"Africa
and China are home to numerous Indigenous communities, therefore their efforts
in conservation
must always be considered. They are not obstacles to nature, rather,
they are true ambassadors for
conservation. It is important to note
that they have a strong relationship with nature and play their role."
The African CSOs Biodiversity Alliance (ACBA) and the China Civil Society
Alliance for Biodiversity Conservation {CSABC) held the second dialogue
in an ongoing series on the 31st May 2021 from 10:00
to 12:00 EAT. The dialogue shed light on African
and Chinese perspectives on: The Role of Indigenous People and Local Communities (IPLCs}
in Other Effective
Area-based Conservation Measures
(OECMs}.
The buy-in of communities
living with biodiversity is fundamental in empowering IPLCs through land sovereignty and for example benefits global efforts to expand conservation. Therefore, there's a call for spaces and systems which are inclusive
of local actors,
equitably reflect their ambitions for conservation, and
generate benefits for IPLCs and nature.
This dialogue aims to share lessons learned and best practices on how
Other Effective Conservation
Measures {OECMs) by Indigenous People and Local Communities (IPLCs) can contribute to the global goals of the
post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework. The outcomes of the
dialogue were to create a
common understanding of the importance of conservation in areas under the control of IPLCs, to appreciate how community empowerment enhances the
potential for OECMs in support of sustainable livelihoods and to highlight how conservation approaches
outside protected areas deliver biodiversity gains.
"To achieve our goals for conservation, people do need to be involved whether they live in urban or rural spaces. To see change,
happen, everyone must be involved," said Fred Kwame Kumah, the dialogue's moderator
during his opening
remarks.
David
Obura from CORDIO East Africa pointed out that, "In ACBA we have really
been thinking about how to move the agenda forward to promote conservation in our context.
We consider where
African people and biodiversity fit in
the Global Biodiversity Framework and the upcoming Conference of the Parties in Kunming (CoPlS) as we meet the
needs of a largely rural and growing population that really depends on nature and needs to thrive alongside
nature."
Mr Xiaogeng Liu drew from his experiences working at Laohegou since 2011, where putting
an end to poaching became one of
their primary goals. Over the years, they formed a team of rangers, and supported the surrounding communities to establish community protected
areas. Their core team of rangers used
to be poachers before, with only one out of the eight not having been arrested for hunting.
Now, with the support of Taohuayuan, they have become protectors. Laohegou
has become a model for social welfare
protection and at present,
six additional social welfare protection areas have been established across the country.
"IPLCs have been working together globally
and regionally beyond
mobilizing at the national level to
get their perspectives heard on the
Convention on Biodiversity and in
many other forums. One of the
unique qualities of African IPLCs is that they have been working
quite closely with their governments. We've been working
closely on issues like sustainable use, and access and benefit sharing and the specific
role of IPLCs within the Nagoya Protocol. IPLCs have also been making the
case for the recognition of the
central role that their traditional
knowledge systems in conservation successes." said Lucy Mulenkei Executive Director
for Indigenous Information Network.
Yunzhu Chen from the Global Environmental Institute stated, "In our work with Myanmar, local communities play a crucial role. We begin with a conversation. The projects and their funding must be vetted by the communities, who also take up a major role in
managing and operating
projects in their area. Without their buy-in,
we cannot achieve our conservation actions. Therefore, we ensure
that only community members
actively involved are the recipients
of the benefits. We have seen that when we phase out of the projects,
communities keep the work going,
because they own and have grown to value what conservation delivers for them."
Fred Kwame Kumah concluded the webinar by elaborating that more effort is needed across the board to ensure that IPLCs are empowered, with the upholding
of community rights, and greater support for the role they historically and currently play in protecting biodiversity. He added that, we need to keep in
mind the implications of
development for indigenous people and local communities (IPLCs)
and the habitats and biodiversity they are custodians of.