IUCN Standard on Indigenous Peoples

The Standard represents IUCN’s policy objectives with respect to indigenous peoples. It contains eight policy objectives for projects undertaken or supported by IUCN to support indigenous peoples and promote their role in conservation and management of sustainable resources.

The purpose of this Standard is to ensure that IUCN projects anticipate and avoid negative impacts on indigenous peoples or to minimise and/or compensate for impacts; take all rights and needs of indigenous peoples fully into account in project planning and implementation; and ensure that their customs, cultural and spiritual values, and perspectives on the environment are included.

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2010

Renforcer ce qui fonctionne : reconnaître et soutenir les peuples autochtones et les communautés locales dans leurs exploits de conservation

Cette note d’information a pour objet d’aider les pays à reconnaître et à soutenir les territoires et les aires du patrimoine conservés par les peuples autochtones et les communautés locales (APAC), en restant sensibles et respectueux des nombreuses questions en cause. Elle contient des éléments de base sur les APAC ainsi qu’un condensé de leçons apprises, et des recommandations pour les gouvernements qui mettent en oeuvre le Programme de travail de la CDB sur les Aires protégées (PoWPA).

2010

Fortalecer lo que funciona : reconocimiento y apoyo a pueblos indígenas y comunidades locales en sus logros de conservación

Se espera que la presente Nota Informativa los oriente de manera sensible y respetuosa teniendo en cuento los muchos temas involucrados. Contiene hechos fundamentales acerca de las ICCA, sintetiza lecciones aprendidas, y ofrece recomendaciones para los gobiernos qui implementan el Programa de Trabajo sobre Áreas Protegidas del CDB (PoWPA). La Nota ofrece también consejos sintéticos sobre qué hacer y qué no hacer dirigidos a los gobiernos y la sociedad civil qui están comprometarget_idos en mantener los immensos beneficios de las ICCA en términos de conservación y sustento a los medios de vida.

Eco-Tourism for Mountain Communities in Khan Tengiri State Nature Park, Kyrgyzstan

In Kyrgyzstan, livestock herding remains a cornerstone of rural livelihoods, yet inefficient resource use and unsustainable herd sizes are accelerating land degradation, increasing greenhouse gas emissions, and creating environmental and public health risks—all of which heighten the impacts of climate change. Ecotourism is often presented as a complementary livelihood option, but it also comes with its own set of challenges. These include ensuring that tours respect nature and do not harm protected areas, difficulties in connecting tour operators with new or remote destinations, limited local services and marketing capacity, and ensuring that tourism activities genuinely support conservation efforts.

Conservation and sustainable use of Indigenous agricultural genetic diversity in Hubei

Hubei Province, a key agricultural region in central China, boasts rich agrobiodiversity with over 6,200 crop varieties and 23 livestock species. However, policy focus on production intensification threatens traditional farming practices and the diversity of genetic resources for food and agriculture (GRFA). This Solution prioritizes in-situ agrobiodiversity conservation that reduces GRFA threats, exemplified by a project targeting three indigenous varieties—Yanzhi rice, Wudang tea, and black goat—and establishing demonstration sites in Xishui, Yunyang, and Danjiangkou to promote conservation approaches.

Green Pastures for Green Transition

The project focuses on restoring grassland habitats in the Special Nature Reserve (SNR) Kraljevac by providing the local community with thirty sheep, a solar powered shepherd’s hut and an electrical fence which shall all be used for controlled grazing over 16.5 hectares to prevent habitat succession and support species like the endangered European ground squirrel. Two hectares along Lake Kraljevac have been afforested with native trees such as pedunculate oak, white willow, and poplar. A monitoring system for the European ground squirrel population has been established in order to define the ecological corridors for the species.

Apart from creating favorable conditions for a stable European ground squirrel population, the provision of 30 autochthonous sheep benefits the local community, the local shepherds in particular, and ensures the involvement of the local community in the sustainable management of the critical grassland habitat, whilst enhancing public awareness of the importance of grassland ecosystem conservatio

Local voices, sustainable forests: Participatory landscape restoration

In many African countries, agricultural growth remains a key driver of development. Agriculture ensures food security and is a source of rural income and employment. However, most small farms suffer from low productivity due to soil degradation, a lack of inputs and knowledge of sustainable agricultural practices, and the effects of climate change.

In Côte d’Ivoire, these challenges are amplified by deforestation: forest cover has fallen from around 16 million hectares in the 1960s to 2.5 million today, weakening ecosystems and soil fertility while increasing rural vulnerability.

The Participatory Household-Level Restoration Plan (PPR) offers an inclusive approach where each household aligns its vision, needs, and priorities with forest restoration. By placing rural families at the heart of planning, implementation, and monitoring, the PPR promotes sustainable restoration.

Mundo Marino Eco: Hybrid Sailing Catamaran for Sustainable Nautical Tourism in Spain

Mundo Marino, a Spanish company operating along the Mediterranean coast (Valencia, Costa Blanca, and Málaga), has integrated sustainable practices into nautical tourism through the design and operation of hybrid and electric catamarans. The flagship vessel Mundo Marino Eco combines sail power with Torqeedo Deep Blue electric propulsion, solar panels, and hydrogeneration systems. This innovation reduces carbon emissions by 40% compared to conventional vessels, achieving an average of 22 g CO₂ per passenger/km.

The project goes beyond tourism, serving as a platform for environmental education, citizen science, and collaborations with research institutions in marine biodiversity monitoring. By offering sustainable maritime mobility and raising awareness among thousands of visitors each year, Mundo Marino contributes to reducing pressures on marine ecosystems, aligning with the objectives of the Global Biodiversity Framework and supporting the 30×30 target in Mediterranean coastal waters.

From World Hertiage to Conservation

Jiuzhaigou National Nature Reserve, also a key national scenic area, was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1992. Named after the nine Tibetan villages within its boundaries, Jiuzhaigou boasts not only abundant flora and fauna but also its “Six Wonders”: alpine lake clusters, waterfalls, colorful forests, snow-capped peaks, blue ice formations, and Tibetan cultural charm, attracting countless visitors worldwide.

Remarkably, Jiuzhaigou has avoided ecological crises despite tourism development, achieving a win-win balance between economic benefits and environmental conservation. It stands as a successful model of implementing the principle “protection comes first, while tourism serves as the optimal development approach.”

The new guardians of the páramo: Voluntary Agreements that transform the practices of farming families.

Chingaza National Park, with more than 77,000 hectares, is one of the most strategic protected areas of the Colombian National Natural Park System, as it is the main source of drinking water for 10 million people in the Bogotá DC and surrounding municipalities. It also protects moorland and Andean forest ecosystems that are key to regulating water resources in the Orinoco macro-basin, conserves endemic and/or nationally and globally threatened species of fauna and flora, and safeguards important sites for the indigenous communities that inhabited the territory. To guarantee its protection, the park has established conservation agreements with peasant families as part of a conservation pact. This participatory strategy allows communities to improve their productive practices while guaranteeing the protection of key ecosystems for the provision of ecosystem services, achieving a local collective effort that guarantees water security for future generations.

Laws on Paper, Loss on the Ground: Turning Mangrove Laws into Action in Tanzania

The “Sustainable Use of Mangroves in the WIO Region” project, funded by BMZ through WWF Germany, brings Tanzania’s dormant mangrove laws to life. In Kilwa and Pemba, the project supported villages and shehias to register or revitalize Village Natural Resources Committees (VNRCs) and Community Forest Management Areas (CoFMAs). Within 2 years of the project, 7 CoFMAs were established and 2 revived in Pemba; 3 VNRCs were established and 3 revived in Kilwa District. The project capacitated these local mangrove management institutions to develop and enforce mangrove management plans, establish nurseries, and launch restoration and monitoring efforts to recover degraded mangrove zones and address drivers of loss. While VNRCs and CoFMAs are now leading mangrove conservation and management in their areas, two and three mangrove CBOs were established in Pemba and Kilwa, respectively, and are now operational. This scalable solution shows that when laws move from paper to practice, blue forests and coastal livelihoods thrive together.

National Park Method for Ecotourism & Visitor Management

Unplanned visitation often causes environmental impacts, biodiversity loss, and reduced visitor satisfaction. At the same time, tourism holds strong potential to generate income, strengthen community resilience, and support conservation financing. The Solution applies the National Park Method for Ecotourism & Visitor Management, a practical method inspired by best practices in national parks planning, into private areas management. It has 3 principles: preserving nature, enchanting visitors, and generating income. In practice, the approach guides how to develop the Visitor Management Plan. Positive results include better organization of visitation, reduced environmental impacts, greater community income from ecotourism services, and improved visitor experiences. By combining technical planning with a strong focus on people and nature, the Solution demonstrates how tourism can be a driver of both conservation and sustainable developmen

2025

Mise en place d’une plateforme de concertation au niveau communal pour faciliter la planification et la mise en œuvre des mesures RPF dans la préfecture de Tchamba- région centrale (Togo)

Dans le cadre d’une gestion inclusive de l’environnement, le Togo a établi des Commissions Communales de Développement Durable (CCDD) : des plateformes de consultation décentralisées pour améliorer la participation des communautés aux débats environnementaux. Ces commissions traitent aussi des questions liées à la RPF. F4F-Togo a soutenu la création des CCDD dans trois communes de la préfecture de Tchamba afin d’améliorer la capacité opérationnelle à réaliser des mesures RPF. Une CCDD est une plateforme multisectorielle composée du maire, des chefs de canton, des présidents des comités de village, des responsables des services déconcentrés, des groupements de femmes et d’ONG. Elle agit comme un comité de gestion de l’environnement en général et de la RPF en particulier. Ses membres sont des personnes ressources en matière d’appui conseil et renforcement des capacités, lui permettant d’évaluer les problèmes environnementaux, de proposer des solutions et de mobiliser des ressources.