ICCA Registry / People of Sarayaku

Across the world, indigenous peoples’ livelihoods are intrinsically linked to nature. Their intimate relationship with the territory or area makes them experts of nature, passed on for centuries often through customary law, resulting in the sustainable management of a territory or area they inhabit.

Indigenous peoples are therefore vital guardians of local and global conservation efforts and they must be appropriately recognised and supported for these efforts. They manage or have tenure rights over at least 38 million km2 of land in 87 countries, intersecting with about 40% of all terrestrial protected areas and ecologically intact landscapes.

What are ICCAs?

Territories and areas that are conserved by indigenous peoples exist in every country in the world, inside and outside of the existing protected area network. They are known collectively as ICCAs –an abbreviation denoting territories and areas conserved by indigenous peoples and local communities - but encompasses many local and customary names and practices.

The ICCA concept includes a very wide range of examples, but ICCAs are usually considered to have the following three characteristics:

1. There is a close and deep connection between a territory or area and its custodian indigenous people or local community. This relationship is usually embedded in history, social and cultural identity, spirituality and/or people’s reliance on the territory for their material and non-material wellbeing.
2. The custodian people or community makes and enforces (alone or together with other actors) decisions and rules about the territory or area through a functioning governance institution (which may or may not be recognised by outsiders or by statutory law of the relevant country).
3. The governance decisions and rules (e.g., regarding access to, and use of, land, water, biodiversity and other gifts of nature) and the management efforts of the concerned people or community overall positively contribute to the conservation of nature (i.e., the preservation, sustainable use and restoration, as appropriate, of ecosystems, habitats, species, natural resources, landscapes and seascapes), as well as to community livelihoods and wellbeing.

What do ICCAs do?

ICCAs support the maintenance of the culture, spirituality, tradition and existence of indigenous peoples. At the same time, they support the conservation of ecosystem services, including the mitigation of climate change. Nature is not only fundamental for their health and livelihoods but is also part of their cultural identity and spiritual values.

Estimates suggest that ICCAs may cover an equal or greater area than government-designated protected areas. This means that ICCAs complement other protected areas by filling in gaps, connecting habitats, and conserving species that live outside formally protected areas.

ICCAs face threats

However, in many places, ICCAs and their custodians are under threat from a range of activities seeking to exploit resources in their territories and areas. Communities are further at risk where there is inadequate recognition of their governance rights and systems, and a lack of political and legal support, meaning that communities are often removed or displaced from their territories.

The ICCA Registry

In 2008, in acknowledgement of the needs of the ICCA custodians, and considering the multiple values of ICCAs, UNEP-WCMC and partners established the ICCA Registry. This Registry is a database that provides a much-needed evidence base to promote the recognition and support of ICCAs worldwide. The Registration is voluntary, meaning that ICCA custodians self-declare their ICCAs and self-report to the ICCA Registry.

The ICCA registry holds a wealth of information ranging from how the ICCAs are used, governed and managed by the communities to what kind of rights they have, and what biodiversity they are protecting.

Currently, the database has registered over 220 ICCAs from over 50 countries or territories. Of these, 30 are online as case studies and maybe explored here. Case studies are an avenue for communities to tell the story of their area, including the history and the motivations for protection.

Each registration marks a major achievement in the journey that the custodians are going through to protect their ICCAs and adds to the understanding of their contribution to global conservation.

Looking to the future

The proposed global biodiversity framework presents an opportunity to recognise the efforts of indigenous peoples and communities and their rights so that they can continue to manage their lands sustainably for the long term. Supporting communities to submit their ICCA data and enhancing the visibility of the ICCA Registry database will be a big step towards greater awareness of their contributions to conservation at the local and international level.

The need for tools to recognise the existence and protect the rights and livelihoods of indigenous peoples and local communities have become even more urgent in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. Without official protection or mapping, both the indigenous peoples and the ecosystems they manage to become more vulnerable. Tools that have the potential to protect the health, livelihood and rights of indigenous people and the planet are therefore paramount.