“Green colonialism” – How nature conservation harms indigenous peoples | DW Documentary

From DW Documentary.

A win for wildlife, a loss for humans. African nature reserves are restricting indigenous peoples’ access to rivers and forests — and, in doing so, are endangering their very existence.

In the name of protecting rhinos, lions and gorillas, Africa’s governments are handing over control of ever-larger swathes of land to NGOs such as the WWF, African Parks or the Northern Rangelands Trust — to the detriment of local indigenous populations.

At first glance, Africa’s wildlife conservation efforts look to be a good thing. The problem is: The new nature reserves systematically restrict indigenous peoples’ access to rivers and forests. That’s led environmental activists and advocates for indigenous communities to denounce what they see as a new "green colonialism". They criticize the commercial and militarized administration of nature — in particular, the growing trade in carbon emissions credits for land long used by indigenous communities.

In Rwanda, Kenya and the Republic of the Congo, our reporter met members of communities who are now considered to be a threat to the natural environment, even though their ancestors have shared the land with wildlife here for centuries. To this day, these indigenous peoples live from small game and wild honey, or from the milk and meat of their cattle. Restrictions make it increasingly difficult for them to lead their traditional lifestyles, yet the wildlife preserves afford them few new job opportunities.

#documentary #dwdocumentary #dwdocs #africa #nature
______

DW Documentary gives you knowledge beyond the headlines. Watch top documentaries from German broadcasters and international production companies. Meet intriguing people, travel to distant lands, get a look behind the complexities of daily life and build a deeper understanding of current affairs and global events. Subscribe and explore the world around you with DW Documentary.

Subscribe to: ‬
⮞ DW Documentary (English): https://www.youtube.com/@DWDocumentary
⮞ DW Documental (Spanish): https://www.youtube.com/@DWDocumental
⮞ DW Documentary وثائقية دي دبليو (Arabic): https://www.youtube.com/@DWDocarabia
⮞ DW Documentary हिन्दी (Hindi): https://www.youtube.com/@DWDochindi
⮞ DW Dokumenter (Indonesian): https://www.youtube.com/@DWDokumenter
⮞ DW Doku (German): https://www.youtube.com/@DWDoku

For more visit: http://www.dw.com/en/tv/docfilm/s-3610
Follow DW Documentary on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dwdocumentary/
Follow DW Documental on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dwdocumental

We kindly ask viewers to read and stick to the DW netiquette policy on our channel: https://p.dw.com/p/MF1G