Setting Things Right With Rights-Based Conservation

When it comes to human rights, not all biodiversity strategies are created equal.

Western conservation has excluded and often infringed upon the rights of Indigenous peoples and local communities. But the evidence is clear that the very people who have been excluded from protected lands are stewarding the majority of biodiversity left on Earth. When land tenure rights are upheld, collective ownership and traditional ecological knowledge can effectively conserve ecosystems. Learn how to center these practices throughout the design and implementation of your biodiversity initiatives and become aware of red flags associated with exclusionary conservation projects.