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https://www.thedailybeast.com/economic-justice-for-indigenous-groups-is-vital-to-saving-endangered-species>
"Monarch butterflies spend the warm months migrating throughout the United
States and Canada, before congregating in their mountain forest habitat in
central Mexico to wait out the North American winter. While citizens of all
three countries treasure the monarch’s presence, some of the highest costs of
conservation have been “paid” only in Mexico. More specifically, rural and
Indigenous communities in Mexico have lost access to lands deemed crucial for
the monarch. This “solution” has been imposed on the communities by outsiders,
and has undermined a traditional system where humans, monarchs, and other plant
and animal species shared the forest successfully.
Migratory species like the monarch butterfly provide an object lesson in the
interconnectivity of both landscapes and people. Effective and lasting
conservation of migratory species must be a true collaboration between many
kinds of communities, spanning countries and cultures. Yet migratory species
are in decline, in part because conservation efforts too often disregard the
communities that have historically protected them. Our research shows that
already advantaged groups—tourists, bird watchers, wealthier farmers—tend to
benefit from migratory species. Benefits may come in the form of pest control,
pollination, or tourism. Less advantaged groups, often rural and Indigenous
people or communities in the Global South, meanwhile, pay a cost in lost
economic opportunity to preserve habitats, reaping little or nothing in return.
The people protecting habitat deserve compensation. Justice demands it.
Practicality demands it too. Conservation efforts that reinforce inequity are
not sustainable. Equity in conservation efforts is not only the right way to
preserve species—it is the only way."
Via Frederick Wilson II.
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
