After decades of activism by Indigenous Peoples and their allies, the need to formalize Indigenous land rights has received increasing global attention as a strategy to address climate change. Research has highlighted the compatibility between community forest management regimes and carbon sequestration, reiterating the essential role that securing Indigenous land tenure must play in forest-based climate change mitigation strategies. Based on research conducted in six Indigenous Comunidades Nativas with formal collective titles in Peruvian Amazonia, this article argues that titling alone is not enough to ensure that Indigenous Peoples are supported and enabled to access their recognized rights and play a central role in addressing the climate crisis. Indigenous Awajún and Asháninka informants discussed challenges with accessing suitable livelihoods, excessive restrictions on timber harvest, land conflicts with smallholder migrant farmers and extractive concessions, unclear conflict resolution mechanisms, and policies that assume a communal governance model that differs from actual Indigenous leadership roles and institutions. All of these challenges put pressure on community members, creating incentives for unsustainable land and resource use, and undermining their abilities to protect their forests. Although Peru has included Comunidades Nativas and other co-managed areas in the mitigation actions toward its Nationally Determined Contribution to the Paris Agreement, it must re-examine its titling reforms, and the way that Comunidades’ land and resource access is regulated and weakened. This will allow for titling in practice to live up to its promise in theory as a strategy for promoting equity and mitigating climate change.
Tag: conservation
Long-term accumulation of macro- and secondary elements in subtropical treatment wetlands
The Everglades Stormwater Treatment Areas (STAs) are a complex of large constructed wetlands that are an integral component of the State and Federal efforts to restore the Everglades ecosystem. The overall objective of this study was to determine the accumulation rates of macro-elements including carbon (C), nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), sulfur (S), and associated secondary elements including calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), aluminum (Al), and iron (Fe) in two Everglades STAs over their periods of operation. The study was conducted in STA-2 with parallel flow-ways consisting of emergent aquatic vegetation (EAV) and submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) and the Western flow-way of STA-3/4 with EAV and SAV cells operated in series. Elemental accumulation rates were determined in the unconsolidated surficial sediments (floc) and recently accreted soil (RAS) that have accumulated on top of the antecedent soil over the 14- and 10-yr periods of operation for STA-2 and STA-3/4, respectively. Flow-ways with SAV were more efficient than EAV in accreting mineral matter, resulting in increased bulk density and higher accumulation rates of elements. Average C accumulation in the floc and RAS of SAV flow-ways was 320 g·m−2·yr−1 with approximately equal proportions of inorganic and organic C, while in the EAV flow-ways accumulation rates of C ranged from 116 to 147 g·m−2·yr−1 with mostly organic C. Phosphorus accumulation rates were approximately 2–3 times higher in SAV than in EAV flow-ways. Differences in accumulation of elements between SAV and EAV were largest for Ca with 17–42 times more Ca in SAV than EAV systems. This suggests that in the SAV systems, possible occlusion of macro-elements and metals during CaCO3 precipitation facilitated accretion of material with high mineral content. In EAV, biomass turnover and associated biotic processes regulated organic matter accumulation rates. The spatial accumulation patterns of P, C, and N in the EAV areas of STA-2 and STA-3/4 were similar to those observed in the EAV areas of the natural wetlands in Water Conservation Areas, suggesting that constructed wetland systems function similarly to natural wetlands dominated by EAV areas in retaining and storing macro- and secondary elements.
A framework for analysing contextual factors shaping forest-poverty dynamics
Forest and tree-based landscapes represent complex social-ecological systems. In tropical and subtropical regions, these landscapes are home to hundreds of millions of resource-poor people. Gaining a better understanding of how contextual factors influence forest-poverty dynamics is essential for the design, targeting and implementation of effective policy instruments and interventions to alleviate poverty. In this article we present an innovative framework for exploring the social, economic, political, institutional and environmental factors affecting forestry-poverty dynamics. We use two examples of widely used forest management and conservation interventions, namely protected areas and community forestry, to illustrate how these factors can take multiple roles in complex causal chains of processes of social and environmental change in forest and tree-based landscapes. We highlight how future research can provide a more comprehensive understanding of the processes and contexts shaping forest-poverty dynamics, including elucidating the differentiated effects of different drivers of change on multiple social and environmental outcomes over time. © 2021 Elsevier B.V.
Pilot strategy for conservation of tree genetic resources in Ethiopia
Impacts of Taking, Trade and Consumption of Terrestrial Migratory Species for Wild Meat
This report – the first of its kind – identifies the impacts of wild meat taking, trade and consumption of terrestrial species that are protected by CMS. It puts a spotlight on species such as antelopes, primates, and carnivores and points to the need for greater attention to the taking of globally protected wildlife purely for domestic use as opposed to international trade. The study also highlights the need to assess national legislation and enforcement capacity, as well as the linkages between zoonotic diseases and wild meat.
Prepared for the CMS Secretariat by the Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR), this publication is a significant first step towards closing the knowledge gap on the impacts of such use of migratory species of wild animals.
The aim of this report is to contribute to the implementation of CMS Decision 13.109 – Addressing Unsustainable Use of Terrestrial and Avian Wild Meat of Migratory Species of Wild Animals – by assessing, the direct and indirect impacts of wild meat taking, trade and consumption for each of the CMS terrestrial mammal species covered by CMS Appendices I and / or II, as well as the following species: Gazella bennettii, Pantholops hodgsonii, and Procapra picticaudata (all under CMS Central Asian Mammals Initiative); and Myotis aurascens, Otonycteris hemprichii, Plecotus kolombatovici, Plecotus macrobullaris, Plecotus sardus, Rousettus aegyptiacus, and Taphozous nudiventris (all listed under the Agreement on the Conservation of Populations of European Bats (EUROBATS)).
Learning from Community-Based Natural Resource Management (CBNRM) in Ghana and Zambia: Lessons for integrated landscape approaches
Land use in much of sub-Saharan Africa is dominated by legislative frameworks based on a strong colonial legacy, focusing strongly on state control and minimal devolution of management responsibilities to local communities. However, attempts to reconcile conservation and socio-economic development by increasing stakeholder engagement in community-based natural resource management (CBNRM) have been undertaken since the late 1980s. Based on a review of published literature on historical land-use trajectories, the evolution of CBNRM, and key respondent interviews with NRM experts in Ghana and Zambia, this paper asks: What lessons can be learned from CBNRM to inform integrated landscape approaches for more equitable social and ecological outcomes? The paper discusses the positive characteristics and persistent challenges arising from CBNRM initiatives in both countries. The former being, improved rights and resource access, an established institutional structure at the local level, and a conservation approach tailored to the local context. The latter include the absence of multi-scale collaboration, inadequate inclusive and equitable local participation, and limited sustainability of CBNRM initiatives beyond short-term project funding timelines. The paper argues that integrated landscape approaches can address these challenges and improve natural resource management in Ghana and Zambia. We urge landscape practitioners to consider how the lessons learned from CBNRM are being addressed in practice, as they represent both challenges and opportunities for landscape approaches to improve natural resource management.
Drivers of Biodiversity Conservation in Sacred Groves: A Comparative Study of Three Sacred Groves in Southwest Nigeria
Globally, sacred groves represent a traditional form of community-based conservation system, recognized for their capacity to preserve areas that are of cultural and religious importance to local people. In most cases, the entire community takes on a watchdog role to guard against encroachment and unauthorized access either by its members or outsiders who might desecrate such sites. Our paper investigates the effects of different governance arrangements on three sacred groves in southwest Nigeria⎯Osun Osogbo Sacred Grove (UNESCO World Heritage Site); Idanre Hills (Nigerian National Monument) and Igbo-Olodumare (local cultural site)⎯on their socio-economic and religio-cultural benefits and contribution to biodiversity conservation. Using a mixed-methods design of a semi-structured questionnaire (n=167), key informant interviews (n=2), and focus groups (n=7), we collected data from local community members, traditional priests, sacred grove devotees and tourism officials. We found that customary institutions have guided reverence for sacralized spaces and wise utilization of their unique resources. The growing recognition of sacred groves has paved the way for socioeconomic rewards for individuals and government as cultural tourism increases. We found that the involvement of formal institutions alongside customary institutions in sacred grove management reinforces compliance with conservation laws within the sacred groves, especially where traditional norms are weak or may be disregarded. We discuss the implications of these observations and offer suggestions to improve community engagement, uphold traditional ecological knowledge, and develop ecotourism within the groves. We conclude that the co-existence of community-based conservation through a system of established traditional norms and prohibitions as well as formal government legislation and management, offers assurance for the long-term preservation of sacred groves and their biodiversity.
A decade of mangrove conservation achievements and challenges in Vietnam
Key messages
- The last decade has seen significant and marked improvements in the legal framework on mangrove protection, increased funding and involvement of non-state actors in mangrove protection and development, lower rates of mangrove forest loss and larger areas of planted mangroves in Vietnam.
- Despite these remarkable achievements, challenges remain for mangrove conservation, particularly when major drivers of mangrove deforestation and degradation have yet to be properly addressed as they are closely linked to national economic development priorities.
- Weak law enforcement, overreliance on inadequate central budget financing for mangrove protection, and inequitable distribution of benefits and rights relating to mangrove resources further challenge effective, efficient and equitable mangrove management.
- The government still affords more attention to planting new mangroves than providing strong incentives for conserving existing mangrove forests.
- Future mangrove protection and development in Vietnam requires stronger political will from the government to find a balance between economic development and mangrove conservation priorities, as well as participatory decision-making processes where the private sector and local communities are provided with better incentives to engage in mangrove protection.
Understanding Difference to Build Bridges among Stakeholders: Perceptions of Participation in Four Multi-stakeholder Forums in the Peruvian Amazon
As interest grows in supporting multi-stakeholder forums (MSFs) to address land-use and climate change, it is important to understand how these processes operate from the perspectives of their participants. The academic literature on their equity largely presents a dichotomy: participatory processes either allow for horizontal decision-making with more equitable and effective outcomes for local populations, or they mask technologies of governance that do not address – and may reinforce – structures of inequality. These two perspectives downplay the different, complex and sometimes nuanced perceptions and experiences of participation. In order to better understand these nuances, the authors applied Q-methodology to analyse and compare the perceptions of MSF participants and organisers in four forums in the Peruvian Amazon. The research finds that participants are often optimistic about the forums, but at the same time they are aware of risks; and that groups falling into both camps may be just as likely to fail to address inequality among participants but for different reasons. The results help identify points of convergence and divergence, and potential ways forward to help construct more equitable and effective MSFs.
A Note on Terms of Gender Equality & Equity: Terminology and hints to improve Gender Equality and Equity in work and everyday life – in the Ethiopian context
GENDER Gender Is a bit trickier. Gender as a concept refers to the roles and responsibilities of boys, men, girls, and women influenced by the society we live in, our traditions, religion, values, culture, and economy. Gender is about the behaviours that are expected of each gender = Gender is about both men and women. These roles and expectations are learned from childhood, they are not determined by biology.