Search Climate Insights Directory

This case study collection, published by the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI), documents seven transdisciplinary research projects across Latin America and the Caribbean. It serves as a training resource for the IAI's TD Academy, focusing on integrating scientific knowledge with local and indigenous systems to address global environmental change (GEC). The document emphasizes 'epistemic justice' and the shift from 'ecosystem services' to 'nature's contributions to people' (NCP) to better reflect non-monetary values of nature.

A statement by the Fokonolona guardians of the Indigenous Community Conserved Area (ICCA) on Sakatia island, Madagascar, opposing a land grabbing project by the company GREEN MADA LAND to build a hotel complex.

This briefing by the South African Institute of International Affairs examines the role of 'other effective area-based conservation measures' (OECMs) in Africa. It argues that OECMs, which are sites outside formal protected areas managed to deliver long-term biodiversity and socio-economic benefits, are essential for engaging local communities and achieving biodiversity targets. Through case studies in South Africa and Kenya, the document demonstrates how community-private sector partnerships can create sustainable livelihoods while protecting ecosystems, and calls for African governments to align on a community-centred conservation agenda for the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) COP.

This report provides a legal and institutional analysis of Indigenous Peoples' and Local Communities Conserved Territories and Areas (ICCAs) in Kenya. It examines the intersection of national legislation, international law, and customary practices across various ecosystems, including pastoralist rangelands, forests, and coastal marine areas. The document highlights the transition from 'trust land' to 'community land' under the 2010 Constitution as a pivotal reform for securing collective tenure and supporting community-led conservation efforts.

This report analyzes the legal and institutional framework of Indigenous Peoples’ and Community Conserved Territories and Areas (ICCAs) in Senegal. It details the transition from state-led conservation to decentralized governance, the role of Communal Natural Reserves (RNCs) and sacred sites, and the challenges regarding formal recognition and sustainability of community-led conservation efforts.

This report analyzes the legal and institutional framework surrounding Territories and Areas Conserved by Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (ICCAs) in Taiwan. It examines the tension between traditional indigenous stewardship and a centralized state management system, highlighting the lack of explicit legal recognition for ICCAs despite recent legislative steps like the Basic Act of Indigenous Peoples.

This report documents a three-day workshop held from December 5 to 7, 2006, in Goma, Democratic Republic of the Congo. The workshop aimed to strengthen the capacity of the Institut Congolais pour la Conservation de la Nature (ICCN) to manage and resolve conflicts related to natural resources within Virunga National Park. Facilitated by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD), Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), and WWF, the event focused on conflict analysis tools, the identification of primary drivers of conflict in the park, and the development of strategic intervention plans.

This report chapter argues that secure tenurial rights are a fundamental prerequisite for successful community-based conservation (CBC). It contrasts the failures of state-owned 'public' tenure—which often leads to 'open access' degradation—with the effectiveness of community-based systems that derive legitimacy from local participants. The authors advocate for the state recognition of community perimeters to protect biodiversity and prevent the disenfranchisement of rural populations by domestic and international elites.

This guide, published by Natural Justice, provides a framework for communities to document and develop Biocultural Community Protocols (BCPs). It outlines a process for evaluating the appropriateness of a protocol, mapping community foundations across identity, natural resources, sociocultural practices, economics, politics, and law, and consolidating this information into a strategic tool for engaging external actors and asserting community rights.

This guide by Natural Justice provides a comprehensive framework for establishing and managing community conservancies in Kenya. It details the legal requirements under the Wildlife Conservation and Management Act 2013 and the Community Land Act 2016, emphasizing the necessity of land registration before conservancy establishment to ensure tenure security. The document covers governance models, the development of management and business plans, strategies for equitable benefit-sharing, and the integration of traditional indigenous knowledge to combat climate change and biodiversity loss.