STATE OF THE RAINFOREST 2014
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The world’s tropical forests are home to millions of people who
depend on the forest for their livelihood. Their cultures are often
closely linked to the forest. Even in forests which are considered
‘untouched wilderness’, a closer look reveals how indigenous
peoples have, for thousands of years, used and harvested from the
forest, and contributed to the management and protection of forests
and their resources. An understanding of the close relationship
between local communities and the forests and its resources must
be at the core of any strategy to protect the forests.
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Estimates vary, but around 750 million – 1 billion people depend
directly on forest ecosystems and agroforestry for parts of their fuel
wood, food and fodder needs.
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At least 60million of the forest peoples
are indigenous.
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Forest-based indigenous peoples have strong
social, cultural and spiritual bonds to their ancestral territories. If the
forests disappear, these people lose not only their livelihoods, but
also essential elements of their culture and identity.
In the Amazon, peoples living in voluntary isolation, or ‘un-contacted
indigenous peoples’, are particularly vulnerable. These are relatively
small groups with distinct languages and cultures, living in the forest
and explicitly avoiding contact with the majority society (see Peru story,
section 3). Without special measures and effective protection of their
ancestral forests, these peoplesmay well not exist a few years fromnow.
Cultural diversity and land
Indigenous peoples are relatively few in number, approximately
370 million people
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and constitute about 5% of the world population.
Still, their numerous ethnic groups represent the main cultural
diversity of the world. The greatest number of indigenous peoples
is found in the tropical forest regions.
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A recent study on the
correlation between areas with high biological diversity and
high linguistic diversity further underscores the link between
indigenous peoples and tropical rainforest.
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Some 70 per cent of
the world’s languages are spoken in the biodiversity hotspots,
mainly tropical rainforests.
Land is where collective culture is being lived and shared, and
where the transfer of skills from one generation to the next takes
place. Land is linked to worldview and historic references, and
certain places have spiritual and religious importance. Land is
intrinsically linked to worship, collective knowledge, to male/
female activities, to skills linked to food harvesting and medicine
collection, house building, income generation, etc.
According to ILO Convention 169 on the Rights of Indigenous and
Tribal Peoples (1989), indigenous and tribal peoples ‘have the
right to decide their own priorities for the process of development
as it affects their lives, beliefs, institutions and spiritual well-being
and the lands they occupy or otherwise use, and to exercise control
over their economic, social and cultural development’(Article 7).
Consultation with indigenous peoples should be undertaken
through appropriate procedures, in good faith, and through
the representative institutions of these peoples. Importantly,
indigenous and tribal peoples also have a right to manage for
themselves the land they use and depend on, expressed even
People in the rainforests
