National and regional ICCA registries – which collate, store and analyse information on ICCAs – territories of life in a given country or region – serve as valuable tools for Indigenous Peoples and local communities. These registries support the collation of local documentation efforts and build an evidence base for advocating for the recognition and support of territories of life. There are several existing national and regional ICCA registries described here on the ICCA Registry website.

This article introduces the reasons for, and steps involved in creating a national or regional ICCA registry, though it is not an exhaustive guide. UNEP-WCMC can provide training and advice on setting up a national or regional ICCA registry. If you are interested in learning more, please do get in touch with us at iccaregistry@unep-wcmc.org.

Why develop a national or regional ICCA Registry?

The establishment of a national or regional ICCA registry can provide:

• More autonomy and control over the ICCA information: Developing an ICCA registry at national or regional level grants the ICCA custodians greater autonomy over the management and communication of their information. This can potentially reduce reliance on external partners and enhance control, accessibility and utilization of their data and information.
• Data analysis at more nuanced levels: Custodians and ICCA-associated organisations can analyse ICCA data on a national or local scale. These results can support more informed decision-making and more targeted advocacy efforts.
• Improved understanding of ICCAs: Engagement in the data management and data collation process at the local level will help to improve accuracy and reliability of the data.
• Enhanced advocacy and communication: there is an increasing need to demonstrate the significant contributions of Indigenous and community-led conservation to global conservation and to inform global environmental agreements, including the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. National and regional ICCA Registries can be a critical tool for engaging in national and international policy and in advancing recognition of Indigenous and community conservation and governance within these spaces.

How to develop a national or regional ICCA Registry?

1. Purpose. It is important to start by defining the purpose for developing a national and regional ICCA registry. Why do you want to create a registry and what is it that you want to communicate? Who are the intended users and what will the registry be used for? Defining the purpose of developing a national or regional ICCA registry is a critical first step in ensuring its effectiveness and alignment with the needs of Indigenous peoples and local communities. It is also vital to ensure that the governance systems and traditions of Indigenous peoples and local communities are respected.
2. Process. A national or regional ICCA Registry should be set up by Indigenous Peoples and local communities and/or their federations or initiated by them and set up with the help of other actors. If this is not the case, it is important to consider the methodologies and channels being used to ensure open, fair and just participation by Indigenous Peoples and local communities. The development of a national or regional ICCA Registry is more likely to be successful when it is backed up by a well-organised and coordinated network of ICCA-related organisations. Current national ICCA registries are associated with pre-existing ICCA networks, such as the Working Group on ICCAs in Indonesia – WGII and Iniciativa Comunales (see this page on the website for more information). Advice on how to organise an ICCA network is provided by the ICCA Consortium here.
3. Content. Think about what type of information the database is going to store. For example, the database could store information on the name of an ICCA, whether it is legally recognised and what types of biodiversity it is conserving. To enable ICCA data to flow from the national or regional ICCA registry to the global ICCA Registry, the type of data collated in the national or regional ICCA Registry should ideally align with the global ICCA Registry so that data can be transferred quickly and easily between them. Understanding the data gathered through the global ICCA Registry questionnaire can help guide the data collection and data management in the national and regional ICCA Registry. UNEP-WCMC can also support in aligning national and regional ICCA Registries to global ICCA Registry data standards. There may be some data that is more nationally relevant to collect, that will not be incorporated into the global ICCA Registry.
4. Structure. The aim is that information on ICCAs is collated and stored in such a way that it is easy to find, manage and analyse. Excel could be used for a simple database, or a dedicated database management software such as Access may be more appropriate if the database is large and complex. Spatial data can be collected and managed together with tabular data using a shapefile or geodatabase. Some countries have created online platforms that are used as a tool to communicate the information collected in the registry. For example, the Bukluran Inc. have created an online website and platform where users can learn about the cultures, traditions, and way of life of ICCAs in the Philippines through maps and photo stories.
5. Data collection. It is good practice for data to be correctly formatted and conform to a set of rules known as data standards. Crucially, data collection must be set up in a way that is accessible for Indigenous Peoples and local communities and comply with the principles of Free, Prior and Informed Consent. This means setting parameters for how data will be collected, used, and shared and defining a process whereby Indigenous Peoples and local communities can access and maintain control over their data. It also means ensuring effective communication, considering what language to communicate in and being transparent on the potential benefits and considerations of reporting data. The global ICCA Registry uses a word document questionnaire to collate information on ICCAs, whereas the Community Conserved Areas South Asia Portal invites ICCA custodians to register and share their information using an online portal. Staff time and financial resources should ideally be allocated towards data management and quality assurance throughout the project life cycle.

We hope this has been a helpful introduction and overview of the opportunities for developing national and/or regional ICCA registries, and for more information or support on next steps please be in touch with us at iccaregistry@unep-wcmc.org.