UN Conference on Biodiversity 2024 (CBD COP 16) events on 31 October focused on mechanisms and tools to support on-the-ground initiatives to help realize the vision of living in harmony with nature, and monitoring biodiversity within the territories of Indigenous Peoples and local communities (IPLCs).

One event highlighted the International Partnership for the Satoyama Initiative (IPSI), which includes a landscape approach, peer learning process, and spatially-based strategies. The event highlighted that IPSI has supported 68 projects since 2013, conducted thematic reviews of 83 case studies from different regions, and developed the Toolkit for the Indicators of Resilience in Socio-ecological Production Landscapes and Seascapes (SEPLS).

Also presented was the Satoyama Development Mechanism, which provides up to USD 20,000 for landscape or seascape restoration in collaboration with IPLCs. 

Speakers called attention to:

  • The Taiwan Ecological Network, which uses an integrated strategy that includes spatial planning, cross-sectoral cooperation, and landscape approaches;
  • The Taiwan Partnership for the Satoyama Initiative, which brings together organizations working on landscape approaches for peer-to-peer learning and on-the-ground training; and
  • A co-management agreement signed by the Saisiyat Tribe and the Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency.

The event was organized by IPSI, the CBD Secretariat, the Japanese Ministry of the Environment, the Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES), Tebtebba, Global Youth Biodiversity Network, Women4Biodiversity, and others.

Another event discussed monitoring biodiversity within the territories of IPLCs. It underscored the importance of monitoring for effective biodiversity conservation and of the participation of IPLCs in this monitoring. The event featured the perspectives of Indigenous rights’ advocates, entrepreneurs, academics, and conservation practitioners on community-based monitoring for biodiversity conservation.

One speaker said monitoring by IPLCs: allows them to understand the challenges and risks associated with harmful activities like pollution and climate change; helps them assess water quality in their area; and promotes participation in the management of the territories. She stated that collaboration between Indigenous Peoples and scientists can enrich research and detailed the ways in which extractive industries and economic and political systems are detrimental.

Another speaker said incorporating traditional and cultural knowledge helps integrate new generations into the conservation process and provides opportunities to use technological tools for monitoring. Community members who do the monitoring also exchange the knowledge with each other, which fosters conservation priority setting for their community, the event emphasized. 

Speakers also highlighted:

  • An approach in the Amazon in Colombia that allows the community to use forest resources without damaging the forest by combining traditional knowledge with regulated resource use;
  • The value of Indigenous knowledge for biodiversity conservation;
  • That having direct information enables the community to identify changes in nature; and
  • The need for free, prior, and informed consent (FPIC) related to data sharing and challenges related to the technical language.

Other topics raised included: 

  • How Indigenous knowledge can enhance scientific conservation methods; 
  • Concerns about who owns and controls the data collected from their lands; 
  • The need for policies that reflect and respect Indigenous contributions;
  • The need for financial mechanisms, such as payments for ecosystem services (PES), to sustain community-led conservation efforts;
  • The importance of training and access to technological tools to enhance monitoring capabilities and empower local conservation efforts; and
  • The right to manage their territories and protect resources according to their own cultural values.

The event was organized by El Centro Transdisciplinar Universitario para la Sustentabilidad (CENTRUS) de la Universidad Iberoamericana, GRECOL-ALC, and la Alianza para el Financiamiento a la Conservación y Restauración Comunitaria de la Biodiversidad.