Fortalecendo as Condições Habilitantes para Omecs Inclusivos e Eficazes na América Latina

The document examines the role of OECMs in promoting inclusive conservation across Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, and Peru. It highlights that while the region has significant potential due to existing Indigenous and community-led territories, the effectiveness of OECMs is hindered by land tenure insecurity, legal contradictions, and gaps in governance and financing. The report argues that OECMs should not be a mere tool for meeting 2030 targets but part of a long-term journey toward the CBD's 2050 vision, requiring systemic transformations in land rights and economic systems to support local autonomy.

• The implementation of OECM guidelines varies across the six studied countries, with Colombia leading the region by adopting recognition guidelines in 2021 and reporting 47 registered OECMs. Ecuador and Peru follow with five areas each, while Brazil and Mexico have held discussions without formalizing guidelines, and Bolivia remains in the early stages.
• There is a vast existing network of complementary conservation areas (ACC) and Indigenous and traditional territories (TITs) that maintain biodiversity beyond formal protected areas. Legally recognized TITs cover approximately 400 million hectares, representing about 28% of the total land area of the six countries.
• Land tenure insecurity remains a critical barrier to inclusive conservation. Despite strong constitutional and legal provisions for Indigenous and community lands, gaps between formal recognition and effective protection leave territories vulnerable to land grabbing, invasions, and extractive industry expansion.
• Legal frameworks for environmental protection are robust but suffer from structural contradictions. Protected areas generally have stronger legal safeguards against unilateral state decisions regarding subsoil resource extraction than OECMs or TITs, where extractive concessions are often authorized despite local opposition.
• Governance and technical capacity gaps persist at the local and subnational levels. Many initiatives struggle with systematic monitoring and depend on external projects or voluntary partnerships for data and equipment, as formal monitoring requirements often exceed institutional and logistical capacities.
• Current economic systems continue to prioritize destructive activities like agribusiness and mining through state subsidies. While financial instruments such as payments for ecosystem services (PSA) exist in most of the countries (except Bolivia), they are often described as temporary, insufficient, or misaligned with local priorities.

APA

WWF International (2025). Fortalecendo as Condições Habilitantes para Omecs Inclusivos e Eficazes na América Latina. https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/1830/PT_OECM_E.S._and_Recs.pdf

Chicago

WWF International. Fortalecendo as Condições Habilitantes para Omecs Inclusivos e Eficazes na América Latina. 2025. https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/1830/PT_OECM_E.S._and_Recs.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=WWF International |title=Fortalecendo as Condições Habilitantes para Omecs Inclusivos e Eficazes na América Latina |date=2025 |url=https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/1830/PT_OECM_E.S._and_Recs.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{wwfinternational2025fortalecendo, author = {{WWF International}}, title = {{Fortalecendo as Condições Habilitantes para Omecs Inclusivos e Eficazes na América Latina}}, institution = {WWF International}, year = {2025}, url = {https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/1830/PT_OECM_E.S._and_Recs.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }