Latin America and the Caribbean lead the conservation of the planet’s terrestrial biodiversity, with 5 million square kilometers (km²) of protected land areas (4.9 in the Asia-Pacific, 4.3 in Africa, 3.8 in Europe, 2.5 in North America, and 0.4 in Western Asia), a figure that increases to 10.7 million km² when including protected marine areas.
With the eyes of the world on our region as we host the upcoming Biodiversity Summits (COP16, Colombia, October 2024) and Climate Change Summit (COP30, Belém, Brazil, November 2025), we from Latin American civil society recognize that we are facing a historic opportunity to strengthen action to address the global crises of biodiversity loss and climate change, while also enhancing opportunities and addressing specific challenges in our region.
More than 21.4% of Latin American territory is under some form of protection for its conservation. However, only 6.19% of these areas have governance that involves ethnic and rural communities. This latest data represents an alarming reality, especially when we consider that nearly 60% of the territories with high ecological integrity in the region are under some form of collective title held by ethnic and peasant communities.
This marked deficit in community participation in decision-making regarding the management of protected areas, in a megadiverse, multiethnic, and multicultural region, is evidence of how a paradox transcends into a global concern. Therefore, the key to addressing these challenges is inclusive conservation, an approach that recognizes and values the central role of grassroots collective building in ecosystem management.
For this to be possible, a fundamental change in the approach to biodiversity conservation is necessary, as the region also faces serious challenges in terms of implementation, such as governance issues and a lack of adequate funding.
We know that conservation goals based on areas will only be achievable if a more inclusive, effective, and human rights-centered approach is adopted. A case is an emblematic example is that of the protected areas of the Colombian Amazon, where, after the withdrawal of threatened public officials amid the armed conflict, it has been the indigenous groups who have maintained the management and care of the territories.
Another notable case is environmental governance in the Chocó biogeographic region under the leadership of Afro-descendant communities, which demonstrate that inclusive conservation is possible, effective, and, moreover, necessary.
Recognizing ethnic groups
While there is a growing recognition of the need to involve ethnic groups and communities in decision-making about conservation, turning this recognition into meaningful action remains a debt that urgently needs to be settled.
For Latin American civil society, paying this debt requires addressing the following pending issues:
Strengthen governance frameworks for management and decision-making in protected and/or conserved areas and support community-based conservation initiatives, recognizing the rights and contributions of ethnic groups and communities, ensuring their autonomy and active and equitable participation in decision-making processes.
Mobilize resources and invest in inclusive conservation, implementing mechanisms to ensure participation, community and organizational strengthening, as well as the physical, technical, and knowledge management inputs for these processes.
Ensure the fair and equitable distribution of benefits, ensuring that conservation efforts generate tangible and intangible elements of well-being for local communities, including economic opportunities and better livelihoods, among others.
Our modern Latin America and the Caribbean has been built on the foundations of injustice, inequity, and the neglect of our peoples and indigenous communities. Moving forward, there is only one path: that of inclusive conservation grounded in principles of equity and environmental justice, ensuring not only the participation of ethnic groups and communities, women, and youth, but also their leadership and the ability to benefit from conservation efforts. To achieve this, it is essential for decision-makers to view community governance as crucial, allocating adequate resources and improving context analysis in protected areas and those important for conservation.
Just a few days before the start of COP16, and with a robust agenda for social mobilization under the slogan ‘the COP of the people’, we from Latin American civil society view this conference as a key space for global and regional leaders to recognize the importance of inclusive conservation. The participation of ethnic peoples and communities is crucial for achieving global biodiversity and climate goals.
Latin America has the responsibility and opportunity to lead this change, ensuring that the conservation of nature is intrinsically linked to the well-being of the people who live in and depend on those territories. It is only possible with people.
