Indigenous leaders denounce conservation and carbon projects as modern colonialism in Nairobi

Indigenous activists convened in Nairobi to label nature-reserve and carbon-offset initiatives as a new form of colonialism that strips them of ancestral lands. Around 60 representatives from four continents, including Marisol García Apagüeño of the Kichwa people, recounted how the creation of the Cordillera Azul National Park in 2001 and subsequent carbon-credit projects forced their displacement. The congress, hosted by Conservation Solutions Africa and Survival International, introduced a Nairobi Declaration demanding the return of territories, respect for free, prior and informed consent, and indigenous leadership of conservation efforts.

Participants cited examples such as the Maasai in Tanzania, who altered grazing routes for a corporate-backed carbon project involving Volkswagen. They also highlighted broader issues of corruption, police repression, and inadequate benefit sharing in carbon markets that are expanding globally. Scientific studies were referenced to support claims that indigenous stewardship can protect biodiversity as effectively as state-run reserves.