Supporting Indigenous Knowledge: Rainforest Conservation In The Congo

 

Recent reports indicate that rainforest conservation efforts in the Congo prove not only to be ineffective, but also harmful to the livelihoods of the local rainforest communities.

A report released in April 2016, by Rainforest Foundation UK, outlines the conflict. The report indicates that The Congo basin region’s rain forests are in danger as development models, poaching and logging have been consuming local resources and have been threatening the biodiversity of the region. To combat the deterioration of these forests, efforts, funded by donors in the United States and the EU, have been made to prohibit the majority of human contact to the region. Eco guards have been hired to manage the forested regions and the human activity within them.

This has resulted in conflict between the local people of the Congo and the conservationists. The creation and management of protected areas pushed rainforest communities out of their homes to smaller allocations of land that lack the resources to sustain the community. In addition, the report states that indigenous peoples are punished for hunting to live while criminals, that are more difficult to catch, continue to hunt and poach for profit. These human rights offences have led to the local’s resentment of conservation efforts.

In addition, the Rainforest Foundation UK’s research indicates that there has been little to no evidence of progress regarding the conservation of the Congo’s rain forests. The report suggests that conservation efforts continue to be ineffective as a result of a lack of cooperation between conservationists and local communities. The indigenous people of the Congo possess a great deal of practical and historical knowledge regarding the wildlife of the forest and how sustainability can be achieved. However, as conservationists continue to abuse the land rights of the local people their knowledge cannot be used. Although locals support conservation, they are resentful of the current processes of conservation efforts and are therefore unwilling to contribute to conservation efforts. The report suggests that local knowledge is likely the key to making more substantial strides to sustainable progress but the manner in which conservationists abuse the indigenous peoples by removing their right to their land closes the door to local information that would be beneficial to the cause.

According to Simon Counsell of Rainforest Foundation UK, “The current approach to protecting rain forests is not only unfair to local communities but also ineffective at protecting nature.” Counsell advocates that, “A new, more sustainable, form of conservation is needed in Africa’s rain forests which works with local people to secure their rights and protect their environment rather than working against them. International donors need to carefully consider whether their support to strict forest preservation is currently effective”

Lauren Dubay

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