Yawi-Sumak es una combinación de palabras indígenas, Yawi significa: saladero, un sitio en el bosque donde las aves y otros animales se reúnen para ingerir sales minerales y Sumak significa: bonito, grandioso. A través de un ciclopaseo ecológico con más de 300 ciclistas, se muestran las acciones que implementan autoridades ambientales, gobiernos locales y la comunidad en la conservación y uso sostenible de los recursos naturales. Esta herramienta de comunicación innovadora e incluyente permite a la población urbana tener una experiencia vivencial al conocer la belleza escénica, servicios ecosistémicos y especies paraguas, así como también la riqueza cultural de los grupos étnicos que habitan en la región: Shuar, Saraguro y Mestizos.

La iniciativa se pudo replicar en el Programa Regional AbE Ecuador para fomentar el ecoturismo comunitario en Membrillal, Manabi y se ha constituido en el ciclopaseo más importante del país. Fue presentada en el foro mundial de la bicicleta en México 2017.

La Reserva Comunal Machiguenga alberga gran diversidad biológica y cultural,habitada por las comunidades nativas de las etnias Matsigenka, Ashaninka, Kaquinte y Yine-Yami, quienes son los guardianes del bosque y de sus riquezas desde tiempos ancestrales. El buen vivir de estas poblaciones necesita la articulación de los diferentes niveles de gobierno y actores locales, por ello los planes de vida, son las herramienta clave que permiten articular su visión de futuro con las actividades del Estado, la sociedad civil y el sector privado.

Las comunidades socias del Ejecutor de Contrato de Administración “MAENI”(ECA MAENI)  que cuentan con PDV son Chakopishiato, Koribeni, Poyentimari y Tangoshiari elaborados con el soporte del equipo del ECA y la Jefatura de la RC Machiguenga.

Los PDV se basan en 3 pilares para:

• Auto-reflexionar acerca del estado actual de la comunidad,
• Pensar y planificar el futuro de la comunidad y
• Conectar con actores externos a fin de alcanzar sus metas.

La gestión participativa es clave para Santuario Nacional Megantoni (SNM), por ello promueve los acuerdos de conservación (AC), con asociaciones de productores, comunidades nativas y la empresa privada como La Ibérica (empresa chocolatera) y PERHUSA (empresa exportadora de café), con la finalidad de promover la conservación de la biodiversidad del SNM y dinamizar el desarrollo local.

Actualmente se tienen 06 AC, que benefician a 248 familias y estas a su vez retribuyen protegiendo 58 367 ha del SNM y 33 459 ha en la zona de amortiguamiento mediante acciones de vigilancia comunal. El SERNANP acompaña en el proceso, capacita y reconoce a los vigilantes comunales. Las empresas compran el cacao y café a precios justos y hacen uso del sello “Aliado por la Conservación”, certificación que demuestra que los servicios o productos son elaborados bajo un esquema de buen uso y manejo

La Reserva Comunal Amarakaeri (RCA) fue creada por iniciativa de 10 comunidades indígenas para conservar la multitud de servicios como alimento, abrigo, medicina y agua. La reserva contribuye a la protección de dos cuencas y asegura la estabilidad de las tierras y bosques para mantener la calidad y cantidad de agua para el desarrollo de las comunidades nativas que sufren sequias e inundaciones. Las comunidades han incluido en sus planes el aprovechamiento de la Castaña como medida para obtener recursos económicos.

L’Institut de développement durable Mamirauá a été fondé en 1999 en vue de proposer des connaissances scientifiques, technologiques et novatrices aux communautés de la région de l’Amazonie. Le mandat est exercé avec le plus haut niveau d’éthique et de responsabilité, en respectant les connaissances traditionnelles des habitants.

L’Institut a créé la Réserve de développement durable de Mamirauá. D’une superficie de 1 240 000 hectares, la Réserve abrite la plus grande zone humide de la planète, ce qui la place au premier rang des réserves de développement durable (de catégorie 6 de l’Union internationale pour la conservation de la nature) au Brésil.

Au cours des dernières décennies, la Réserve de développement durable de Mamirauá a été surexploitée par des entreprises privées. C’est pourquoi l’Institut travaille en étroite collaboration avec les communautés locales afin de veiller à l’utilisation durable des ressources halieutiques.

REDD+ es un mecanismo para la reducción de las emisiones por deforestación y degradación forestal, que promueve la inclusión de salvaguardas ambientales y sociales, con atención a la participación plena y efectiva de pueblos indígenas y comunidades locales. En Perú surgieron iniciativas REDD que no consideraban a las organizaciones indígenas. Así nace RIA como estrategia de mitigación, adaptación y resiliencia frente al cambio climático; que contribuye con la conservación de bosques en territorios indígenas (60% del territorio peruano son bosques). Las comunidades nativas poseen 11.5M de hectáreas donde ocurre el 16.5% de la deforestación. Las Reservas Comunales surgen como estrategia para conservación de la biodiversidad en beneficio de poblaciones locales. El 2012, COICA y AIDESEP proponen un piloto RIA en la RCA, donde viven etnias Harakmbut, Yine y Machiguenga, para fortalecer la gobernanza, canalizar fondos climáticos y contribuir con la reducción de emisiones por deforestación.

Rural communities in certain parts of the world depend heavily on species of wild animals and plants for their livelihoods. Parties to CITES recognize the potential impacts of CITES-listing decisions on the livelihoods of rural communities, noting inthe meantime that effective implementation of CITES decisions can form part of a strategy to provide sustainable livelihoods for rural communities, consistent with UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) [Resolution Conf. 16.6 (Rev. CoP18)].

In order to better assess potential positive and negative impacts of CITES listing decisions, and to maximize the benefits of legal trade to rural communities and species conservation, various tools and case studies have been developed.

People in Nature (PiN) is an approach to systematically identify and document the value and uses (both material and cultural) of biodiversity – identifying where in the landscape the benefits can be found, and understanding how these benefits are realised and distributed. Applying this approach though conducting a PiN assessment can help project developers with setting ecological and livelihoods baselines, designing site-relevant monitoring and evaluation systems, and informing priority-setting for activities – both for specific species and/or habitats, and to maximise positive livelihoods outcomes.

SARCA is an industry-led initiative aimed at advancing responsible and transparent Southeast Asian reptile skin supply chains while driving improvements to the trade’s operating environment.

In some parts of the world, whale products play an important role in the nutritional and cultural life of native peoples.  Four IWC member countries conduct aboriginal subsistence hunts today: Denmark (Greenland), Russia (Chukotka), St Vincent and the Grenadines (Bequia) and the United States (Alaska and also potentially a resumption of hunts previously undertaken by the Makah Tribe of Washington State).

From the outset, the IWC recognised that indigenous or aboriginal subsistence whaling is not the same as commercial whaling. Aboriginal whaling does not seek to maximise catches or profit.  It is categorised differently by the IWC and is not subject to the moratorium.  The IWC recognises that its regulations have the potential to impact significantly on traditional cultures, and great care must be taken in discharging this responsibility.

In summary, the IWC objectives for management of aboriginal subsistence whaling are to ensure that hunted whale populations are maintained at (or brought back to) healthy levels, and to enable native people to hunt whales at levels that are appropriate to cultural and nutritional requirements in the long term.

DECISION ADOPTED BY THE CONFERENCE OF THE PARTIES TO THE CONVENTION ON
BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY

14/17. Integration of Article 8(j) and provisions related to indigenous peoples and local communities in the work of the Convention and its Protocols

Compte-tenu du fait que le nombre de 3 Techniciens forestiers (Chefs de Zone) affectés à la Direction du Parc National de Toubkal (DPNT) était insuffisant pour honorer la mission de suivi des activités touristiques et de la faune sauvage, et qu’aucun recrutement n’était prévu par le Haut Commissariat aux Eaux et Forêts à la Lutte Contre la Désertification pour combler ce manque d’effectifs, la DPNT a envisagé de recruter, depuis 2015, dans le cadre d’un service externalisé, des éco-gardes au sein des communautés locales, et sur la base de profils très spécifiques (ex : ancien guide de montagne, ancien braconnier).

De plus, pour être opérationnels sur le terrain, ces éco-gardes ont bénéficié de formations animées par des experts en faune/flore et l’équipe du Parc National de Toubkal afin d’identifier les espèces faunistiques prioritaires, manipuler le matériel technique mis à leur disposition et réaliser le monitoring mis en place par la DPNT.

In Paraguay we have managed to combine the vision of biodiversity conservation with the restitution of ancestral lands of the Mbyaguarani indigenous people. What we have called “socioenvironmental condominium” is a sample of what can be achieved between environmental organizations and indigenous peoples. Our goals are common and can be achieve by working with those who better understand conservation in situ: native peoples.

The Amarakaeri Communal Reserve was created by an initiative of 10 indigenous communities to conserve the multitude of ecosystem services like food, shelter, medicine and water. The reserve contributes to the protection of two watersheds. This ensures the stability of lands and forests, maintaining the quality and quantity of water for the development of native communities suffering increasingly from droughts and floods. The communities have included in their plans the use of Brazil nuts as a measure to generate economic resources.

With the threat of loss of biodiversity and exploitation of IP lands and communities in some areas of the Philippines, the Biodiversity Management Bureau – Department of Environment and Natural Resources (BMB-DENR), along with United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP), and the Philippine Association for Intercultural Development developed a project that is directed toward strengthening the conservation, protection, and management of key biodiversity sites in the Philippines by improving the governance and management of Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities Conserved Areas and Territories (ICCAs).

The hilsa shad (Tenualosa ilisha) is the national fish of Bangladesh, supporting the livelihoods of more than 500,000 people, particularly in coastal communities. The Bangladesh government’s Department of Fisheries uses incentive-based management to protect its hilsa stocks. Under the Hilsa Fisheries Management Action Plan, all fishing is banned for several months a year in a number of coastal sanctuary areas, and during these periods affected fishing households are offered compensation in the form of rice to improve food security and replace lost income. Other affected households are offered training and support to diversify their income sources. Used in conjunction with adaptive co-management and activities to raise awareness around sustainable fishing practices, this distribution of benefits aims to incentivise compliance with fishing regulations and improve the socioeconomic condition of fishing households.

Community outreach and engagement strategies for the management of mangroves have been promoted in the Gulf of Tribugá, seeking the well-being of the local communities, the preservation of their culture and the protection of natural resources.

The GEF and WB funded “India Ecodevelopment Project” established institutional arrangements at the Periyar Tiger Reserve in Kerala that worked with local communities to set up ecotourism activities, joint patrolling and visitor services. Innovative revolving fund was established that freed local community from debts. The institutional set up and assessment of management performance were adopted and scaled up at the national level by the Central Government.

 With a rights-based approach and working in close partnership with the region’s indigenous peoples and federations, the Amazon Sacred Headwaters Initiative seeks to establish a bio-cultural sanctuary in the heart of the Napo-Marañon watersheds. In Ecuador and Peru, indigenous organizations have declared their territories as “No-Go Zones” for industrial-scale resource extraction and where indigenous co-governance, alternative well-being indicators, and all activities are judged by the extent to which they foster a mutually enhancing human-Earth relationship.

Here, the ancestral territories of more than a dozen indigenous nations are adjoined by a number of protected areas, together forming a vast contiguous mosaic containing the most biologically diverse terrestrial ecosystem on Earth.  These rainforests are critical carbon sinks and help to stabilize our global climate and rainfall and yet, they are facing a chronic and ever increasing risk from extractive industries. 

In a process facilitated by the Wildlife Conservation Society, nine communities surrounding the Mbe Mountains formed a conservation association to safeguard local forests and watersheds – and Africa’s most endangered ape, the Cross River gorilla. Strengthening traditional management rights for local people improved their sense of ownership and reduced levels of hunting. The association is working to limit forest loss and protect habitat corridors by improving sustainable agriculture.

Indigenous communities of the lower Apaporis River – traditional owners of +1 mio ha of Amazon territory – worked with Colombian national park authorities on a solution to the threat of mining. Yaigojé Apaporis became Colombia’s 55th national PA in 2009. A special agreement respects the autonomy and traditional practices of indigenous communities. It hinges on work by local communities to record, document and transfer traditional knowledge for protecting the forest.

In the 1970s and ‘80s, the provincial government of British Columbia had clear cut a significant area of Clayoquot Sound, when the Tla-o-qui-aht Indigenous Peoples established the first Tribal Park in 1984. During the 31 years since then, several additional Tribal Parks have been declared by Indigenous Peoples in BC culminating in 2014 with the Dasiqox Tribal Park declaration, based on a precedent setting Supreme Court of Canada decision on Aboriginal Title to Land.

The Budj Bim Cultural Landscape lies within the Country of the Gunditjmara and is comprehensively managed and protected under a system comprising Gunditjmara customary knowledge and practices in conjunction with National and State legislation, management plans and associated policies and programs. The management system combines Traditional Owner and adaptive management approaches, in which governance and decision-making is shared.

In the early 19th century, Gunditjmara Country was occupied by British colonists and access to Country became increasingly denied to Traditional Owners until the late 20th century. The Gunditjmara retained connections to the aquaculture system through knowledge of the stories of Budj Bim and associated land-use practices. In recent years, the work of the Gunditjmara within Budj Bim has increasingly turned to the renewal and transmission of cultural traditions and practices through the access to and control of those parts of Country owned and managed by them.

The Mamirauá Institute for Sustainable Development was created in 1999 to provide science, technology and innovation to communities in the Amazon region. This is done with a high level of ethics and responsibility, respecting their traditional knowledge.

The Institute is responsible for the creation of the Mamirauá Reserve. With 1,240,000 hectares, the reserve has the largest wetland area on the planet and is the first Sustainable Development Reserve (IUCN category 6) in Brazil.

In recent decades, Mamiraua has been over-exploited by private companies, so the Institute works closely with local communities to ensure the sustainable use of fisheries resources.

Soil for Life is a non-profit actively involved in teaching people from under-resourced communities in the Western Cape how to grow food using ecologically friendly methods. Since September 2000, we have gained a genuine understanding of the people that we work with, their environments, challenges, constraints, cultures and beliefs. We have used this knowledge to adapt our programmes to ensure that beneficiaries achieve the best possible outcomes.

Trainees are taught how to grow food using natural, water-wise farming techniques and how to identify and use the waste around them in their gardens. They learn practices such as composting, trenching, mulching, sheet mulching, close planting, drip irrigation and water harvesting to conserve water and soil nutrients.

To maximise impact, we provide trainees with ongoing support for up to four years. We also provide support and mentorship to gardeners who wish to develop small home businesses that generate income through the sale of produce, seeds, seedlings and compost.

Resilience is our capacity to recover from shocks and stresses. The predictions for climate change are increases in these shocks and stresses; including disruption to our food lines, increased fires, water shortages and rising temperatures. We believe there is urgent work needed to grow the resilience of our people to survive and thrive through what is coming. SEED is a non-profit organisation that operates from the Cape Flats in South Africa. We focus on growing real resilience in people and restoring communities from within.

Seeding Futures resilience training is an 11-week Accredited program that grows real resilience skills in un- and under-employed Cape Flats youth and connects them to relevant livelihoods in the local circular economy. 

The program consists of 6 modules that take participants through a learning experience designed to upskill and empower youth through practical and engaging training focussed on personal and collective resilience. 

The Siyakhana Food Garden, our flagship project, is regarded as one of the most successful urban food gardens in the wider Johannesburg metropole, as well as a hallmark of intersectoral collaboration. This is largely because of its mission to make far-reaching impacts at local, provincial, and national levels. It is not simply a garden; it also serves as a platform for other activities that address the following five key objectives:

• Improving the availability of a wide variety of good and nutritious food;
• Conducting relevant and appropriate action-research that is influencing policy and strategies;
• Offering training to develop capacity among emerging leaders in the area of food gardens and sustainable livelihoods;
• Engaging in advocacy and networking activities; and
• Achieving financial sustainability through a self-funding social entrepreneurship model.

Our aims are to:

• Address food and nutrition security;
• Promote public and environmental health;
• Enhance entrepreneurship; and
• Support and enable sustainable smallholder enterprises.

This was implemented between 2005 and 2007 as a multi-stakeholder partnership at the geo-site of Lichi “Badlands” Formation in Taitung County, Taiwan and it was later reviewed in 2016. Despite being a national-level designated area of high scientific interest, two of the local communities living in the site were suffering from a lack of economic opportunities, depopulation, and the deterioration of their production landscape. The solution was found through a dialogue facilitated by National Dong Hwa University which involved local communities and local schools on a series of community-led projects. Between November 2005 and December 2007, nine training courses and 43 platform meetings took place to stimulate ecotourism, geo-tourism and place-based education. The review conducted in 2016 found a positive value shift in the locals’ perception of the “Badlands” and the improvement of local livelihoods which were largely attributed to the school-community-university partnership platform.

The NGO Cities Without Hunger sets up community gardens on vacant urban land in the city of São Paulo’s socioeconomically deprived East Zone (Zona Leste) to provide jobs, income, and to enhance food sovereignity.

Cities Without Hunger aims to enhance local residents’ spatially and economically restricted access to high-quality fresh produce (high rates of unemployment, a low density of farmers’ markets or supermarkets, low mobility). 

The NGO provides agricultural training for people who have poor chances on the regular job market as community gardeners. Since 2004, the NGO has implemented 25 community gardens together with about 115 local residents who have started earning their livelihoods as community gardeners. After one year, gardeners are able to manage their plots autonomously and sell their produce directly to the people from the neighbourhood. Along with gardeners’ families, some 650 people benefit from the project by having their livelihood guaranteed.

The Cham Islands MPA, as well as the Biosphere Reserve, are probably the most significant programs towards resilience-building in Hoi An. Hoi An officially declared its vision to become an eco-city by 2030. The MPA allows Hoi An to regulate fishing activities and pollution. The MPA has also supported the development of eco-tourism models to diversify local income sources, proving that environmental protection can also be compatible with economic growth.

Mama Fatuma, the hard working middle aged woman living in Kibuyuni Village of Kwale County embodies the success of seaweed farming on the Kenyan coast. In a village where the predominant economic activity of fishing is a preserve of the men, Mama Fatuma encouraged fellow women to embark on seaweed farming as an alternative economic activity to wean them off over-reliance on their men folk and to enable them contribute to the family income. Following research trials and support from various sectors, seaweed farming is now earning Kibuyuni Village over USD 11,000 from the initial USD 2,000 in 2012 and beginning to thrive in various places along the south coast of Kenya and improving livelihoods through provision of additional income for families to pay school fees, meet medical costs and diversify the economy. It has also generated interest in mariculture and marine science generally among the youth in coastal Kenya.

The Centre for Environmental Justice and Development (CEJAD)aims to combat plastic and waste pollution by promoting sustainable solid management through public education on impacts of plastics to the environment and demonstration of BATs/BEPs such as source separation of waste, reuse, recycling and recovery as well value chain efficiency.

The project seeks to conduct the following activities:

• Equipping the women artisans with machinery, tools, and equipment for making sculptures and items out of plastic waste.
• Training women artisans on product development and packaging.
• Establishing a pilot waste segregation at source and management system for recovery, reuse, and recycle of plastic and other waste.
• Training women artisans on marketing and how to maintain market linkages.
• Undertaking a market research for their products.

La Coalición de Organizaciones de la Bioregión Jamapa-Antigua (COBIJA) es una iniciativa de 7 organizaciones de base con gran experiencia en el trabajo comunitario y el manejo sustentable de recursos naturales. Su estrategia de trabajo con las comunidades tiene un enfoque de cuenca; combinan el manejo del territorio, el apoyo a los modos de vida locales, y la conservación de recursos.  Su acompañamiento permanente con diversas comunidades fortalece los procesos sociales y productivos de éstas, aumentando su capacidad adaptativa antes los cambios ambientales y sociales.

Yawi-Sumak is a mixture of two indigenous words: Yawi means saladero, a location in the forest where birds and other creatures congregate to consume mineral salts, and Sumak meaning beautiful or great. The activities taken by environmental authorities, local media, and the community in the conservation and sustainable use of natural resources are demonstrated through a bicycle tour with more than 300 bikers. This unique and inclusive communication tool provides the urban residents with a lived experience of the region’s visual beauty, ecological services, umbrella species, and cultural diversity of the Shuar, Saraguro, and Mestizo ethnic groups.
The concept was repeated in the Regional Program AbE Ecuador to promote community ecotourism in Membrillal, Manabi, and has become the country’s most significant bike excursion. It was presented during the 2017 World Bicycle Forum in Mexico.

El oso andino (tremarctos ornatus) enfrenta serias amenazas, una de ellas asociada a la que la especie tiene presencia en los terrenos de pobladores locales. Su población ha disminuido dada la presencia de interacciones negativas entre la especie y los humanos por eventos de consumo ocasional de animales domésticos y cultivos como el maíz que pueden ocasionar la cacería del oso, sumado a las tradiciones de algunas comunidades humanas que lo persiguen. Este conflicto de vieja data se ha convertido hoy por hoy en un ejemplo de acción colaborativa entre las autoridades, la sociedad civil y las comunidades locales para conservar una de las especies más emblemáticas del país, a través de esfuerzos de monitoreo, educación ambiental y colaboración interinstitucional, contribuyendo a un manejo adecuado de los sistemas productivos y disminuyendo los riesgos y presiones sobre esta especie vulnerable.

Rural communities in certain parts of the world depend heavily on species of wild animals and plants for their livelihoods. Parties to CITES recognize the potential impacts of CITES-listing decisions on the livelihoods of rural communities, noting inthe meantime that effective implementation of CITES decisions can form part of a strategy to provide sustainable livelihoods for rural communities, consistent with UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) [Resolution Conf. 16.6 (Rev. CoP18)].

In order to better assess potential positive and negative impacts of CITES listing decisions, and to maximize the benefits of legal trade to rural communities and species conservation, various tools and case studies have been developed.

People in Nature (PiN) is an approach to systematically identify and document the value and uses (both material and cultural) of biodiversity – identifying where in the landscape the benefits can be found, and understanding how these benefits are realised and distributed. Applying this approach though conducting a PiN assessment can help project developers with setting ecological and livelihoods baselines, designing site-relevant monitoring and evaluation systems, and informing priority-setting for activities – both for specific species and/or habitats, and to maximise positive livelihoods outcomes.

SARCA is an industry-led initiative aimed at advancing responsible and transparent Southeast Asian reptile skin supply chains while driving improvements to the trade’s operating environment.

In some parts of the world, whale products play an important role in the nutritional and cultural life of native peoples.  Four IWC member countries conduct aboriginal subsistence hunts today: Denmark (Greenland), Russia (Chukotka), St Vincent and the Grenadines (Bequia) and the United States (Alaska and also potentially a resumption of hunts previously undertaken by the Makah Tribe of Washington State).

From the outset, the IWC recognised that indigenous or aboriginal subsistence whaling is not the same as commercial whaling. Aboriginal whaling does not seek to maximise catches or profit.  It is categorised differently by the IWC and is not subject to the moratorium.  The IWC recognises that its regulations have the potential to impact significantly on traditional cultures, and great care must be taken in discharging this responsibility.

In summary, the IWC objectives for management of aboriginal subsistence whaling are to ensure that hunted whale populations are maintained at (or brought back to) healthy levels, and to enable native people to hunt whales at levels that are appropriate to cultural and nutritional requirements in the long term.

DECISION ADOPTED BY THE CONFERENCE OF THE PARTIES TO THE CONVENTION ON
BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY

14/17. Integration of Article 8(j) and provisions related to indigenous peoples and local communities in the work of the Convention and its Protocols

By promoting Best Management Practices for silvo (mangrove) aquaculture, as well as supporting Farmer Interest Groups along the Mekong Delta coast, the solution aims to raise awareness of mangrove ecosystem conservation benefits and diversify farmers’ incomes. It encourages ecological farming techniques and the integration of mangroves in shrimp ponds.

Sikkim is the first state in the world that is 100% organic: All of its farmland is certified organic. The policy implemented a phase-out of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, and achieved a total ban on sale and use of chemical pesticides in the state. The transition has benefitted more than 66,000 farming families.

At the same time, Sikkim’s approach reaches beyond organic production and has proved truly transformational for the state and its citizens. Embedded in its design are socioeconomic aspects such as consumption and market expansion, cultural aspects as well as health, education, rural development and sustainable tourism. Sikkim’s tourism sector, for instance, benefited greatly from the new organic image: between 2014 and 2017, the number of tourists increased by over 50 per cent.

For their achievements, Sikkim’s policies were awarded the Future Policy Gold Award 2018, awarded by the World Future Council in partnership with the FAO and IFOAM – Organics International.

Orchards are very common in Tajikistan’s landscapes and a widely used practice of cultivating fruit trees. Even though a diversified orchard offers multiple benefits, for efficiency reasons, however, many orchards comprise a limited variety of species.

Diversified tree species reduce the risk of pest and diseases outbreaks and ensure a healthy soil structure with an adequate removal and input of nutrients. Furthermore, the different blooming times of tree species provide nectar for pollinators over a longer period of time and hence are beneficial for beekeeping.

When setting up a resilient orchard, it is recommended to conserve natural flora and fauna and to establish the orchard in such a way that disruption of the surrounding environment is kept to a minimum e.g. incorporating existing natural resources into the structure of the orchard. 

The key to designing a resilient orchard is selecting fruit tree species and developing a long-term orchard management plan (10-15 years). 

About 95 percent of the staple crop production in Tajikistan comes from irrigated land which underlines the importance of irrigation in cultivating annual agricultural crops.

The productivity of irrigated annual crops depends largely on the provision of ecosystem services, e.g. pollination, water, and soil fertility.       

Irrigated annual crops are usually intensive cultures that make for efficient use of land resources and constitute artificial ecosystems that cannot make contributions to the maintenance and improvement of biodiversity and ecosystems services. To the contrary, they mostly focus on applying huge amounts of chemical inputs and in many cases use water ineffectively.

The sustainably managed irrigated annual crops focus on reducing hybrid seeds, chemical fertilizer, and synthetic pesticides.

Developed as a result of intense civil society engagement and structured around seven comprehensive guidelines that encompass the most relevant aspects of sustainable food chains and systems, PNAPO is a unique federal framework policy for advancing agroecology and organic production in Brazil. In its first cycle of activities it led to impressive quantitative results in terms of advancing the agroecological agenda in the country (budget and initiative-wise), investing over EUR 364 million, resulting in visible large-scale improvements for smallholders and vulnerable groups. Amongst others, it constructed over 140,000 cisterns and helped 5,300 municipalities to invest 30% or more of their school feeding budgets in organic and agroecological products purchased from family farmers. For its achievements, Brazil’s PNAPO was recognized with the Future Policy Silver Award 2018, awarded by the World Future Council in partnership with FAO and IFOAM – Organics International.

The solution Incentive-based Hilsa Fisheries Management comprises a suite of activities directly and indirectly related to the recovery of hilsa fish stocks in Bangladesh. The Bangladesh government coupled seasonal fishing bans and the creation of hilsa sanctuaries with food and income-based social support schemes; the aim was to maximise fish stock recovery, and minimise the burden placed on fishers by limiting their access to this culturally and economically important fish. Stocks of hilsa and other species were reported to have increased, and hilsa catch weight to have roughly doubled, since the management plan’s inception. Communities are supported when fishing isn’t possible, particularly through a food-based scheme. This solution is published as part of the project Ecosystem-based Adaptation; strengthening the evidence and informing policy, coordinated by IIED, IUCN and UN Environment WCMC.

La promoción de la participación local, para garantizar el acceso a los recursos naturales en la zona colindate al Parque Nacional de Jaú; sumado a la aplicación de un enfoque de mosaicos de conservación, para consolidar un territorio protegido más extenso; y a la inclusión del Parque en un Programa Estatal de conservación de bosques tropicales, con financiamiento público, privado y de organismos internacionales, han sido factores clave para la conservación de la cuenca del Río Negro del Amazonas.

La Reserva de la Biosfera Calakmul cuenta con el eje de “Negocios Sustentables”, cuyo objetivo es promover beneficios económicos a través del uso racional y aprovechamiento de los recursos naturales. En 2015, Calakmul comenzó la promoción de un distintivo para empresas sustentables y posicionar productos y servicios de la región a nivel nacional e internacional. Como resultado, surge el Certificado Sello Colectivo Calakmul, que es un distintivo para empresas con criterios de gobernanza, economía local y corresponsabilidad ambiental con apropiación y conservación del patrimonio biocultural. Asimismo, se desarrolló una propuesta y un mapeo de actores para generar alianzas con otras instituciones y potencializar la iniciativa. En 2019 participan cinco comunidades, siete empresas certificadas y tres en proceso, donde los productos con calidad de exportación son miel, artesanías de madera y meliponicultura, productos de higiene personal y servicios de transportistas y operadores turísticos.

Rural communities in certain parts of the world depend heavily on species of wild animals and plants for their livelihoods. Parties to CITES recognize the potential impacts of CITES-listing decisions on the livelihoods of rural communities, noting inthe meantime that effective implementation of CITES decisions can form part of a strategy to provide sustainable livelihoods for rural communities, consistent with UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) [Resolution Conf. 16.6 (Rev. CoP18)].

In order to better assess potential positive and negative impacts of CITES listing decisions, and to maximize the benefits of legal trade to rural communities and species conservation, various tools and case studies have been developed.

People in Nature (PiN) is an approach to systematically identify and document the value and uses (both material and cultural) of biodiversity – identifying where in the landscape the benefits can be found, and understanding how these benefits are realised and distributed. Applying this approach though conducting a PiN assessment can help project developers with setting ecological and livelihoods baselines, designing site-relevant monitoring and evaluation systems, and informing priority-setting for activities – both for specific species and/or habitats, and to maximise positive livelihoods outcomes.

SARCA is an industry-led initiative aimed at advancing responsible and transparent Southeast Asian reptile skin supply chains while driving improvements to the trade’s operating environment.

In some parts of the world, whale products play an important role in the nutritional and cultural life of native peoples.  Four IWC member countries conduct aboriginal subsistence hunts today: Denmark (Greenland), Russia (Chukotka), St Vincent and the Grenadines (Bequia) and the United States (Alaska and also potentially a resumption of hunts previously undertaken by the Makah Tribe of Washington State).

From the outset, the IWC recognised that indigenous or aboriginal subsistence whaling is not the same as commercial whaling. Aboriginal whaling does not seek to maximise catches or profit.  It is categorised differently by the IWC and is not subject to the moratorium.  The IWC recognises that its regulations have the potential to impact significantly on traditional cultures, and great care must be taken in discharging this responsibility.

In summary, the IWC objectives for management of aboriginal subsistence whaling are to ensure that hunted whale populations are maintained at (or brought back to) healthy levels, and to enable native people to hunt whales at levels that are appropriate to cultural and nutritional requirements in the long term.

DECISION ADOPTED BY THE CONFERENCE OF THE PARTIES TO THE CONVENTION ON
BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY

14/17. Integration of Article 8(j) and provisions related to indigenous peoples and local communities in the work of the Convention and its Protocols

The solution addresses the challenge of how to identify and ensure that legal fishing vessels pay their license fees to district authorities, which are important as they fund fisheries management and enforcement efforts of local government structures. It uses a color coded small plastic zip-lock cable tie to identify licensed vessels, enabling fisheries officers and local community-based structures to determine if a vessel is legal and has paid the relevant fees for a particular district.

Fishing is an important and primary activity for Imraguen populations in Banc d’Arguin National Park. Imraguen women are engaged in processing fishery products using different species of fish, the most famous is the yellow mullet. This activity often provides women with only small revenues. To support them, the park administration has set up the “Imraguen Credit Fund ” with a 0% interest rate.

The ABALOBI initiative is a transdisciplinary research and social learning endeavour, bringing together stakeholders with traditional fishers taking centre stage. It is a participatory action research project with a strong community development component. ABALOBI, a free app/programme, is aimed at social justice and poverty alleviation in the small-scale fisheries chain, transformation in the way we produce knowledge, stewardship of our marine resources, and building resilience to climate change

Waterevolution promotes a new marine policy governance that creates a positive circle between maritime cluster companies and marine conservation. Eulabor Institute has developed a comprehensive model based on computational sustainability, an interdisciplinary field that applies techniques from computer and information science, operations research, applied mathematics and statistics to balance environmental, economic and societal needs for a sustainable development.

In late 1970’s, Kenya started witnessing rapid degradation of the community lands bordering the national parks and reserves.  Besides threat to wildlife, this degradation was also a threat to community livelihoods as it led to more poverty and ecological marginalisation. The founding of Ol Kinyei Conservancy was motivated by desire to stem this degradation and the need to conserve wildlife and habitats by partnering with the communities living on those lands and provide them with real and sustainable benefits from wildlife and wilderness areas.  This was the founding principle of Porini model, of protecting indigenous resources to generate income. In this model, you have a low-density ecotourism venture/s whose income goes towards the community as incentive to preserve ecosystem health. It is now widely accepted as a conservation solution beneficial to people and environment and is being used in several other places around Maasai Mara and rest of Kenya.

Environmental protection and development are a pair of eternal contradictions. Seeking balance between protection and sustainable utilization of natural resources is the key to achieve effective protection. In Wudalianchi Geological Park （“the park”）, the new-period basaltic volcanic cones of intracontinental tectonic setting, barrier lakes and lava land form have superb geological scientific value. However, in the past, locals relied heavily on agriculture, fishing and farming, which all had negative impacts on the environment. In order to solve the problem, the government provides support and guidance in accordance with the laws and regulations formulated by it, local residents can choose to engage in different industries or conduct different businesses that have the minimum impact on the environment to ensure a sustainable world that benefits all. In addition, the local government gives priority to provide employment opportunities for local residents to improve their livelihood.

Through an inclusive approach, involving the community in land use planning and natural resource governance, supporting agro-forestry, equitable benefits sharing and poverty reduction, the Ekuri Initiative has addressed problems caused by deforestation and forest degradation, such as exacerbated climate change including drought, fire and flood, as well as food insecurity, illiteracy and poverty in Ekuri community in Cross River State, Nigeria.

Calakmul Biosphere Reserve has the “Sustainable Business” axis, whose objective is to promote economic benefits through the rational use and exploitation of natural resources. In 2015, Calakmul began promoting a label for sustainable companies and positioning the products and services of the region at national and international scales. The result is the Calakmul Collective Seal, which is a distinction for companies with criteria of governance, local economy and environmental co-responsibility with appropriation and conservation of Calakmul’s biocultural heritage. Likewise, a proposal was developed to generate alliances with other institutions and potentiate the initiative. In 2019, five communities are participating, seven certified companies and three in the process. The products with export quality are honey, wood crafts and meliponiculture, personal hygiene products and services of transporters and tour operators.

The Legado das Águas (Water Legacy), the largest private reserve of the Brazil’s Atlantic Forest, with 31,000 hectares, is one of Votorantim Company’s environmental assets. Located in the Vale do Ribeira region in the south of the São Paulo State, the area was acquired in the 1940s and has since been conserved with the objective of guaranteeing, in the long term, the water resource of the Juquiá River water basin.

Today, Legado das Águas is managed by the company Reservas Votorantim LTDA, created to establish and implement a new model of environmental asset management.

In this sense, the Legado das Águas was structured in such a way as to promote actions within four central axes: Institutional Management, Human and Social Capital, Economic Capital and Natural Capital, demonstrating that the sustainable use of the natural resources of private protected areas makes possible the investiment in the maintenance of the area, as well as social and economic benefits.

This solution promotions local participation, to guarantee access to natural resources in the zone adjacent to the Jaú National Park. This coupled with the application of a conservation mosaic approach, to consolidate a more extensive protected territory; and the inclusion of the Park in a State Program for the conservation of tropical forests, with public, private and international funding, have been key factors for the conservation of the Black River basin of the Amazon.

The long-term partnership at Damaraland Camp between Wilderness Safaris (private sector; WS) and the Torra Conservancy (community) in Namibia illustrates that tangible benefits from such joint venture partnerships play an important role in development and poverty reduction, with intangible benefits improving social welfare, biodiversity conservation and local economic development.

In coastal Andhra Pradesh in India, deforestation and aquaculture threaten unprotected mangrove forests and several vulnerable species that inhabit them, primarily fishing cats (Prionailurus viverrinus) and smooth-coated otters (Lutrogale perspicillata). A feasible strategy to conserve these unprotected mangroves is to provide human communities with alternative and sustainable livelihoods. One idea that can potentially curb deforestation is the sustainable harvest of mangrove mud crabs (Scylla spp.) with crab-culture boxes in naturally occurring water channels among mangroves. This idea is also a low-investment alternative to commercial aquaculture ponds that are more expensive to maintain, pollute natural waters, and are prone to income losses due to soil infertility.

196 Sustainable Livelihood projects were financed by LEEMP-GEF from 2004-2010 in 40 Support Zone Communities (SZCs) of Lake Kainji National Park. Building on this investment, the NPS-Bridging fund Project helped to scale up to 206 projects in 46 communities from 2011 to date.

The projects rely on a system of revolving product assets among members of the group. The assets include cows worth N60,000 (US$167) as well as medication and feeding worth N40,000.00 (US$111). The product assets are given to the 1st beneficiary, who fattens the cows for 6 months to 1 year, then sells them, keeping one and giving another one to a different group member to fatten. This continues until all members of the group have benefitted. The revolving is then repeated.

From 2010 to date all the members of the hunters and youth user group in the SZCs of the park have benefitted, and the scheme is now in the second round.

From a zero rating on the MPA Management Effectiveness Assessment Tool, Tambaliza is now pegged as a ‘bright spot’ MPA not only in the municipality of Concepcion but in the whole Northern Iloilo – it is the first legally established MPA with a 200-ha No-take Zone in the province. Tambaliza MPA is proving that bigger MPAs entail more community and stakeholders’ involvement and bigger funding requirements but the local community is up to the challenge of sustaining the management of a protected area through their own contributions. Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLA, locally known as CoMSCA) in Tambaliza are currently generating up to $1,500 in a year as Environmental Fund (EF) to support the implementation of the management plan of the protected area. ZSL’s Net-Works (TM) programme is keen on replicating the success of Tambaliza MPA in other sites. 

Rural communities in certain parts of the world depend heavily on species of wild animals and plants for their livelihoods. Parties to CITES recognize the potential impacts of CITES-listing decisions on the livelihoods of rural communities, noting inthe meantime that effective implementation of CITES decisions can form part of a strategy to provide sustainable livelihoods for rural communities, consistent with UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) [Resolution Conf. 16.6 (Rev. CoP18)].

In order to better assess potential positive and negative impacts of CITES listing decisions, and to maximize the benefits of legal trade to rural communities and species conservation, various tools and case studies have been developed.

People in Nature (PiN) is an approach to systematically identify and document the value and uses (both material and cultural) of biodiversity – identifying where in the landscape the benefits can be found, and understanding how these benefits are realised and distributed. Applying this approach though conducting a PiN assessment can help project developers with setting ecological and livelihoods baselines, designing site-relevant monitoring and evaluation systems, and informing priority-setting for activities – both for specific species and/or habitats, and to maximise positive livelihoods outcomes.

SARCA is an industry-led initiative aimed at advancing responsible and transparent Southeast Asian reptile skin supply chains while driving improvements to the trade’s operating environment.

In some parts of the world, whale products play an important role in the nutritional and cultural life of native peoples.  Four IWC member countries conduct aboriginal subsistence hunts today: Denmark (Greenland), Russia (Chukotka), St Vincent and the Grenadines (Bequia) and the United States (Alaska and also potentially a resumption of hunts previously undertaken by the Makah Tribe of Washington State).

From the outset, the IWC recognised that indigenous or aboriginal subsistence whaling is not the same as commercial whaling. Aboriginal whaling does not seek to maximise catches or profit.  It is categorised differently by the IWC and is not subject to the moratorium.  The IWC recognises that its regulations have the potential to impact significantly on traditional cultures, and great care must be taken in discharging this responsibility.

In summary, the IWC objectives for management of aboriginal subsistence whaling are to ensure that hunted whale populations are maintained at (or brought back to) healthy levels, and to enable native people to hunt whales at levels that are appropriate to cultural and nutritional requirements in the long term.

DECISION ADOPTED BY THE CONFERENCE OF THE PARTIES TO THE CONVENTION ON
BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY

14/17. Integration of Article 8(j) and provisions related to indigenous peoples and local communities in the work of the Convention and its Protocols