Reversing the decline in New Zealand’s biodiversity: empowering Māori within reformed conservation law

Creating new conservation law that more holistically and comprehensively supports hapu and iwi leadership in conservation management should be embraced as a critical step towards reversing the decline of Aotearoa New Zealand’s biodiversity. Treaty of Waitangi settlement statutes (for example, the Te Urewera Act 2014) and new conservation policies and practices (for example, the Department of Conservation’s Conservation Management Strategy Northland 2014–2024) throughout the country are strongly recognising the need for tangata whenua to be more involved in the conservation and management of New Zealand’s biodiversity. It is timely for conservation law itself to be reformed to better reflect and support these recent advancements.&nbsp

Working with indigenous, local and scientific knowledge in assessments of nature and nature's linkages with people

International audienceWorking with indigenous and local knowledge (ILK) is vital for inclusive assessments ofnature and nature’s linkages. Indigenous peoples’ concepts about what constitutessustainability, for example, differ markedly from dominant sustainability discourses.The Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystems Services (IPBES) ispromoting dialogue across different knowledge systems globally. In 2017, memberstates of IPBES adopted an ILK Approach including: procedures for assessments ofnature and nature’s linkages with people; a participatory mechanism; and institutionalarrangements for including indigenous peoples and local communities. We present thisApproach and analyse how it supports ILK in IPBES assessments through: respectingrights; supporting care and mutuality; strengthening communities and their knowledgesystems; and supporting knowledge exchange. Customary institutions that ensure theintegrity of ILK, effective empowering dialogues, and shared governance are amongcritical capacities that enable inclusion of diverse conceptualization of sustainability inassessments

Working with indigenous, local and scientific knowledge in assessments of nature and nature's linkages with people

International audienceWorking with indigenous and local knowledge (ILK) is vital for inclusive assessments ofnature and nature’s linkages. Indigenous peoples’ concepts about what constitutessustainability, for example, differ markedly from dominant sustainability discourses.The Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystems Services (IPBES) ispromoting dialogue across different knowledge systems globally. In 2017, memberstates of IPBES adopted an ILK Approach including: procedures for assessments ofnature and nature’s linkages with people; a participatory mechanism; and institutionalarrangements for including indigenous peoples and local communities. We present thisApproach and analyse how it supports ILK in IPBES assessments through: respectingrights; supporting care and mutuality; strengthening communities and their knowledgesystems; and supporting knowledge exchange. Customary institutions that ensure theintegrity of ILK, effective empowering dialogues, and shared governance are amongcritical capacities that enable inclusion of diverse conceptualization of sustainability inassessments