It’s Time To Have a Conversation about Conservation
Community based natural resource management for sustainable development as a grassroots conservation tool is gaining momentum across the globe
The article was originally published in WeNaturalists, as a part of the curated section by the editorial team. For similar stories head to our Explore section.
“It is not enough to understand the natural world, the point is to defend and preserve it” — Edward Abbey
Policymakers are finally acknowledging that wildlife conservation cannot take place unless indigenous communities are involved as active participants. If we are to ever achieve success in protecting and preserving biodiversity and its natural habitats, the involvement of the people living in those areas must be facilitated. This also transfers the responsibility of protection and conservation of ecosystem diversity from the government authorities to the local communities resulting in a positive ecological outcome. Several towns and villages across the globe have been encouraged to set up wildlife habitat protection areas where local people demarcate and protect land needed for wildlife to thrive.
From the forest reserves of Uganda, Borneo, Suriname, Madagascar, Nepal, Cameroon and many other countries — extensive work is being done with communities to achieve sustainable development goals. With various success stories across the globe, it’s been established that if land management is put in the hands of the local population, it greatly benefits wildlife.
Tanzania
Tanzania has achieved remarkable success with community-based natural resource management as a grassroots conservation tool. Dr. Derek E. Lee from Penn State University and the Wild Nature Institute published a paper in 2018 in the Journal of Wildlife Management where he highlighted the difference in wildlife community site versus an unprotected control site, “My data demonstrated that establishment of the Burunge Wildlife Management Area and increased support of the village rangers there had positive ecological outcomes in the form of higher wildlife densities and higher giraffe population growth.”
Giraffes are the country’s national animal and the IUCN recognizes one species, Giraffa camelopardalis as vulnerable. By handing over the management of the wildlife areas to the local population, a significant increase was seen in the giraffe population, as compared to the areas that were not managed by the community.
Haida Nation
The Haida Nation signed the landmark Gwaii Haanas Agreement in 1993 with the Canadian government to manage Gwaii Haanas, situated off the coast of Northern British Columbia. It later also followed it with the Haanas Marine Agreement in 2010. The aim of the project was to showcase how the Haida Nation and Canadian government could work together towards the protection of biodiversity — wildlife, fish habitat and rare ecosystems as well as cultural values such as archaeological finds and traditional Haida forest features that include monumental cedar, yew, and culturally significant plants. Essentially, to understand the true meaning of biodiversity. The plan also involves monitoring major infrastructure projects in forested areas and marine waters. Indigenous people-led conservation lies at the heart of its success. It has set a benchmark in co-governance, natural resources conservation and sustainability of vibrant areas like these.
Colombia
In 2018, Colombia initiated a project to protect the critically endangered Black Spider Monkey. Community groups were set up to begin the process of mapping, designing and then implementing the project to protect the habitat of the monkeys. Involving the local people ensured support from them, thus leading to the success of the project. Various educational programs were conducted so that adults and children could better understand the needs of these monkeys. Agreements were initiated between the authorities and local communities to ensure the smooth working of the program.
Nepal
The Terai region in Nepal is an area with abundant biodiversity. The WWF launched the Terai Arc Landscape program in the year 2001 which involved not only the WWF authorities but also organizations, donors, stakeholders and local community groups. This program was initiated as a system of corridors and reserve areas for the conservation of endangered species like tigers, rhinos and elephants. The Corridors and Bottlenecks Restoration Project (CBRP) and Protected Area and Buffer Zone (PABZ) programs have been launched under the TAL Project to encourage community forestry.
Villagers used to face a high rate of cattle lifting by tigers. But due to these programs, the local people who are victims of cattle lifting, are provided immediate relief in the form of monetary compensation thus reducing poaching of tigers — an already critically endangered species. Not only this but the local communities of Nepal have also been able to successfully stop wildlife poaching and illegal animal trade. Due to the government and non-governmental collaborations, for instance, Nepal managed to cut down on poaching of rhinos, tigers and elephants to zero in 2014.
By 2007, the Nepalese government had given about one-third of their forests under the management of local communities which proved to be a catalyst for eliminating the illegal killing of wildlife in the country.
Conservation With The Help of Locals — A Sustainable Development Model
By involving local communities in the conversation about conservation, countries are ensuring that the authorities get maximum support from the people living there. Furthermore, these communities that possess essential skills can benefit from them in future projects and activities. These include planning stages, deciding on budgets, and more.
Involving communities in this conversation will ensure ‘togetherness of nature and people’ rather than ‘people versus nature’ and building a department of natural resources model is surely necessary to achieve inclusive and sustainable development. There are many more examples of the successful collaboration between government authorities and indigenous peoples.
The responsibility of conservation is in our hands and each of us needs to inspire one another to lead by example.
