Chapter 31: Strengthening land and natural resource governance and management: Protected areas, Indigenous lands, and local communities’ territories

Abstract

Protected areas, Indigenous lands, and local communities’ territories play a critical role in holding back deforestation, maintaining regional and global climate stability, and – above all – protecting land rights. Nevertheless, these lands are currently threatened by political and economic interests that drive land speculation, agribusiness expansion, and illegal logging and mining, resulting in increasing deforestation rates. Governments are also reassessing and walking back territorial rights legislation.

Brazilian Amazon Indigenous Territories under deforestation pressure

“…Although industrial activities are not allowed inside ITs, these territories have recently been threatened by illegal mining 29,30 . Our ndings showed that inside the ITs, the contribution of mining to the total deforestation notice 21 increased from 1% in 2016 to 14% in 2021.…”

Local governance, climate change, and natural resource management in the Amazon

“…t The communities involved in the projects must have, a priori, guaranteed rights to land and territories, among other fundamental rights and public policies. The lack of tenure security and the absence of demarcated territory for the reproduction of the way of life can threaten local governance in the long term (Pagdee et al 2016;Barreto-Filho et al 2021). Observing in which conditions of territorial rights the communities are inserted and working so that these conditions are guaranteed and improved is fundamental.…”

“…Life Plans and Territorial and Environmental Management Plans, developed by indigenous peoples and traditional communities, are examples of management instruments that promote territorial security based on the practices and knowledge of these peoples; the National Policy for Environmental and Territorial Management of Indigenous Lands (in Brazil, Decree No. 7,747, of June 5, 2012) is an example of public policy that contributes to the realization of territorial security and sustainable production practices (Barreto Filho et al 2021). t Differences between the assumptions and forms of knowledge production (ontologies and epistemologies) of external actors (project supporters) and communities must be recognized by the partners.…”

“…For example, establishing networks of institutional support and decentralized and continuous funding models for the project, well-coordinated with local governance. (Barreto Filho et al 2021). Building and maintaining a long-term community-based natural resource management project requires collective effort (actor network) and available financial resources.…”

Governança local, mudanças climáticas e manejo de recursos naturais na Amazônia

“…t As comunidades envolvidas nos projetos devem ter, a priori, garantia de direitos à terra e territórios, dentre outros direitos e políticas públicas fundamentais. A falta de segurança de posse e ausência de território demarcado para a reprodução do modo de vida podem ameaçar a governança local no longo prazo (Pagdee et al 2016;Barreto-Filho et al 2021). Observar em quais condições de direitos territoriais se inserem as comunidades e trabalhar para que essas condições sejam garantidas e melhoradas é crucial.…”