Conservation’s dark secret.
For decades, Western conservationists have weaponized the climate crisis. And Indigenous Peoples, our greatest guardians of biodiversity, have suffered the most. Rape, murder, torture, violent displacement. This is the story of Protected Areas. This is the story of conservation.
World wildlife fund profits from removal Of indigenous peoples
Read our reports uncovering the impact of tourism on Indigenous people in Tanzania and India
100,000 Maasai face eviction in Tanzania.
The Tanzanian government is cracking down on human settlement in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area to increase tourism in the area. This will result in 100,000 Maasai pastoralists being forcibly evicted from their homes.
The World Wildlife Fund partners with a tourist company called Natural Habitat Adventures to profit from tourism in the NCA.
Learn More: Read our full report on WWF’s relationship with Natural Habitat in Tanzania.
400,000 Indigenous People face involuntary eviction due to India’s Project Tiger Conservation initiative.
The World Wildlife Fund (WWF), in partnership with Natural Habitat, promotes luxury tours to Kaziranga and Kahna National Parks. Both parks have forcibly displaced Indigenous communities, and a BBC investigation revealed that WWF-funded eco-guards at Kaziranga were involved in the shooting and killing of Indigenous people.
Fortress Conservation Harms Indigenous Peoples
A 2021 congressional hearing exposed the human rights abuses endured by Indigenous peoples in the name of conservation.
Indigenous Peoples are more effective at preserving biodiversity
The data is clear. Not only is “Fortress Conservation” morally abhorrent, but it is also a flawed conservation method. 80% of the world’s biodiversity is found on Indigenous lands. Legally recognized Indigenous forests experience less deforestation. Traditional ecological knowledge is our best hope at preserving Earth’s biodiversity, therefore Indigenous Peoples must be placed at the forefront of all conservation efforts.
The Solution: Recognize Indigenous Territories
The good news is that a clear solution exists for protecting Indigenous Rights and our planet. Recognizing “Indigenous Territories” as a category of conserved areas provides an alternative to “protected areas.” This would permit countries to count Indigenous land, already preserved by Indigenous Peoples, towards their 30% goal without reclassification. This important step would protect Indigenous Peoples and support them in preserving our planet’s biodiversity.
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