and climate goals.

Advocates call for a new human rights-based approach to conservation

Advocates say that a new approach to conservation based in human rights and legal recognition of Indigenous and other community land tenure is needed.

Themes: Conservation, Parks, NGOs, Indigenous people, Livlihoods, CBD

Delegates to COP15 began meeting this week to discuss a draft framework that will guide the world’s response to a worsening biodiversity crisis. Advocates say that a new approach to conservation based in human rights and legal recognition of Indigenous and other community land tenure is needed. Some have criticized the most recent draft of the world’s biodiversity plan for going easy on industry and failing to include language that would protect vulnerable people from dispossession and abuse.

Factors of success in community forest conservation.

This article explores how relevant predictions from two theories (Olson, 1965; Ostrom, 1990) that underpin, either implicitly or explicitly, the design and implementation of Community Based Conservation (CBC) efforts were, in practice.

Themes: Conservation, FPIC, Human rights, Indigenous people, Livlihoods, NGOs, Parks

Abstract: Drawing on structured interviews of 29 conservation practitioners with first‐hand experience working with successful community forest conservation projects in eight countries around the world, this article explores how context influences the importance of Mancur Olson's five requisites for collective action, and Elinor Ostrom's eight design principles for effective common‐pool resource management. Results suggest that Olson was correct that social cohesion is a common attribute of successful community forest management efforts. But the survey also suggests that it is shared identity that is most the important contributor to cohesion and that this can occur largely absent of regular, positive face‐to‐face interactions as Olson suggests. Interviews also show that all eight of Ostrom's design principles are manifest by successful community forest conservation efforts. Although recognition of a community rights to self‐determination was reported to be essential, it was also considered insufficient without the timely and competent support of national authorities to help communities effectively exercise their rights when faced with threats from more economically and politically powerful external actors.

WWF Admitted “Sorrow” Over Human Rights Abuses

A 160-page report, in response to a BuzzFeed News investigation, found long-standing failures at the celebrated wildlife charity.

Themes: Conservation, Human rights, Indigenous people, NGOs, Parks

One of the world’s largest charities knew for years that it was funding alleged human rights abusers but repeatedly failed to address the issue, a lengthy, long-delayed report revealed on Tuesday.

Por qué salvar el planeta puede dañar a 300 millones de personas

Themes: CBD, Human rights, Indigenous people, NGOs, Parks, Policy

Más de 120 organizaciones alertan en una carta abierta a la ONU de que los planes de conservación previstos para lograr el objetivo de proteger el 30% de la biodiversidad en 2030 provocará el desplazamiento forzado de miles de comunidades indígenas si no se cuenta con ellas

Dossier: hunting and human-wildlife conflict.

Hunting is a topic that attracts polarised viewpoints. But as Mark Rowe demonstrates, when it comes to limiting human-wildlife conflict and to wider conservation measures, it’s not always so simple.

Themes: Conservation, Pastoralists, Poaching, Parks, Indigenous people, NGOs, Hunting

Mention ‘hunting’ and most of us think of poaching – primarily for ivory and the demands of Chinese medicine – or trophy hunting (see maps below); and the unpalatable image of a triumphant (usually) white Westerner straddling a dead, charismatic mammal. But the issue is a much wider and more nuanced one.

Most laws ignore human-wildlife conflict—this makes us vulnerable to pandemics.

Themes: Conservation, Indigenous people, Poaching, Poverty, CBD

Never before have we seen how the human use of wildlife can yield such catastrophe, as we have with COVID-19.

Cornered by PAs:

Adopting rights-based approaches to enable cost-effective conservation and climate action

Themes: CBD, Conservation, Indigenous people, Parks, Poverty

Progress on many commitments made in past decades to respect the rights of Indigenous Peoples in conservation is too limited. Rights violations affect IPs culture, well-being, livelihoods, and security without evidence of resulting conservation outcomes. Protected Areas Financing is limited and heavily public spending, not support of Indigenous and community conservation. Regular global monitoring of progress and access to grievance are key to accelerate progress or secure conservation outcomes.