Evidence for the Effectiveness of Faith-Based Land and Water Management as a

Tool for Conservation

Nigel Dudley and Liza ZogibEquilibrium Research and DiversEarth

Towards an Implementation Strategy for the “HIMA” Governance System: Theories, Concepts, Methodologies, Case Studies and Action Plans

This presentation investigates the ways in which sites important to faiths intersect with sites important to conservation

Sites important to faiths

Sites important to conservation

Our studies have looked particularly at sacred natural sites in protected areas

Sites important to faiths

Sites important to conservation

This tells us something about:

→ Links between faiths and nature

→ The effectiveness of community approaches to conservation

And it also raises some questions about:

→ The need to look deeply into issues of effectiveness of different management approaches

→ The relationships between hima and protected areas

Sacred natural site. Area of land or water having special spiritual significance to peoples and communities

Because of belief that it is sacred, because of links with holy figures, because they own the land or because they manage the resources...

In 2006 we published a report about links between faiths and protected areas with WWF and the Alliance for Religion and Conservation

We found evidence of use of sacred natural sites in all the world’s 14 “major” religions and most minor religions

The way in which such sites are viewed and managed changes between and within faith groups but the basic link between faith and nature remains remarkably constant

We compiled information on over 100 sacred natural sites in protected areas – a tiny percentage of the total

Sacred natural sites are found in virtually every country – rich and poor, large and small and across cultures and faiths, in every IUCN category

But the effectiveness of sacred natural sites as vehicles for conservation was frequently questioned by conservation biologists – most evidence seemed to be anecdotal

A sacred natural site on an island in Madagascar where local fishing communities also protect nesting sites of the red billed tropic bird

We carried out a survey of

information on the conservation values of sacred

natural sites – we identified over 100 papers in

peer-reviewed journals as a

database.

Most of the papers were from Asia and Africa, with the commonest studies being from India, Nepal, Tanzania, Benin and Ghana.

Sacred natural sites in south Asia vary from individual trees to small woodlands, waterfalls, lakes and even large rivers.

Results: some benefits

• Many sacred natural sites contain high levels of biodiversity including endemic species

• Some are “dedicated” to particular species, e.g., turtle in Bangladesh

• Protection is often more rigorously implemented than in “official” protected areas

• As a result levels of biodiversity in sacred natural sites can be higher than in protected areas

• Sacred natural sites can be the only remnants of natural or semi-natural ecosystems in cultural landscapes

• At the same time, other sacred natural sites are rather unnatural but still contain important biodiversity

• Sacred natural sites are widely accepted as playing a beneficial role in conservation

In Japan, the only remaining lowland forests in large parts of the country are maintained by temples for timber for renovation – they also have the oldest written forest management records in the world

In settled parts of Borneo, “fruit gardens” and burial sites – tembawang – are planted but eventually gain characteristics of natural forests and are a major reservoir of biodiversity

Results: some limitations

• Many sacred natural sites are too small to maintain a full complement of biodiversity

• Some such sites undergo high levels of disturbance

• Although diversity often remains, sacred natural sites may have a significantly altered population compared with natural ecosystems

• If sacred natural sites are isolated they may further lose species

• Biodiversity may be manipulated – e.g., towards medicinal species or trees valuable for subsistence – sacredness sometime goes together with resource use

Results: some challenges

• Many sacred natural sites throughout the world are currently under threat

• Threats include changing attitudes towards faiths or culture; pressures from land-use change and resource extraction; and the impacts of tourism

• Inclusion of sacred sites within protected areas sometimes prevents local people from using a sacred site or causes problems from over-visitation – conversely in other situations managers support local use and help preserve sacred values

The IUCN World Commission on

Protected Areas has published a guide for protected area

managers on managing sacred

values in protected areas

Other ICCAs

• Other ICCAs have not been studied to the same extent

• A recent review of limited evidence (by Madhu Rao of the Wildlife Conservation Society) found evidence that ICCAs can and do work as effective conservation vehicles, but with some limitations

• A series of studies of protected landscapes also found generally positive but mixed results

Some ideas

• We need more careful studies of the relationship between biodiversity and community-based natural resource management...

• ... And to generate “bottom up” management advice for custodians regarding management and regeneration of sacred natural sites and other ICCAs

With respect to Hima:

• Is it a management approach or a faith-based approach, or both?

• Should all hima be protected areas?• Is the hima concept confined to Islam?