Frequently Asked Questions
What information does the ICCA Registry contain?
The two main types of information stored in the ICCA Registry database are:
- Descriptive information, such as community size and resource use, as well as objectives, governance and threats.
- Spatial information, including the size and location of the area
If the ICCA custodians choose to submit an online case study, multimedia data, such as photos and videos, are displayed on the case study pages.
Who will be able to access information in the ICCA Registry?
The ICCA Registry database is offline, and not available to the public yet, but it will be in the future. ICCA custodians will still have full control over whether their information will ever be shared, and with whom.
All online case studies submitted to the ICCA Registry are available to the public through the interactive map and case study pages. Anyone can view this information.
Data submitted to the Protected Planet Initiative can be viewed online here, unless restrictions are put in place. For more information on what restrictions you can put on your ICCA information, please see the ICCA manual: http://wcmc.io/iccadatamanual
How do I submit information about an ICCA to the ICCA Registry?
Use the Participate page for documents to help with the submission process. For more guidance on the requirements for submitting ICCA information, please see the ICCA manual here: http://wcmc.io/iccadatamanual
What platforms can ICCA information be submitted to?
ICCAs can be stored in the ICCA Registry, the Protected Planet Initiative or both.
The ICCA Registry collates and showcases the efforts of indigenous peoples and local communities to conserve their ICCAs across the world through a database and online case studies.
The Protected Planet Initiative stores information on protected areas and other effective area-based conservation measures (OECMs). A range of users, including governments, NGOs and communities, use it to track progress towards policy targets, to inform new conservation strategies and to educate.
What is the difference between submitting information to the ICCA Registry and the Protected Planet Initiative databases?
The Protected Planet Initiative databases are spatial databases, available online, that show the boundaries of ICCAs alongside other kinds of protected areas and OECMs. They also store basic descriptive information, such as site name, governance type and management authority.
The ICCA Registry is offline and stores more detailed information on ICCAs, including their history, biodiversity, and information about the communities involved. The databases are linked, and an ICCA can be listed in more than one.
Protected Planet is used to assess spatial aspects of the world's protected area system, such as coverage and connectivity. This includes measuring the contributions of ICCAs to conservation around the world. The ICCA Registry supplements this information by storing details on the indigenous peoples and communities that govern ICCAs, their motivations for doing so, the biodiversity they protect, and their history.
What is the peer review process?
Peer review is a requirement for ICCA data submitted to the Protected Planet Initiative as a protected area or OECM. ICCAs will not be included in the Protected Planet Initiative until the review has taken place. Peer review is not a requirement for ICCA data to be in the ICCA Registry.
Submissions to the Protected Planet Initiative can be reviewed by a national peer review network, or by the government. The ICCA custodians make this choice.
The purpose of peer review of ICCA data is to:
- Raise any concerns regarding the data or how it was collected, including issues of free, prior, and informed consent (FPIC). This is important to reduce the chance of data being provided without the agreement or knowledge of an ICCA’s custodians.
- Check the accuracy of the data.
- Check for alignment with definitions, i.e. ICCA, protected area or OECM, depending on the database the data has been submitted to.
More broadly the ICCA networks that carry our peer review have an important ‘support’ role which:
- Supports self-strengthening within and between ICCA custodian communities
- Facilitates mutual support among custodian communities
The peer review process for ICCAs has been developed in acknowledgement of the fact that other indigenous peoples and local communities are best placed to review the submitted ICCA data.
Some countries have already developed national ICCA networks with peer review processes. Where a peer review process does not yet exist, UNEP-WCMC will hold ICCA data until it has been established and will provide connections to national partners who can support the development of this network.
What is the ICCA Consortium?
The ICCA Consortium was formed during the 2008 World Conservation Congress by several small Non-Government Organisations (NGOs) and organizations representing indigenous peoples and community constituencies with years of experience working on ICCA issues. The group developed a broad programme to promote the recognition and appropriate support of ICCAs at national and international levels. The ICCA Consortium advises UNEP-WCMC on the management of the ICCA Registry.
Why can't I find information for ICCAs in certain countries?
Because the ICCA Registry grows on a site-by-site basis, there are not yet case study examples for all countries or territories that have ICCAs. New contributions on ICCAs in any country are welcome at any time. To submit information about an ICCA, please visit the participate page, or email us at iccaregistry@unep-wcmc.org.