Sharing Indigenous Perspectives on Conservation at the University of Aveiro
In April 2024, Azimuth World Foundation had the opportunity to discuss the complex realities facing Indigenous communities in conservation contexts with students and faculty at the University of Aveiro.
The Biology Department of the University of Aveiro welcomed Azimuth World Foundation for a presentation that examined a critical but often overlooked aspect of environmental policy: how conservation and tourism projects impact Indigenous communities. Azimuth’s team, including our President Mariana Marques, joined author and researcher Rui Diogo to discuss “Indigenous Peoples: The Other Side of Conservation and Environmental Policies.”
Beyond Traditional Conservation Narratives
Our presentation challenged students to think critically about conservation initiatives that, while well-intentioned, can have devastating consequences for Indigenous communities. We explored how projects like the global “30 by 30” initiative—which aims to protect 30% of Earth’s land and water by 2030—risk becoming what experts call “the biggest land grab in history” without proper Indigenous consultation and consent.
The relationship between biodiversity and Indigenous territories tells a powerful story: the most biodiverse regions on Earth exist not despite Indigenous presence, but because of it. Yet these communities, who have been the most effective guardians of our planet’s ecosystems, often face displacement in the name of conservation.
Learning from Our Partners
We shared the experiences of two communities Azimuth has worked with extensively: the Batwa and Endorois peoples. The Batwa, an ancestral hunter-gatherer people who lived in Central African forests for 60,000 years, were expelled from their ancestral lands without compensation during the creation of national parks in the 1970s and 1990s. Today, while facing significant challenges including discrimination and poverty, community-led organizations continue working tirelessly toward self-determination and development on their own terms.
The Endorois of Kenya represent another paradigm of injustice—a community that has faced forced displacement twice. First expelled in 1973 for the creation of Lake Bogoria National Reserve, they were later displaced again due to climate change impacts that expanded the lake. Despite a historic 2010 ruling by the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights declaring their eviction illegal, the Kenyan government has largely failed to implement the recommended reparations.
Critical Questions for Conservation
We encouraged the audience to approach conservation projects with key questions in mind: Who lived here before this project was implemented? Did the project result in forced displacement without proper consent? Who controls the narrative around these initiatives? Are there community-led alternatives that prioritize Indigenous self-determination?
These questions become especially relevant as “fortress conservation” models continue to separate communities from their ancestral lands, often opening those territories to extractive industries and luxury tourism while excluding the very people who protected them for generations.
Supporting Indigenous-Led Solutions
Our work with Indigenous-led grassroots organizations, such as BIDO in Uganda, or Jamii Asilia Centre in Kenya, has shown us that supporting community self-determination produces more effective and just outcomes than top-down conservation approaches.
We emphasized that Indigenous communities are contemporary peoples thinking about their futures while maintaining ancestral knowledge systems that offer essential guidance for addressing biodiversity loss and climate change.
A heartfelt thank you to the Biology Department of the University of Aveiro for creating space for these essential conversations. When the next generation of biologists, conservationists, and environmental professionals understands the intersection between human rights and environmental protection, we move closer to truly sustainable and just solutions.
Share
Sharing Indigenous Perspectives on Conservation at the University of Aveiro
In April 2024, Azimuth World Foundation had the opportunity to discuss the complex realities facing Indigenous communities in conservation contexts with students and faculty at the University of Aveiro.
The Biology Department of the University of Aveiro welcomed Azimuth World Foundation for a presentation that examined a critical but often overlooked aspect of environmental policy: how conservation and tourism projects impact Indigenous communities. Azimuth’s team, including our President Mariana Marques, joined author and researcher Rui Diogo to discuss “Indigenous Peoples: The Other Side of Conservation and Environmental Policies.”
Beyond Traditional Conservation Narratives
Our presentation challenged students to think critically about conservation initiatives that, while well-intentioned, can have devastating consequences for Indigenous communities. We explored how projects like the global “30 by 30” initiative—which aims to protect 30% of Earth’s land and water by 2030—risk becoming what experts call “the biggest land grab in history” without proper Indigenous consultation and consent.
The relationship between biodiversity and Indigenous territories tells a powerful story: the most biodiverse regions on Earth exist not despite Indigenous presence, but because of it. Yet these communities, who have been the most effective guardians of our planet’s ecosystems, often face displacement in the name of conservation.
Learning from Our Partners
We shared the experiences of two communities Azimuth has worked with extensively: the Batwa and Endorois peoples. The Batwa, an ancestral hunter-gatherer people who lived in Central African forests for 60,000 years, were expelled from their ancestral lands without compensation during the creation of national parks in the 1970s and 1990s. Today, while facing significant challenges including discrimination and poverty, community-led organizations continue working tirelessly toward self-determination and development on their own terms.
The Endorois of Kenya represent another paradigm of injustice—a community that has faced forced displacement twice. First expelled in 1973 for the creation of Lake Bogoria National Reserve, they were later displaced again due to climate change impacts that expanded the lake. Despite a historic 2010 ruling by the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights declaring their eviction illegal, the Kenyan government has largely failed to implement the recommended reparations.
Critical Questions for Conservation
We encouraged the audience to approach conservation projects with key questions in mind: Who lived here before this project was implemented? Did the project result in forced displacement without proper consent? Who controls the narrative around these initiatives? Are there community-led alternatives that prioritize Indigenous self-determination?
These questions become especially relevant as “fortress conservation” models continue to separate communities from their ancestral lands, often opening those territories to extractive industries and luxury tourism while excluding the very people who protected them for generations.
Supporting Indigenous-Led Solutions
Our work with Indigenous-led grassroots organizations, such as BIDO in Uganda, or Jamii Asilia Centre in Kenya, has shown us that supporting community self-determination produces more effective and just outcomes than top-down conservation approaches.
We emphasized that Indigenous communities are contemporary peoples thinking about their futures while maintaining ancestral knowledge systems that offer essential guidance for addressing biodiversity loss and climate change.
A heartfelt thank you to the Biology Department of the University of Aveiro for creating space for these essential conversations. When the next generation of biologists, conservationists, and environmental professionals understands the intersection between human rights and environmental protection, we move closer to truly sustainable and just solutions.
Share
