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Africa

Indigenous peoples across Africa are facing significant challenges in maintaining their traditional ways of life and protecting their lands and natural resources, such as extractivism and exclusionary conservation.

In Africa, we partner with the Indigenous Information Network (IIN) and the Chepkitale Indigenous Peoples Development Programme (CIPDP) in Kenya, who are working to address these issues.

Explore our work inKenya

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Local artists perform “moomi olee kerkeey kooreenyoo”, a song about the splendor

Conservation through application of traditional practices and indigenous knowledge

Indigenous communities are perhaps the only groups of people in Africa who still maintain their traditional values and culture. Often, their way of life is dictated by their environment and available natural resources, and to live in harmony with nature, they have to develope ways…
04.12.23
Article
Demonstration on quadrat method of data collection

Community Based Biodiversity monitoring

ICCS training on biodiversity monitoring methods The Interdisciplinary Centre For Conservation Science (ICCS) is a research group based in the Department of Biology, University of Oxford. Through research and collaboration across the world, the ICCS and its fellows work at the interface of social and…
04.12.23
Article

Showcase on Indigenous contributions to biodiversity conservation

Transformative Pathways website launches The Transformative Pathways website, launched on the International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples 2023, is a platform to evidence indigenous peoples and local communities’ work safeguarding biodiversity across the globe. The website is a repository of information to ensure that…
09.08.23
Blog
Indigenous women at Kiltamany Samburu county practicing sustainable agriculture to achieve food security

Indigenous Peoples and Biodiversity

This blog article has been written by the Indigenous Information Network.  Just sit down today and imagine the Earth without plants, animals, air and water, do you think life is going to be easy? Definitely not or life will not be even there at all.…
29.06.23
Article

Conservation of Mt. Elgon forest

Mt. Elgon forest has continued to suffer degradation despite efforts to protect its resources by different actors. Charcoal burning, uncontrolled harvesting of bamboos and other forest products are key drivers of deforestation. Government’s approach to conservation using the Plantation Establishment and Livelihood Improvement scheme (PELIS)…
13.06.23
Blog
“We want to demonstrate to the environmental policy makers both at national and international level that Indigenous people; Ogiek in this case, can coexist with nature without harming it” - Phoebe Ndiema, CIPDP

Indigenous fellows lead workshop on biodiversity monitoring protocol at Oxford University

Phoebe Ndiema and Elijah Kitelo, both biodiversity fellows at the Interdisciplinary Centre of Conservation Science (ICCS) at the University of Oxford, led a hybrid workshop on biodiversity monitoring protocols on the 7th June, 2023. Attended by Oxford academics from a wide variety of expertises -…
07.06.23

Further info

The situation of indigenous peoples and biodiversity in Africa is complex and varied, as there are many different indigenous communities and ecosystems across the continent. Overall, however, many indigenous peoples in Africa face significant challenges in maintaining their traditional ways of life and protecting their lands and natural resources. 

One of the threats to indigenous peoples and biodiversity in Africa is the encroachment of mining, agriculture, and infrastructure projects. This often results in the displacement of indigenous communities and the destruction of their lands and natural resources, which can have devastating impacts on both the people and the ecosystems they depend on. 

Another threat is the creation and management of protected areas on indigenous lands in Africa. Although these conservation projects aim to protect biodiversity, in doing so they evict indigenous peoples and local communities from the land that they have protected and sustainably managed for generations. 

A significant challenge is the lack of recognition and protection of indigenous rights by many African governments, which often fail to consult with or obtain the free, prior, and informed consent of indigenous communities before authorising development projects on their lands. This can lead to conflicts and human rights abuses, as well as the loss of important cultural and ecological knowledge. 

Many indigenous community organizations such as CIPDP and IIN in Kenya, continue to work towards the protection of their lands and natural resources, often with the support of international organisations and civil society groups. These efforts include advocacy and legal action, as well as community-based conservation initiatives that seek to promote sustainable land use and biodiversity conservation while respecting indigenous rights and knowledge. 

Landscape of Transmara, Narok County. Forest coverage in the area has decreased over years due to increased agricultural activities such as sugarcane plantation.
Landscape of Transmara, Narok County. Forest coverage in the area has decreased over years due to increased agricultural activities such as sugarcane plantation. Photo by Indigenous Information Network (IIN)
Elephants grazing in the rich undergrowth of Mt. Elgon Forest, Kenya
Elephants grazing in the rich undergrowth of Mt. Elgon Forest. Photo by Dickence/CIPDP
Community members having a workshop the traditional way around a bonfire, Kenya.
Community members having a workshop the traditional way around a bonfire. Photo by Mutai/CIPDP