Roping in Indigenous Peoples Knowledge and Wisdom in Conservation - Salam Rajesh

New: Indigenous Knowledge in Conservation by Salam Rajesh

 

By Salam Rajesh | Senior Journalist based in Imphal, working with communities at Loktak Ramsar site and tribal communities on forest & wetland conservation in Manipur

The Fortress Conservation Trap

The fortress conservation model is a trap that limits and prevents important, Indigenous-led approaches to environmental stewardship, harming Indigenous people and the environment in one fell swoop.

This sharp criticism of state-sponsored conservation model is the product of a study, Experts, not Obstacles: Indigenous Conservation Excellence and the Trap of Conservation at any Cost, an outcome of a Harvard Project on Indigenous Governance and Development (Policy Brief No.2, September 2025), produced by the Kennedy Harvard School and the Native Nations Institute at the University of Arizona.

State-Sponsored Protected Areas vs Locals

State-sponsored conservation model such as those seen in the implementation of Protected Areas (PAs), reserved forests, wildlife sanctuaries, national parks off-limits people from a co-management structure in conservation with definitions of core area, buffer zones and eco-sensitive-zones that basically says, Nothing doing in these identified PAs.

Local people traditionally access natural landscapes that provide them with food, shelter and fodder. So, when these spaces become restricted after the declaration of a PA with the objective of protecting species or that very natural landscape as a wild reserve, the locals are cut off from accessing that landscape for their living.

This process is at the root of conflicts of interest between PA managers and local communities, often resulting in years of deadlock between the two. The examples are not far to seek in Manipur as the State had seen decades of conflicts of interest between State Forest Department and local communities.

The Shirui Kashung Example

The most glaring example in Manipur is the long-term dispute over the initial notification of the Shirui Kashung National Park in Ukhrul District. The final notification has been pending for years as local people cannot see eye-to-eye with the Forest Department, vis-a-vis the rights and privileges issue.

Harvard Finding: Indigenous are Experts, Not Obstacles

In its opening chapter, the Harvard study re-emphasizes: "Rather than being obstacles to progress, Indigenous people are experts in conservation, and they are achieving equal or superior outcomes in a variety of settings."

The authors (Kwika Riley, Britnee Nguyen, Miriam Jorgensen and Monte Mills) note that their analyses reflect that Indigenous people already are achieving the goals generally outlined in achieving successful conservation, such as in reducing deforestation, preventing wildfire, and preserving biodiversity.

Superior Performance by IPLCs

• Reduced deforestation at half the rate as counterpart community and achieved higher biodiversity
• High forest cover maintained by Indigenous communities vs decline in other areas
• Lower rate of wildfire in Indigenous managed areas
• Higher fish biomass in Indigenous protected areas than in no-take PAs - This is Loktak Lake!
• Superior tree maturity, volume and regeneration compared to other PAs
• Visible control of invasive species

Study Conclusion: "Our results confirm that Indigenous people are experts, not obstacles, in conserving our natural world. Indigenous conservation excellence is happening across the globe, through numerous arrays of practices, and those practices are achieving outcomes that are already desired by the larger conservation movement, sometimes even more effectively than their counterparts."

Manipur Success Stories

A good example of this assertion in Manipur would be:

1. Phayeng village in Imphal West District - deep green
2. Longku forest under Dailong village in Tamenglong District - lush green
3. Khampi village in Kamjong District - regenerated village forest safeguarded by villagers

The list could go on, whereas, it is enough to amplify this very assertion that IPLCs can do a good job in conservation of forests, and other natural landscapes with or without the help of government agencies.

A feasible, working partnership model between forest department and local communities can go a long way in shaping successful conservation models that can sustain both nature and people.

Salam Rajesh is a senior journalist based in Imphal, Manipur. He works with local communities based at Loktak Ramsar site and upland tribal communities on forest and wetland conservation.