Click on a country to explore ICCA case studies and learn more about the diverse communities who contribute to the health of biodiversity and natural environments.
El proyecto del Registro de las Áreas Conservadas por Comunidades Indígenas y Locales se ha desarrollado como respuesta a recientes encuentros globales y se encuentra asesorado por el Consorcio ICCA, un grupo de expertos y organizaciones formado durante el Congreso Mundial de la Naturaleza de 2008. A través de un proceso multifacético, este grupo está trabajando poco a poco con comunidades indígenas y locales que quieren concienciar sobre este tipo de gobernanza y sobre la contribución a la conservación que realizan estas comunidades. El Centro Mundial de Seguimiento de la Conservación del Programa de Naciones Unidas para el Medio Ambiente (UNEP-WCMC, por sus siglas en inglés), como integrante del Consorcio ICCA, está jugando un papel decisivo en la concienciación y el reconocimiento de las ICCAs mediante el desarrollo de un registro interactivo mundial sobre ICCAs.
La compilación de información será un proceso cooperativo que asegure un apoyo continuado y positivo del concepto de ICCA, y que implique a personal del UNEP-WCMC así como a otros miembros del Consorcio y a consultores sobre el terreno. Los integrantes de las comunidades indígenas y locales constituirán el soporte central y esencial para la generación básica de dicho conocimiento.
El Registro, desarrollado con la misma estructura que la Base de Datos Mundial sobre Áreas Protegidas (WDPA, por sus siglas en inglés. Véase www.wdpa.org para más información), almacenará dos tipos de información que son críticos para la comprensión de las ICCAs: 1) información descriptiva, como por ejemplo los principales hábitats incluidos en la ICCA y los nombres de la comunidad o comunidades que viven en la ICCA o cerca de ella, y 2) información espacial, como el tamaño, localización y fronteras del área. El Registro estará relacionado con la información contenida en la WDPA y también mediante un enlace que se habilitará entre ambas webs, para un mejor acceso a la información sobre áreas protegidas.
Australia's protected area system includes 42 declared Indigenous Protected Areas (in 2011), which covers nearly a quarter of the national reserve system. A further 45 consultation projects are not yet declared but a significant part of the conservation network in Australia and recognized by the government. For further information, please see the website at www.environment.gov.au/indigenous/ipa/index.html.
Benin is situated in West Africa, between Nigeria and Togo. It is 112,622 km2 (110,622 km2 of land and 2,000 km2 of water) and has 121 km of coastline. Although Benin is a small country, it has a cross-section of climates from tropical in the north to semi-arid in the south. Benin has many ethnic and tribal groups as well as several religions and languages, of which the most prevalent are the Fon and related (39.2%), Adja and related (15.2%) and the Yoruba and related (12.3%) ethnic groups. The tropical forests of Benin, consisting of approximately 3,000 species of vascular plants, are home to a variety of threatened species, particularly plant and mammal species.
Bolivia, in South America, is a landlocked country of 1,098,581 km2 and (1,083,301 km2 of land and 15,280 km2 of water). There are three major ethnic groups in Bolivia – Quechua (30%), Mestizo (30%) and Aymara (25%). Bolivia has jungle, forest, savannah, tundra, steppe, desert and wetland environments with a wide diversity of animal and plant species, many of which are endemic to Bolivia.
Brazil, situated in South America, is 8,514,877 km2 (8,459,417 km2 of land and 55,460 km2 of water) with 7,491 km of coastline. Being mostly tropical with a wide variety of terrains, Brazil is able to sustain 15 to 20% of the world’s biodiversity. More so, it is in the top 17 most biologically diverse countries in the world, and has the largest number of endemic species on a global scale.
Cambodia is situated in south-eastern Asia between Thailand, Vietnam and Laos and is 181,035 km2 (176,515 km2 of land and 4,520 km2 of water) with 2,572 km of coastline. It has a tropical climate with lowland areas along the Mekong River and Tonlé Sap Lake and mountainous regions in the Southwest, North and Northeast.
Cameroon, in West Africa, is situated between latitudes 2º and 13 º north of the equator between Equatorial Guinea and Nigeria and is 475,440 km2 (472,710 km2 of land and 2,730 km2 of water) with 402 km of coastline. There is a large variation in terrain and climate from north to south which is matched by a very wide variety of plant and animal species, many of which are endemic. Its vegetation ranges from equatorial rainforest to semi-arid Sahel.
Cape Verde consists of a group of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean, west of Senegal in West Africa. They have a total area of 4,033 km2 and 965 km of coastline. With a climate described as tropical dry, receiving weak rainfall, Cape Verde is host to a limited variety of flora and fauna.
Ecuador is situated on the equator between Columbia and Peru in South America and is 283,561 km2 (27,684 km2 of land and km2 of water 6,720 km2) with 2,237 km of coastline. The climate in Ecuador is predominantly tropical particularly at the coast and in the Amazon jungle, but is cooler in the higher inland areas. There are four distinct geographical zones in Ecuador: the coastal areas, the mountain ranges, the eastern divide and the Galapagos Islands. Ecuador is one of the world’s ‘megadiverse’ countries and is home to 10 of the world’s biodiversity ‘hotspots’.
Fiji, one of the most species-rich countries among the Pacific Islands, comprises 322 volcanic, limestone and sand clay islands surrounded by an estimated 1,000 different coral reef ecosystems, and has one of the highest rates of endemism in the Pacific region. Fiji has a strong community-based resource management tradition, with the majority of land held under customary titles by indigenous Fijians, and has paved the way for integrated conservation efforts addressing both land- and sea-based environmental issues.
India has a significant presence in the South Asian subcontinent with a population of 1 billion and a total area of 3,287,263 square km (including 2,973,193 square km of land, 314,070 square km of water and 7,000 km of coastline). It is the 7th largest country in the world and consists of upland plains (Deccan Plateau), rolling plains (along the Ganges), desert and mountainous (Himalayas) regions.
Indonesia consists of 17,000 tropical islands between the Indian and Pacific Ocean in Southeast Asia. The total combined area of the islands is 1,904,569 km2 (1,811,569 km2 of land and 93,000 km2 of water) with a total of 54,716 km of coastline. The rural population is almost half of the total population and there are a variety of ethnic, cultural and religious groups. Indonesia is one of the world’s biologically “megadiverse” countries and is home to two of world’s biodiversity “hotpsots”, 18 World Wildlife Fund’s “Global 200” eco-regions and 24 of Bird Life International’s “Endemic Bird Areas.” It also has the highest number of mammals, palms and swallowtail butterflies in the world.
Kenya has diverse regions, ranging from low plains to central highlands, with the Great Rift Valley, a highly fertile plateau, to the east. Kenya's forests are of significant environmental importance, containing 50% of the nation's tree species, 40% of the larger mammals and 30% of the birds. Kenya also contains the infamous "big five" animals of Africa: the lion, leopard, buffalo, rhinoceros and elephant. Community- and privately-conserved areas have proved far more successful at conserving Kenya's valuable wildlife populations than the country's other protected areas.
Madagascar is a tropical island in the Indian Ocean off the east coast of Africa near Mozambique which has extraordinary conditions for species endemism. Of the 17,000 vascular plant species, 80% are endemic to Madagascar and 96% of the snakes and chameleons are endemic. Madagascar has diverse ecosystems from forests, savannahs and steppes to wetlands, rivers and lakes, mangroves and reefs.
One of the megadiverse countries in the world, it harbours between 60 and 70% of the total biodiversity of the planet. In a country where 80% of the remaining forest land is inhabited and managed by 8,400 communities who own rights to the land and base their livelihoods on the use or trade of the natural resources, community conservation has started to be seen as a long term conservation strategy.
A landlocked country in Asia, situated in the Himalayas, bordered by both China and India, with more than 9 ethnic groups and languages, with the most prevalent religion being Hindu (80.6%). Altitudes in Nepal increase dramatically from less than 100m above sea level in the tropical south, to the highest point on the earth's surface at 8848m at the edge of the Tibetan plateau. In total Nepal has 118 ecosystems, and although it only covers 0.1% of the world's land surface, has high flora populations with 246 endemic species. Comprising of 147,181 sq. km in total, approximately 26% of Nepal is forested, and over 19% of the country is designated as protected areas.
Nigeria is situated in West Africa between Benin and Cameroon and has a total area of 923,768 km2 (910,768 km2 of land and 13,000 km2 of water) and 853 km of coastline. It spans a variety of climatic and ecological zones, with equatorial climate in the southern lowlands, tropical in the central hills and plateaus and arid in the northern plains. This variety has given rise to a rich biodiversity, and 7,895 plant species and 22,000 vertebrate and invertebrate species have been identified.
The Philippines is composed of more than 7,100 islands and this highly archipelagic nature has given rise to great species diversity and endemism. It has been identified as one of 17 megadiverse countries and one of the 25 global biodiversity hotspots. Out of a population of 85 milion, 12 million people are considered indigenous, a population which includes approximately 110 different ethnolinguistic groups or "cultural communities".
South Africa, situated at the southern tip of Africa, is 1,219,090 km2 in size (1,214,470 km2 of land and 4,620 km2 of water) and has 2,798 km of coastline. Most of the country is semi-arid and, in conjunction with a lack of arterial rivers and lakes, water conservation is a major issue. The rural population in South Africa is 39% of the total population, with an urbanisation rate of only 4.1%. South Africa is a culturally diverse country with many ethnic groups, religions and 11 national languages. It is also highly biologically diverse and is in fact the third most biologically diverse country in the world, comprising of Mediterranean-type, arid, alpine and tropical environments. South Africa has a vast number of species, many of which are endemic, and is also home to the Cape Floral Kingdom, one of the world’s top 25 ‘biodiversity hotspots’.
The Republic of Gambia (commonly referred to as ‘The Gambia’) is the smallest country in mainland Africa, with an area of 11,295 km² and an estimated population of 1.8 million. Around 10% (1,295 km²) of land in the region is under water, and the countries’ terrain consists of the floodplain of the Gambia River flanked by some low hills. The country hosts a variety of ethnic groups, each preserving its own culture and identifying itself as indigenous; the majority of people are Mandika (42%) followed by Fula (18%), Wolof (16%), Jola (10%) and Serhuli (9%).
Situated in eastern Africa, just west of Kenya, Uganda comprises of 236,000 km2 out of which 194,000 km2 is dry land, 33,926 km2 open water and 7,674 km2 permanent wetlands The country has exceptional high biodiversity due to its position that includes the East African savannah and the West African rainforests, and therefore is one of the top ten countries in terms of species diversity, especially its mammalian diversity. There are over 10 different ethnic groups, with numerous Niger-Congo and Nilo-Saharan languages spoken.
Throughout recorded history the UK has consisted of multiple cultural groups and identities and from an early stage, the varied environments of the islands encouraged a great regional diversity of culture (James 2011). The settlers who crossed the North Sea to Britain eventually mixed with substantial surviving indigenous populations which, in many areas, apparently formed the majority. Contrary to the traditional idea that Britain originally possessed a Celtic uniformity, which first Roman, then Saxon and other invaders disrupted, in reality Britain has always been home to multiple peoples (James 2011). The British people were thought to be descended from the varied ethnic stocks that settled there before the 11th century, the pre-Celts, Celts, Romans, Anglo-Saxons, Norse and the Normans (James 2011). Recent analysis indicates that the British could broadly share a common ancestry with the Basque people (Oppenheimer 2006). In recent years, there were initiatives of the Scottish Crofting Federation (SCF) to recognise crofters, small-scale subsistence farmers in the Scottish Highlands, as indigenous peoples but the UK Government has refused to ratify UN legislation on indigenous rights, arguing there are no indigenous peoples in the UK, though they have ratified legislation that recognises Gaelic as one of the indigenous languages of the UK (Farmers Guardian 2008). Though the UK has no `indigenous´ peoples, there are still local communities who have taken their own initiatives to conserve their land. People still have a strong relationship with nature and there is a need to protect their forest patches or other ecosystems and wildlife. There are communities which conserve their small meadow for enjoyment and leisure. There are people who conserve their forest patches for their children and next generations. There are communities, which conserve their forest for contribution to biodiversity and for sustainable use of resources. These different CCA types can all conform to the ICCA criteria. CCAs can be seen here as a subset of ICCAs as these areas are represent in many countries, in developing and developed countries as well as in the North and in the South.
Located on the coast of northern South America, between Colombia and Guyana, with a total area of 912,050 sq. km. Its terrain stretches from the Caribbean Sea, to the central plains (llanos), Guiana highlands and the Andes Mountains, with forest covering around 82% of the land. Venezuela is one of the top 10 countries with the highest rates of biodiversity, having 116,760 plant species (23% endemic) and 116,790 animal species (313 endangered).2 Indigenous organisations are increasingly active in Venezuela, with Venezuela having a indigenous population of 5,700,00 made up of 40 indigenous groups.
Stretching up the side of southeastern Asia, Vietnam ranges from flat deltas in the south, to central highlands, and hilly mountainous areas in the far north, with a total area of 331,210 sq. km, of which 21,140 sq. km is water. Vietnam has 12.3 million hectares of forest, however logging and agricultural practices are contributing to ongoing deforestation and soil degradation. In the marine environment water pollution and over fishing are the main threats. In terms of species, 10% of Vietnam's flora is endemic, and there are over 100 avian and 78 mammalian endemic species. However biodiversity is threatened by expansion of agriculture, over explotiation and environmental pollution, resulting from a population boom, poverty and economic policy.
A mostly hot, desert climate, with flat-topped hills and rugged mountains, and its western mountains affected by seasonal monsoon rains, Yemen in the Middle East is bordered by Oman and Saudi Arabia. Its habitats range from coastal mangroves, to shrub lands, deserts and montane areas, with a very rich and varied flora diversity. One third of the plant species on Socotro Archipelago are endemic, due to its isolation in the Indian Ocean south of Yemen, of which the most famous is the Dragon Blood Tree (Dracaena cinnabari). The terrestrial species diversity is also rich due to Yemen's position between three major biogeographic regions. The current population growth rate is 2.7% per year, with 69% of the population living in rural areas, and thus the natural environment faces threats from the expanding population due to over explotation, land conversion and agricultural practices.