Community-based conservation

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Community-based conservation is a conservation movement that emerged in the 1980s, in response to escalating protests and subsequent dialogue with local communities affected by international attempts to protect the biodiversity of the earth. These contentions were a reaction against traditional 'top down' conservation practices, whereby governments or large organisations exert control at a local level, which were perceived as disregarding the interests of local inhabitants. [1] This stems from the Western idea on which the conservation movement was founded, of nature being separate from culture. The objective of community-based conservation is to actively involve and give some control to members of local communities in conservation efforts which may affect them, and incorporate improvement to the lives of local people while conserving areas through the creation of national parks or wildlife refuges. [2]

Contents

History

The conflicts that led to the growth of community-based conservation are indicative of the historical connection between European colonialism and 'classical' conservation. The classical 'national park' model of conservation, first established through the creation of Yellowstone National Park in 1872 and Yosemite National Park in 1890, aimed to preserve what European settlers perceived as 'pristine natural wilderness'. However, this perception largely ignored the widespread anthropogenic changes to these landscapes generated by indigenous land management, and also justified the expulsion of those indigenous peoples. [3] Thus, classical conservation created protected areas based on a highly exclusionary model of protectionism, with an estimated 20 million people displaced from their land. [4] This conservation strategy was used widely until the 1970s when indigenous people started to fight for their rights and land. In 1975 the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and the World Parks Congress recognized the rights of indigenous people and to recognize their rights of the protected areas. [5] More policy changes came about that increased the rights of indigenous people. Community-based conservation came into action from these changes.

Strategies

One strategy of community-based conservation is co-management or joint management of a protected area. Co-management combines local peoples’ traditional knowledge of the environment with modern scientific knowledge of scientists. [6] [7] This combination of knowledge can lead to increased biodiversity and better management of the protected area.

Building collaborations that promote diversity, inclusivity, and cultural sensitivity enhance institutional and social dynamics. These elements help in managing power dynamics and addressing diverse objectives and perspectives of various stakeholders. Examining partnerships that Foster Diversity, the analysis of United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and Equator Initiative (EI) projects for integrating biodiversity conservation and poverty alleviation, suggests that effective conservation initiatives often involve a range of 10-15 collaborators [8] . These stakeholders include a combination of local and national NGOs, government entities at different levels, international agencies, and academic institutions. These partners play a role in supporting conservation projects by providing financial support, capacity building, networking opportunities, innovation, technical training, and community health services.

Assessing the role of community participation using a study of community involvement in vegetative-based conservation control sedimentation rates in the Wonogiri Reservoir and surrounding areas published in the Journal of Environment and Earth Science. [9] Examining the methodology used in research, involved a survey with 300 respondents from five villages in the area of the Wonogiri reservoir. Data collection techniques included questionnaires and Focus Group Discussions. The analysis involved validity tests, reliability tests, multicollinearity tests, correlation tests, T-tests, and F-tests etc. to understand the influence of the five capitals and government incentives on farmers' conservation decisions. The research methodology outlined in the article could serve as a useful guide for conducting similar studies in other regions facing similar environmental challenges. The emphasis on the role of government incentives in motivating public participation in conservation efforts was a community concern in all regions.

Ecological and community impacts

Positive ecological outcomes are evident in areas like the Naibunga Conservancy, Kenya, where community-based conservation efforts were implemented indicating significant ecological benefits such as increased biomass productivity and improved soil nutrient content in conserved areas. [10] Community impacts include better access to education, healthcare, improved community management, and sustainable use practices, including seasonal grazing zones, as well as food security through distributed resources like meat and firewood.

Relevance in research

Journal article from Journal of Suboptimal Lands titled Community Based Peat Conservation is relevant to researchers interested in environmental conservation, peatland ecosystems, carbon storage, and community involvement in conservation efforts [11] . It provides valuable insights into the importance of protecting peatlands and engaging local communities in conservation initiatives. Researchers could further explore the effectiveness of community-based conservation strategies, the economic benefits of peatland conservation, and the long-term implications of land degradation on peat ecosystems.

Emerging constraints

The challenges and controversies in horizon scanning reveal a complex landscape of environmental and social issues. With growing violence against environmental human rights defenders and the unpredictability of human migration patterns, the urgency of addressing these issues becomes apparent [12] . Horizon scanning efforts encountered difficulties in balancing novelty with plausibility, impact, and pervasiveness, particularly concerning topics less familiar to collaborators. Moreover, the under-representation of economic and legal expertise in the collaboration underscores the need for diverse perspectives in assessing emerging trends. Discussions often veered into debates over the nature of identified trends and their potential impact, highlighting the nuanced nature of horizon scanning. Amidst these challenges, the significance of community-based conservation emerges as a multifaceted approach that benefits both nature and people. It underscores the inseparability of conservation efforts from ethical considerations and aims to balance biodiversity conservation with human well-being. Ultimately, community-based conservation stands as a strategy for addressing the interconnected crises facing our planet.

See also

Related Research Articles

The conservation movement, also known as nature conservation, is a political, environmental, and social movement that seeks to manage and protect natural resources, including animal, fungus, and plant species as well as their habitat for the future. Conservationists are concerned with leaving the environment in a better state than the condition they found it in. Evidence-based conservation seeks to use high quality scientific evidence to make conservation efforts more effective.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ecotourism</span> Tourism visiting environments

Ecotourism is a form of tourism marketed as "responsible" travel to natural areas, conserving the environment, and improving the well-being of the local people. The stated purpose may be to educate the traveler, to provide funds for ecological conservation, to directly benefit the economic development and political empowerment of local communities, or to foster respect for different cultures and human rights.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peat</span> Accumulation of partially decayed vegetation

Peat is an accumulation of partially decayed vegetation or organic matter. It is unique to natural areas called peatlands, bogs, mires, moors, or muskegs. Sphagnum moss, also called peat moss, is one of the most common components in peat, although many other plants can contribute. The biological features of sphagnum mosses act to create a habitat aiding peat formation, a phenomenon termed 'habitat manipulation'. Soils consisting primarily of peat are known as histosols. Peat forms in wetland conditions, where flooding or stagnant water obstructs the flow of oxygen from the atmosphere, slowing the rate of decomposition. Peat properties such as organic matter content and saturated hydraulic conductivity can exhibit high spatial heterogeneity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nature conservation</span> Movement to protect the biosphere

Nature conservation is the moral philosophy and conservation movement focused on protecting species from extinction, maintaining and restoring habitats, enhancing ecosystem services, and protecting biological diversity. A range of values underlie conservation, which can be guided by biocentrism, anthropocentrism, ecocentrism, and sentientism, environmental ideologies that inform ecocultural practices and identities. There has recently been a movement towards evidence-based conservation which calls for greater use of scientific evidence to improve the effectiveness of conservation efforts. As of 2018 15% of land and 7.3% of the oceans were protected. Many environmentalists set a target of protecting 30% of land and marine territory by 2030. In 2021, 16.64% of land and 7.9% of the oceans were protected. The 2022 IPCC report on climate impacts and adaptation, underlines the need to conserve 30% to 50% of the Earth's land, freshwater and ocean areas – echoing the 30% goal of the U.N.'s Convention on Biodiversity. Ultimately, these movements should be further promoted to encourage biodiversity and to conserve a functional ecosystem.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Protected area</span> Areas protected for having ecological or cultural importance

Protected areas or conservation areas are locations which receive protection because of their recognized natural, ecological or cultural values. Protected areas are those areas in which human presence or the exploitation of natural resources is limited.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">International Union for Conservation of Nature</span> International organization

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) is an international organization working in the field of nature conservation and sustainable use of natural resources. Founded in 1948, IUCN has become the global authority on the status of the natural world and the measures needed to safeguard it. It is involved in data gathering and analysis, research, field projects, advocacy, and education. IUCN's mission is to "influence, encourage and assist societies throughout the world to conserve nature and to ensure that any use of natural resources is equitable and ecologically sustainable".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Environmental protection</span> Practice of protecting the natural environment

Environmental protection is the practice of protecting the natural environment by individuals, groups and governments. Its objectives are to conserve natural resources and the existing natural environment and, where it is possible, to repair damage and reverse trends.

The Amazon Conservation Team (ACT) is a non-profit organization that works in partnership with indigenous people of tropical South America in conserving the biodiversity of the Amazon rainforest, as well as the culture and land of its indigenous people. ACT was formed in 1996 by ethnobotanist Mark Plotkin and Costa Rican conservationist Liliana Madrigal. The organization is primarily active in the northwest, northeast, and southern regions of the Amazon.

Conservation refugees are people who are displaced from their native lands when conservation areas, such as parks and other protected areas, are created.

The Rainforest Foundation UK (RFUK) is a non-profit NGO working in Africa and South America. It is one of the first international organizations to support the indigenous peoples of the world's rainforests in their efforts to protect their environment and fulfill their rights to land, life and livelihood. The Foundation aims to protect rainforests by securing the land rights of indigenous peoples and other forest-dependent communities. It also campaigns internationally on issues such as industrial logging, climate change, agricultural expansion and nature conservation.

Indigenous and community conserved areas (ICCAs), or Indigenous peoples’ and community conserved territories and areas, are spaces de facto governed by Indigenous peoples or local communities with evidently positive outcomes for the conservation of biological and cultural diversity. In ICCAs, the continuation, revival, or modification of traditional practices and/or new initiatives succeed in protecting and restoring natural resources and cultural values in the face of new threats or opportunities. Some ICCAs are situated in remote ecosystems that have had minimum human influence, while others encompass areas of various regulations and magnitudes within regions strongly affected or modified by human occupation. ICCAs may or may not fit the IUCN definition of “protected area” but, when they do, they can fall into any IUCN protected area categories.

A sacred natural site is a natural feature or a large area of land or water having special spiritual significance to peoples and communities. Sacred natural sites consist of all types of natural features including mountains, hills, forests, groves, trees, rivers, lakes, lagoons, caves, islands and springs. They are often considered sacred spaces.

Conservation is an endeavour including “the preservation, maintenance, sustainable use, restoration, and enhancement of the natural environment”.

Paludiculture is wet agriculture and forestry on peatlands. Paludiculture combines the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions from drained peatlands through rewetting with continued land use and biomass production under wet conditions. “Paludi” comes from the Latin “palus” meaning “swamp, morass” and "paludiculture" as a concept was developed at Greifswald University. Paludiculture is a sustainable alternative to drainage-based agriculture, intended to maintain carbon storage in peatlands. This differentiates paludiculture from agriculture like rice paddies, which involve draining, and therefore degrading wetlands.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Riau Ecosystem Restoration</span> Indonesian forest restoration project

Riau Ecosystem Restoration is a multi-party project to restore and conserve an area of ecologically important peat forest in Indonesia's Sumatra island. The project consists of 130,000 ha on the Kampar Peninsula, and another 20,000 ha on the nearby Padang Island.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">30 by 30</span> International ecological preservation initiative

30 by 30 is a worldwide initiative for governments to designate 30% of Earth's land and ocean area as protected areas by 2030. The target was proposed by a 2019 article in Science Advances, "A Global Deal for Nature: Guiding principles, milestones, and targets", highlighting the need for expanded nature conservation efforts to mitigate climate change. Launched by the High Ambition Coalition for Nature and People in 2020, more than 50 nations had agreed to the initiative by January 2021, which has increased to more than 100 countries by October 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peatland restoration</span> Peatland restoration

Peatland restoration is a term describing measures to restore the original form and function of peatlands, or wet peat-rich areas. This landscape globally occupies 400 million hectares or 3% of land surface on Earth. Historically, peatlands have been drained for several main reasons; peat extraction, creation of agricultural land, and forestry usage. However, this activity has caused degradation affecting this landscape's structure through damage to habitats, hydrology, nutrients cycle, carbon balance and more.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harry Jonas</span>

Harry Driver Jonas is a British international lawyer and social entrepreneur, best known for his contributions to legal empowerment and area-based conservation. He advanced the theory and practice of community protocols to affirm Indigenous peoples’ rights over their territories and traditional knowledge, and was instrumental in developing the international framework for other effective area-based conservation measures to better recognize biodiversity stewardship beyond protected areas.

References

  1. ↑ Brockington, D. (2002) Fortress Conservation: The Preservation of the Mkomazi Game Reserve, Tanzania. International African Institute, Oxford( ISBN   0-253-34079-9)
  2. ↑ Gezon, Lisa. (1997) Institutional structure and the effectiveness of integrated conservation and development projects: case study from Madagascar, Human Organization 56(4), pp. 462–470 (ISSN 0093-2930)
  3. ↑ Cholchester, M. (2004) Conservation Policy and Indigenous Peoples. Environmental Science & Policy 7(3), pp.145-153
  4. ↑ Veit, P. G., Benson, C. (2004) When Parks and People Collide. Carnegie Council for Ethics in International Affairs. 16 Oct. 2009
  5. ↑ Cholchester, M. (2004) Conservation Policy and Indigenous Peoples. Environmental Science & Policy 7(3), pp.145-153
  6. ↑ WPC Recommendation 25 Co-management of Protected Areas, World Parks Congress (2003) "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2006-09-27. Retrieved 2009-12-11.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  7. ↑ Child, B.;Jones, B. (2006), Practical tools for community conservation in southern Africa, Participatory Learning and Action 55 (ISSN 1357-938X)
  8. ↑ Berkes, Fikret (2007-09-25). "Community-based conservation in a globalized world". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 104 (39): 15188–15193. doi:10.1073/pnas.0702098104. ISSN   0027-8424.
  9. ↑ Ainun Jariyah, Nur (2014-09-30). "Partisipasi Masyarakat Dalam Rehabilitasi Lahan Dan Konservasi Tanah (RLKT) Di Sub Das Keduang, Kabupaten Wonogiri, Jawa Tengah". Jurnal Penelitian Sosial dan Ekonomi Kehutanan. 11 (3): 211–221. doi:10.20886/jpsek.2014.11.3.211-221.
  10. ↑ Galvin, Kathleen A.; Beeton, Tyler A.; Luizza, Matthew W. (2018). "African community-based conservation: a systematic review of social and ecological outcomes". Ecology and Society. 23 (3). doi:10.5751/ES-10217-230339. ISSN   1708-3087.
  11. ↑ Manalu, Arman (2020-04-01). "Community Based Peat Conservation". Jurnal Lahan Suboptimal : Journal of Suboptimal Lands. 9 (1): 11–22. doi:10.33230/JLSO.9.1.2020.439. ISSN   2302-3015.
  12. ↑ Esmail, Nafeesa; McPherson, Jana M.; Abulu, Latoya; Amend, Thora; Amit, Ronit; Bhatia, Saloni; Bikaba, Dominique; Brichieri-Colombi, Typhenn A.; Brown, Jessica; Buschman, Victoria; Fabinyi, Michael; Farhadinia, Mohammad; Ghayoumi, Razieh; Hay-Edie, Terence; Horigue, Vera (July 2023). "What's on the horizon for community-based conservation? Emerging threats and opportunities". Trends in Ecology & Evolution. 38 (7): 666–680. doi:10.1016/j.tree.2023.02.008 – via Trends in Ecology & Evolution.
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