The Kaya Kinondo forest on Kenya's eastern coast and the Cerro Chango reserve in the hills of Southern Mexico, are two of the most exceptionally diverse habitats in the world. They are managed by the Digo-Mijikenda and Chinanteco indigenous communities that observe traditional practices in the management of these rich habitats. In some cases, local customs take precedence over the laws of national government.
The United Nations Environment Program's World Conservation Monitoring Center (UNEP-WCMC), with support from the Global Environmental Facility (GEF) Small Grants Programme under the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), is now running a new project which focuses on the link between indigenous communities, conservation and biodiversity.
Empowered with efforts to fight threats such as climate change and deforestation, the efforts of these indigenous communities to conserve their environment caught the interest of environmentalists worldwide. The project of the UNEP-WCMC is set to gather and compile information on Indigenous and Community Conserved Areas (ICCA). These are defined by natural sites and habitats that are conserved voluntarily by the indigenous people and the local communities using traditional practices, which aim to help secure communities and habitats under threat.
UNEP-WCMC has developed the ICCA Registry in order to have a better view on how the communities contribute to biodiversity. This is done in partnership with an international consortium of NGOs and conservation groups. The registry comprises questions that cover information about the location, area, habitat type of the ICCA, how the community is governed and its social customs and conservation practices. Mexico, Kenya, Fiji and the Philippines are the first four countries targeted so far. Already 13 communities have registered ranging from fishing ports to mountain villages.
"A key part of this process has been to work slowly, gaining the support and trust of these communities", says project manager Colleen Corrigan of UNEP-WCMC. "While there is valid concern for using caution when mapping these areas, there is also genuine potential to use this initiative to help secure communities and habitats under threat. In five years, we hope to share a much better and deeper understanding of the global contributions of ICCAs to biodiversity conservation and human well-being."
By joining this registry, the conservation efforts done by the indigenous communities will be promoted, which can help in attracting potential support from government and other third parties. The registry also allows interaction between different indigenous groups worldwide, allowing communities to share experiences on issues of common concern.
One of the communities who signed up for the registry is the Maya community from San Crisanto in Mexico. It has over 1000 hectares of forest and mangroves and has been home to the Mayas since 250 BC. Their tradition dictates that the whole community is responsible for the governance of the area and an assembly of 30 elders have the key decision for the whole community.
In 1996, the Maya community suffered widespread devastation from a hurricane. They began rehabilitation work on their community canals and regenerate the local mangroves that are the community’s principal ecosystem. With these conservation efforts, the fish population increased 25%, there is also an increase in the number of birds as well as the general recovery of the entire ecosystem.
Up to date, the community in San Crisanto pursues conservation and regeneration projects and the Maya also benefits from the increase in revenues from eco-tourism. The importance of conservation within the community is enhanced by education and training projects in their area. According to one of the community representatives, the ICCA Registry has been a key part in promoting their conservation work.
“The publication of information and data will allow more people to know about our project”, Jose Ines of San Crisanto said. “It allows us to share our experience with other communities and to show those who are skeptical that community conservation and development is possible.”
The expansion of the registry is being planned by the UNEP-WCMC to be able to include more indigenous communities all over the world, thus giving greater recognition to other little success stories of the communities. It is with a great hope that by mapping and restoring the ancestral practices that date back thousands of years ago, new solutions to new problems can be found.
Source:
United Nations Environment Programme
http://www.unep.org/Documents.Multilingual/Default.asp?DocumentID=646&ArticleID=6712&l=en
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