Conservation Projects, Measures & Policies: Question 5

[ISCCLAdmin Brabec]

#5070

Please identify and share examples of conservation projects and measures that have failed, or that have met challenges because they did not respect the values and priorities of the people affected by them or did not align with their aspirations for development.

[Alda Azevedo Ferreira]

#5107

Examples of Conservation Projects and Measures that Faced Challenges or Failed Due to Disregard for Local Values and Priorities
1. Iguaçu National Park and the Avá-Guarani People

Context: The Iguaçu National Park (Parque Nacional do Iguaçu) was created in 1939 to protect the Iguaçu Falls, a natural and tourist landmark. The park was established without consulting the Avá-Guarani people, who had lived in the area for generations. The absence of prior consultation and the expulsion of Indigenous families caused a lasting conflict.
Consequences: In 2023, Brazil’s Federal Court again prohibited the Avá-Guarani from entering their ancestral territories, despite their demand for recognition of traditional rights under ILO Convention 169. The case highlights the tension between conservation policies and Indigenous self-determination: by excluding traditional land use, the project undermined both social justice and the long-term sustainability of the protected area.

2. The Suruí Forest Carbon Project (REDD+)

Context: Launched in 2009, the Suruí Forest Carbon Project was Brazil’s first Indigenous-led REDD+ initiative, designed to generate carbon credits by preventing deforestation in Rondônia. The project was internationally celebrated and supported by corporations such as Natura.
Challenges and Failure: According to the 2019 Forest Trends report, the project eventually collapsed due to several interrelated issues: internal divisions within the Paiter Suruí community, ideological opposition from the Catholic Indigenous Missionary Council (CIMI), slow and unequal distribution of financial benefits, and increased illegal logging and gold mining within the territory. Many community members felt the project imposed an external agenda and did not align with their cultural priorities or daily economic needs. The project was officially suspended in 2018.
Lesson: The case shows how top-down carbon projects can fail when they do not incorporate Indigenous governance structures and mechanisms for equitable benefit-sharing.

3. Ka’apor Territory Carbon Credit Project (Maranhão)

Context: In 2023, a private company signed a carbon credit agreement with leaders from the Ka’apor Indigenous Territory in Maranhão, aiming to trade carbon offsets without proper federal authorization.
Outcome: Brazil’s Federal Court suspended the project after recognizing that it had been implemented without free, prior, and informed consultation (FPIC). The ruling emphasized that, under the Constitution and ILO Convention 169, Indigenous territories are public lands under federal management, and no private contract can assign carbon rights without community consensus and government approval.
Lesson: The project’s suspension illustrates that conservation or carbon initiatives carried out without legitimate Indigenous participation are not only socially unjust but also legally invalid.

4. Creation of Conservation Units and the Displacement of Traditional Communities

Context: Throughout the 20th century, numerous national parks and ecological stations in Brazil were created using an exclusionary “fortress conservation” model that removed the people who had historically inhabited these territories—such as extractivist families in the Amazon and coastal caiçara communities. Examples include the establishment of the Serra do Mar State Park and parts of the Amazonian conservation mosaic.
Consequences: According to studies by the NUPAUB/USP research center and reports by WWF-Brazil, these displacements generated social injustice, cultural loss, and hostility toward environmental agencies. In many cases, local communities—once natural guardians of the environment—became marginalized and associated conservation policies with repression.
Lesson: Excluding traditional populations erodes trust, increases illegal exploitation, and undermines the effectiveness of conservation goals. Participatory and co-management approaches are essential to align biodiversity protection with social equity.

Conclusion

These cases reveal a recurring pattern: conservation and climate-finance projects often fail when they disregard local worldviews, traditional livelihoods, and the right to self-determination. Sustainable environmental governance depends on respect for cultural diversity, equitable benefit-sharing, and genuine participation in decision-making. Only by aligning conservation goals with community aspirations can preservation efforts achieve both ecological resilience and social legitimacy.

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