The traditions that could save a nation’s forests

Indigenous communities evicted from their ancestral forest lands in Kenya have plans to restore peace and biodiversity to their homelands.

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

In July this year, in the middle of Kenya’s rainy season, two indigenous communities living in western Kenya were evicted from their ancestral homes. The Ogiek people of the Mau Forest and the Sengwer people of the Embobut Forest were forced to leave by government forest guards, leaving hundreds of people displaced and their houses burnt to the ground. It was the middle of the rainy season, and families including young children were exposed to the unforgiving weather.

The Multiple Land Use Model of Ngorongoro Conservation Area, review proposal

In this blog post: The MLUM review proposal. Reactions to the MLUM review proposal. Majaliwa/Olenasha/Marekani horror show in Wasso. Now

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

On 22nd September 2019, what can only be described as a plan to kill pastoralism and Maasai culture and life in the whole of Ngorongoro district was presented at the Ngorongoro Conservation Area Authority (NCAA) headquarters.

This is my message to the western world - Your civilisation is killing life on Earth.

We Indigenous people are fighting to save the Amazon, but the whole planet is in trouble because you do not respect it.

Themes: Indigenous people, Livlihoods, Human rights

Five Years of Disappointment and Terror - Not Only in Loliondo

Five years of the fifth phase government in Tanzania are nearing their end.

Themes: Conservation, Indigenous people, Livlihoods, Pastoralists, Hunting, NGOs, Parks, Tourism

I should write a summary of what has happened concerning the land threats in Loliondo and Ngorongoro district as a whole. This isn’t easy. Even with more fearful silence than ever, much has happened, and apparently insignificant events turn out significant with hindsight. The summary is too long, but I hope it will be read anyway and that those reading it will try to do something to stop the police state and the land alienation plans.

Wildlife conservation undermines the rights of indigenous people and local communities in India

A new EJAtlas map launched by the Institut de Ciència i Tecnologia Ambientals ICTA-UAB denounces that the current model puts growth and gains before human lives and the nature it is intended to protect.

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

An interactive map undertaken by the Environmental Justice Atlas team at the Institute of Environmental Science and Technology of the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (ICTA-UAB) reveals that certain forms of ‘wildlife conservation’ undermine the rights of indigenous people and local communities living within protected areas across India.

COMACO, from snares to plowshares:

A conservation and human wellbeing success story.

Themes: Conservation, NGOs, Livlihoods, Poverty, REDD

Community Markets for Conservation is a private sector, not-for-profit social enterprise in Zambia. It was established in 2003 to halt wildlife poaching and illegal tree cutting for charcoal by helping poor rural families to increase their food and income security through improved farming practices and marketing of value-added agricultural commodities. COMACO supports 178,891 farmers in the Luangwa Valley, providing them with improved farming skills, seed loans, a premium price for their crop surplus, and a dividend if they comply with sustainable farming and wildlife, and forest conservation best practices. Maize yields using COMACO methods increased by 63% and net income was 37% higher than for farmers who purchased inorganic fertilizers. Between 2012 and 2018 the number of food secure families increased from 67–84%. Elephant poaching has declined in all but one COMACO district, poaching is now primarily conducted by nonlocal hunters, and leg-hold snare detections by community game scouts have decreased significantly in COMACO areas. Increasing food and income security while reducing deforestation and unsustainable hunting for ~$US10 per farmer per year is cheap and can be replicated in Zambia and other nations in Africa.