We’re making this letter public so that everybody can perceive that the combat towards biodiversity loss can’t be finished on the expense of nature’s greatest guardians. The purpose of 30% protected areas is a “Large Inexperienced Lie”. It is going to destroy hundreds of thousands of lives, however won’t save our planet. Discover right here an announcement that specifies our opposition to this, signed by greater than 200 environmental and human rights organizations, consultants and lecturers.
20 March 2021
Expensive Prime Minister,
Re: The 30% protected areas goal – a catastrophe for tribal and Indigenous peoples and biodiversity
Survival Worldwide, the worldwide motion for tribal peoples, is extraordinarily involved by the purpose, supported by you and your authorities, of remodeling 30% of the planet into “protected areas” by 2030.
The 30% goal is being erroneously offered as an answer to decreasing biodiversity loss and mitigating local weather change. The creation of protected areas follows the colonial mannequin of “fortressconservation” and results in severe human rights violations towards Indigenous and native peoples. These embrace land grabbing, evictions, torture and killings by the hands of park guards, supported by conservation organisations like WWF and WCS.
The 30% plan would result in the most important land seize in historical past – violating the rights of over 300 million individuals. These will embrace probably the most weak communities on the planet, who’ve contributed least to the local weather disaster. It won’t shield biodiversity or mitigate local weather change. Proof reveals that when tribal and Indigenous peoples’ rights to their ancestral territories are assured, they’re the very best guardians of nature, but the present plan doesn’t present any assure for the rights of tribal and Indigenous peoples or for native communities. Their territorial rights and their rights to selfdetermination and to free, prior and knowledgeable consent, that are enshrined in worldwide legislation, should be assured and revered.
By co-chairing the Excessive Ambition Coalition for Nature and Peoples, which is pushing the 30% goal; and by internet hosting the G7 and COP26 summits this 12 months, the UK is in a uniquely sturdy place to affect the controversy. Due to this fact, we name on you to desert help for the colonial and racist mannequin of fortress conservation and we urge you to make use of your management to make sure that the rights of tribal and Indigenous peoples are revered, together with sturdy, enforceable ensures.
Indigenous peoples are the very best conservationists and making certain their rights should be the primary software for shielding biodiversity. For tribal peoples, for nature, for all humanity.
Yours sincerely,
Caroline Pearce
Director
Survival Worldwide
