Conserving 30% of our land and oceans by 2030

A highly ambitious coalition of more than 50 countries has committed to conserving 30% of their land and oceans by 2030. This is a radical commitment that hopefully can arrest the unprecedented loss of biodiversity and habitat we have witnessed over the last few decades.

A series of recent reports on the status of biodiversity have shown us that we are losing plant and animal species at an unprecedented rate in human history. A 2019 report released by the United Nations has detailed how human activity threatens over 1 million species with the risk of extinction within decades.

The unprecedented rate of biodiversity loss has some scientists dubbing this age as the sixth mass extinction event on Earth.

The High Ambition Coalition for People and Nature is a timely reminder that the solutions to biodiversity loss needs global cooperation with local solutions. Between 2015 and 2021, the portion of land under protection increased to 15.4% from 14.7%. However, the rate of biodiversity loss has not reduced. This new 30 by 30 pledge can be a gamechanger for the conservation movement only if the solutions are based within the context of the local community. A few bright spots are emerging that may point to a more collaborative approach between governments and local communities to achieving conservation goals.

The US Case Study

Only around 12% of the total US landmass and 24% of the US oceans are under some form of protected status. To increase this to 30% by 2030, the US federal government is looking to add the term "conserved land" to the various protected status designations that already exist. The US government is planning to work with local farmers, ranchers, and indigenous communities to conserve land and water resources which will eventually contribute to the 30% conversation target. This is in stark contrast to the historic wrongs perpetrated on indigenous peoples in the pretext of conservation dating back to the world's first designated protected area (PA) in 1872 - The Yellow Stone National Park.

The goal of the conservation effort is to uphold the rights of indigenous tribes, local farmers, and ranchers so that the conservation projects get buy-in from local communities. It also looks to protect the livelihood of the people that rely on the land for their income by reducing restrictions to land use and investing resources to manage these lands sustainably. Although the details of how to get to the 30 by 30 goal still need to be worked out, along with metrics used to define successful conservation, the holistic approach of this effort has the potential to not only serve conservation goals but also protect the rights and livelihoods of local communities.

The Indian Context

The forest conservation efforts of the government have for too long been opposed to the rights and livelihoods of the indigenous population that inhabit these lands. This has been the case even though several reports have shown tribal communities to be good stewards of forest land due to their traditional knowledge of plants and animal species.

“Recent research demonstrates that while the world’s 370 million indigenous peoples make up less than five percent of the total human population, they manage or hold tenure over 25 percent of the world’s land surface that supports about 80 percent of the global biodiversity”

The idea that nature exists outside of human society is a myth, people have always lived alongside and depended on nature. This sacred connection between humans and the natural world is more pronounced in local indigenous communities all over the world. Recognizing indigenous people's land rights along with expanding existing protected areas is a potential solution to get us to the 30 by 30 goal.

As many as 100 million people in India depend on access to forest land for their livelihood and necessities. There can be no successful conservation effort that ignores the rights of these local communities. While people are being displaced by conservation efforts that exclude local communities, since 1947, more than 6.2 million ha have been diverted for non-forestry purposes. Although the forest rights act of 2008 was intended to un-do wrongs of the past, subsequent rulings and spotty implementation have diluted some of its most important provisions.

We can change this dynamic by involving local communities in the conservation of forests. Community-based conservation efforts align the goals of forest conservation and wildlife protection while recognizing the rights of local communities in forest areas. These efforts will save the government money, create jobs, and improve the lives of the millions of people that live in and care for our forests.