User:Theatricalpegasus/Indigenous and Community Conserved Areas

Indigenous and Community Conserved Areas (ICCAs)

Definition
An ICCA is a type of protected area that is voluntarily conserved by the local or indigenous community for the purpose of conservation and/or cultural preservation.

Originally known by the term Community Conserved Areas (CCAs), this was later expanded to include indigenous people.

The VIth IUCN World Parks Congress in 2003 defined CCAs in Recommendation V.26 as:

"natural and/or modified ecosytems containing significant biodiveristy values and ecological services, voluntarily conserved by (sedentary and mobile) indigenous and local communities, through customary laws or other effective means"

There are 3 defining features of ICCAs:

1. A community is closely connected to a well defined ecosystem (or to a species and its habitat) culturally and/or because of survival and dependence for livelihood;

2. The community management decisions and efforts lead to the conservation of the ecosystem's habitats, species, ecological services and associated cultural values [even when the conscious objective of such management may be different than conservation per se, and be, for instance, related to material livelihood, water security, safeguarding of cultural and spiritual places, etc.]. 3. The community is the major player in decision-making (governance) and implementation regarding the management of the site, implying that community institutions have the capacity to enforce regulations; in many situations there may be other stakeholders in collaboration or partnership, but primary decision-making rests with the concerned community.

History
The concept of ICCAs has existed for millions as years through traditional and indigenous communties protecting ecosystems and sustainably using natural resources on their land. However it is only recently that these areas have been defined and named as ICCAs, and given recognition. Prior to 1990s protected areas were mainly only focused upon protection, and the involvement of local communities was contradictory to policies and rules on the prohibition of the use of natural resources. In the 1990s this thinking evolved into taking the economic needs of local communities into account. Now the development of local communties is seen as essential and a direct way to achieve conservation success.

One of the first documented ICCAs to be recognised by a national government were the Indigenous Protected Areas of Indigneous Australians. The process of forming agreements between the Australian Government and indigenous people began in the 1990s, and resulted in the first Indigenous Protected Area being declared in 1997.

Importance
Climate change

Problems and Threats
Communtiy are not always formally recognised by local governments and this can be problematic, especially if the area is rich in natural resources.

Recognition of ICCA sites can cause threats to them ,through the natural resources they contain being made common knowledge.

Not being legally rcognised through the national system of PAs Only having an oral boundary - governments may sell land/access rights to, especially to oil or gas companies that offer a premimium price. Sacred areas that the community do not want to be accessed by outsiders

Documenting ICCAs
Relatively few ICCAs are documented in written sources and acknowledged by national or sub-national laws, although this is improving. In India, for example, only 200 ICCAs are documented although there are an estimated 10,000 in existence. Overall scholars estimate that approximately 420 million hectares of forest are community owned or administrated, representing 11% of the world's forests.

Australia's Indigenous Protected Areas are now becoming well recognised and acknowledged, with 36 sites declared, and a further 25 in consulation. The Global Diversity Fund (GDF) has recently been a forefront runner in collecting data on communtiy conserved areas in Mexico, within in the State of Oaxaca. This work has included filming of participatory videos by the local communties on their views and livelihoods.

The ICCA Registry project, being implemented by the United Nations Environment Programme - World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC) and in partnership with the ICCA Consortium, aims to create a database on ICCAs worldwide. The Registry will take the form of a participatory website, allowing users to view general information on ICCAs and display specific information about ICCAs sites in countries around the world. Multimedia resources on ICCAs will include photos, videos, management plans and other documents. There will also be in-depth case studies on some sites for each country. The data collected will require the Free, Prior and Informed Consent of the relevant community to be given. The initial launch of this website, featuring four pilot countries (Fiji, Kenya, Mexico and the Philippines), is due in May 2010.