Indigenous leaders say Africa’s conservation plan puts lives at risk

'We cannot co-manage what is under the custody of people who have been destroying it.'

Last week, leaders from more than fifty African countries convened for the first Africa Protected Areas Congress (APAC) to discuss solutions to escalating climate and biodiversity crises. Held in Kigali, Rwanda, APAC representatives discussed sustainable development, cultural heritage, wildlife conservation, and ecosystem protection; according to APAC, Africa has close to ten thousand protected areas, most of which lack adequate and consistent funding. To deal with the funding problem, APAC has launched an independent, Africa-led initiative to ensure sustained, independent funding for protected areas and conservation projects called A Pan-African Conservation Trust (A-PACT).

“It will be a defining moment because what we are launching is meant to secure the future of conservation by providing a lasting solution to the funding crisis that has bedeviled protected and conserved areas across Africa for decades,” said H.E. Hailemariam Desalegn, Former Prime Minister of Ethiopia and A-PACT Steering Committee Chair, in a press release.

Indigenous leaders, however, say they were left out of A-PACT decision-making processes and are concerned the initiative will not lead to meaningful change. “To me it was more of a talk than creating a clear roadmap on how Indigenous peoples will participate in conservation without violating their rights,” said Daniel Kobei, Executive Director of the Ogiek Peoples Development Program. “The rights of Indigenous peoples were not really brought in.” For many Indigenous people, protected areas are not a solution to climate and biodiversity crises, but a threat to their lives, rights, and land. “Protected area, to us, means loss of life. It means children being orphaned. It means some people will be widowed,” said Teresa Chemosopt, Ogiek of Mount Elgon, Kenya. “It means a lot of human injustices from the government to its own people.” For the full story, visit the Grist.

Author: Joseph Lee Date: July 27, 2022