How Could Land Tenure Security Affect Conservation?
By Yuta Masuda and Brian E. Robinson
I’m sitting in a Mongolian yurt, listening to and trying to emulate Bataa’s* songs about love for the grasslands and the wide, treeless plains of the Mongolian Plateau. Our host sings with consuming passion. I might have brushed his enthusiasm off as a show two weeks ago. But after living and working in these grasslands, the feeling of freedom that comes from unobstructed, far-off distant horizon is infectious.
Land-rights policies in Latin America still fall short, studies show
Scientists present their findings on forest tenure and land use at a major conference in Peru
Peru - Latin American countries have made progress in granting land rights to communities in recent years. Nevertheless, policies often fail to consider the diversity of those communities and the different ways they use their land.
Eight reasons why tribal people are great conservationists
By Lewis Evans, Survival International
For Earth Day (April 22), Survival International reveals some of the amazing ways in which tribal peoples are the best conservationists and guardians of the natural world:
1. The Baka “Pygmies” have over 15 words for elephant
The Baka people know so much about elephants, they have different words for them according to their sex, age and even temperament.
Ten Signs of an Impending Global Land Rights Revolution
By Chris Jochnick, President and CEO of Landesa
The development community has experienced various “revolutions” over the years – from microfinance to women’s rights, from the green revolution to sustainable development. Each of these awakenings has improved our understanding of the challenges we face; each has transformed the development landscape, mostly for the better.
Indigenous peoples are the real climate experts. So why aren't we listening to them?
By Gina Cosentino, Social Development Specialist, World Bank and Climate Investment Funds
Everything old is new again, at least when it comes to searching for workable and proven solutions to addressing climate change. Indigenous peoples have developed, over time, innovative climate-smart practices rooted in traditional knowledge and their relationship with nature.
Leaving No One Behind: Land and environmental defenders at the heart of sustainable development
By Marie Becher and Jill Powis, Peace Brigades International
More land and environmental activists are being killed than ever before. We can't forget their work when planning for the future.