For many African communities, lands and natural resources are their greatest and most reliable service providers, sustaining life, dignity and happiness. Their stewardship of the ecosystems on which they depend is also recognised as one of the most important contributions to nature conservation, with the lands and waters of indigenous peoples and local communities supporting approximately 80% of the world’s biodiversity.

Unfortunately, the rights of these communities are often undermined by the ever-increasing demand for land and resources, negatively impacting their ways of life and degrading the environment.