The document discusses the significant contributions of indigenous peoples and local communities to conservation in Asia, highlighting the extent of indigenous/community governance over various ecosystems. It identifies threats such as lack of legal recognition, extractive industries, and exclusionary conservation policies, while also noting progress towards legal recognition in several countries. Key recommendations include securing territorial rights and supporting local governance to enhance conservation efforts.

1. Indigenous Peoples’ and Local
Community Contribution to
Conservation in Asia
Ashish Kothari
Kalpavriksh & ICCA Consortium

2. % area under indigenous /community governance or
management: some selected countries
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Not protected but retain values
Used/occupied
Jointly managed
State protected areas with no local involvement

3. Area under indigenous / community governance or
management: Selected countries of Asia
0
1000000
2000000
3000000
4000000
5000000
6000000
State protected areas with no local
involvement
Jointly managed Used/occupied Not protected but retain values

4. Iran’s mobile indigenous peoples:
rangelands cover 1/3rd of country

5. Key Biodiversity Areas
Forest Cover
Parks & Protected Areas
Ancestral Domains
The Ancestral
Domains of
Indigenous
Communities in
the Philippines
cover nearly
1/4th of the total
land area of the
country

6. Indigenous peoples’ and local
community conserved
territories and areas (ICCAs)
Natural and modified ecosystems with significant
biodiversity, ecological functions and cultural values…
voluntarily conserved by indigenous peoples and local
communities through customary laws or other
effective means

7. What is the extent of ICCAs in Asia?
Hundreds of thousands of ICCAs, most undocumented
No overall figure of extent; some indications:
Place / kind of ICCA Extent
Global: indigenous/community
managed forests
At least 370 m.ha.
Fiji: Locally Managed Marine Areas 1.77 m.ha.
Philippines: Ancestral domains 4.25 m.ha. (claims >6 m.ha.)
Iran: Mobile territories Several m.ha.
India: Community conserved areas Several ‘000 thousand ha
Nepal: Community forests 1.3 m.ha.
Pakistan: Hunting/other community
reserves
1.95 m. ha.

9. Increasing
documentation of
ICCAs

10. Threats and challenges
• Lack recognition in law and policy
• Threats by extractive industry, monocultures,
militarisation, commodification, climate change
• Top-down, exclusionary conservation policies
• Cultural and demographic change
• Social, economic, political inequities

11. KeyResourcesforrecognition

12. Need for:
Legal recognition of territorial / tenurial rights
Recognition of collective customary governance
Respect for local knowledge, practices
Facilitation of documentation, assessments
Help in resisting threats
Social, economic, livelihood support

13. Good News: Progress in Legal Recognition
• Multiple references to ICCAs in CBD
Decisions and IUCN Resolutions
• RRI (2012): Community owned/managed
forests, up from 10 to 15% in last decade
• Philippines: Ancestral Domain titles to
many Indigenous territories, recognition
of ICCAs in reserve system
• Iran: Increase of conservation coverage
through recognising pastoralist ICCAs
• India: Community Forest Rights
• Fiji: recognition of Locally Managed
Marine Areas (100% of marine PA system)