Indigenous council practices community-based conservation and natural resource management
An indigenous council representing the communities of an exceptionally biodiverse region of the central Tropical Andes has successfully gained a collective title to manage several hundred thousand hectares of land.
The Consejo Indígena del Pueblo Tacana (CIPTA), or Indigenous Council of the Tacana People, secured a ‘Native Community Lands’ collective land title (TCO) from the Bolivian government, giving them management of 389,303 hectares of forest and savanna. CIPTA was established in 1992, and represents 24 Tacana communities of the Abel Iturralde Province, Department of La Paz, Bolivia.
This collective land title allows for greater control and management more aligned with their identity as the original stewards of the land. CIPTA continue to practice sustainable natural resource management, monitor endangered species, and promote sustainable livelihoods. Their land use strategy prioritizes sustainable livelihoods, biodiversity conservation and forest protection, resulting in the territory having a deforestation rate which is four times lower than in surrounding areas used for agriculture and other productive activities.
The Tacana territory encompassed by this land title is a well-known hotspot for biodiversity and connects several habitats with the protected area of Madidi. Therefore, CIPTA’s work to maintain and increase the connectivity of the habitats under its land title with surrounding areas upholds the biodiversity present and focuses on its preservation and improved health.