The central roles played by Indigenous Peoples in biodiversity conservation need to be properly and accurately appreciated by science

Indigenous Peoples play indisputable and critical roles in the conservation of the planet's biodiversity. Their lands and livelihoods sustain life in myriad forms. But this vital activity can be misrepresented and misunderstood.

A recent study questions the scientific validity of the long-repeated claim that "80% of the world's biodiversity is found in Indigenous Peoples’ territories." Work conducted by researchers at the Institute of Environmental Science and Technology at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (ICTA-UAB), in collaboration with a broad group of researchers, practitioners and Indigenous Peoples’ representatives, questions the sources behind such claim. It presents empirical evidence to show that it is not well-founded, and that the true extent of Indigenous Peoples’ contributions cannot be quantified so easily.

The research, published today in the scientific journal Nature, advises against using the 80% figure by the scientific community and those supporting Indigenous Peoples’ rights in biodiversity conservation. The figure oversimplifies the complex relationships between Indigenous Peoples and biodiversity. The need to correct this erroneous figure arises from concern about the increasing propagation of its use in reputable documents by well-intentioned individuals who genuinely believe in its validity despite its tenuous grounding.

The figure is used in forums such as the United Nations or the World Bank and prestigious scientific journals. It has taken root in public discourse as an established truth. Some Indigenous Peoples’ representatives use it skeptically, aware of its shortcomings, while others, fearful of undermining advocacy, have avoided endorsing it. The authors’ scientific detective work identified the claim’s origins in misquotes and poorly summarized research.

 

"There is ample evidence that Indigenous Peoples and their territories are essential to the world’s biodiversity, rendering the use of an unsupported statistic such as the ‘80% figure’ unnecessary" states Álvaro Fernández-Llamazares, a scientist at ICTA-UAB and author of numerous articles on the contributions of Indigenous Peoples to global biodiversity maintenance. “Recognition in policy circles that Indigenous Peoples play fundamental roles in supporting planetary sustainability will be stronger if based on robust evidence”, he emphasizes.

 

One of the problems with the ‘80% figure’, is that it assumes that biodiversity is quantifiable and mappable, which is largely untrue. The authors argue that biodiversity encompasses much more than just the number of species and ecosystems, implying the understanding of complex entanglements between humans and non-human nature.

 

“Biological and cultural diversity on ancestral lands and waters of Indigenous Peoples have co-evolved over time underpinned by living reciprocal, kinship, and sacred relationships”, adds Joji Cariño, a senior policy advisor at the Forest Peoples Programme.

 

Assigning a definitive numerical value to biodiversity misrepresents the interactions of Indigenous Peoples with biodiversity and devalues the much deeper values that Indigenous Peoples place on their territories. Further, the assumption of this definitive figure closes the door to future biodiversity research.

 

"There are important gaps in biodiversity-related knowledge because Indigenous Peoples’ values, perspectives and knowledge systems have been largely ignored in conservation science. A truthful, multiple evidence-based approach of collaboration between Indigenous Peoples and conservation scientists is urgently needed", concludes Pernilla Malmer, senior adviser at the SwedBio programme of the Stockholm Resilience Centre.

 

Genuinely valuing the cultural knowledge and practices of Indigenous Peoples will lead to a more just and effective approach to conserving the planet’s biodiversity.

Reference:

Fernández-Llamazares Á, Fa JE, Brockington D, Brondízio ES, Cariño J, Corbera E, Farhan Ferrari M, Kobei D, Malmer P, Márquez GYH, Molnár Z, Tugendhat H, Garnett ST (2024) A baseless statistic could harm the Indigenous Peoples it is meant to support. Nature, 633: 32-35.