Calls to treat indigenous communities as experts in conservation

Indigenous peoples have deep, generational knowledge of the ecosystems they have lived in and protected, making them more experts in telling nature stories rather than mere beneficiaries of conservation initiatives.

Wanjiku Kinuthia, the Deputy Director for Partner Communications at Maliasili, said journalists and conservation organisations have for years largely refused to recognise the indigenous people as key knowledge holders and partners in environmental stewardship.

“Indigenous people should also be viewed as experts because they have a lot of knowledge to share, as communities living closest to nature often possess insights built over generations,” said Wanjiku during the launch of the Mongabay Swahili platform.

The Mongabay Swahili platform is part of the larger Mongabay conservation outlet that is expanding access to reliable environmental news and information for millions globally.

By publishing stories in Swahili, and seven other languages, Mongabay seeks to bridge language barriers that often limit access to environmental reporting, allowing more communities to engage with issues such as climate change, wildlife conservation, forests and marine ecosystems.

The Swahili platform is part of Mongabay’s broader effort to strengthen environmental journalism in Africa by working with regional contributors and highlighting stories, especially solutions, from local communities and indigenous peoples.

Globally, an estimated 476 million indigenous people live in more than 90 countries. This population manages or has tenure rights over about a quarter of the world’s land surface areas estimated to contain nearly 80 per cent of the planet’s remaining biodiversity, according to the World Bank.

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Wanjiku emphasized that these communities possess invaluable insights into ecosystems, including long-term observations of wildlife behavior, seasonal patterns, and changes in natural resources. She said such knowledge was essential for more accurate storytelling and more inclusive conservation approaches that respect the experience and expertise of local people.

Wanjiku challenged journalists and conservation groups to shift their perspective when covering environmental stories involving local communities.

“Too often someone goes into a community, takes a photo of a fisherman and writes a beautiful story. But they don’t take time to understand the generational knowledge that has been passed along in that community,” she said.

She revealed that indigenous communities closely observe environmental changes such as declining fish stocks, changing seasons and shifts in ecosystems long before they are documented in scientific reports. This knowledge makes them crucial partners in conservation efforts and in storytelling about the environment.

Wanjiku urged journalists to go beyond surface-level reporting and engage more deeply with communities to understand their experiences and perspectives.

“Recognising indigenous communities as experts could strengthen conservation efforts by ensuring that local knowledge is integrated into environmental decision-making and storytelling.”

Her remarks come amid growing global calls for conservation approaches that place indigenous peoples and local communities at the center of protecting biodiversity and natural resources.

International frameworks such as the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework adopted at the COP15 UN Biodiversity Conference recognize the critical role of indigenous knowledge in conservation.

Studies by organisations, including the Food and Agriculture Organisation and the World Resources Institute, also show that many of the world’s most biodiverse ecosystems are found within territories managed by indigenous peoples, highlighting the importance of their knowledge and stewardship in safeguarding nature.