World’s indigenous peoples get help controlling their native forests and land
Stockholm — Indigenous peoples could soon re-gain some control of their native forests with the creation of a new global institution dedicated to securing their land rights. The International Land and Forest Tenure Facility, formally launched in Stockholm on Tuesday, aims to help communities protect their land resources, as well as combat climate change. Funded by Sweden, Norway and the Ford Foundation, a US charity, the facility has already provided grants and guidance for pilot projects in Peru, Mali, Indonesia and three other nations. Disputes over resources can prove deadly. According to non-governmental organisation Global Witness, more than 200 environmental campaigners were murdered in 2016 alone — nearly half from indigenous tribes. A 2014 survey by US-based think tank World Resources Institute, found restoring control of forests to original inhabitants can tackle global warming. In Brazil, deforestation in indigenous community forests from 2000 to 2012 was less than 1%, com...
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