The African continent stands out for its biodiversity, which is unique in the world: an irreplaceable wealth of flora and fauna, vital for the ecological balance of both the continent and the entire planet. From north to south, east to west, Africa is a mosaic of extraordinary ecosystems that have, for centuries, lived in symbiosis with local populations. From the Serengeti savannahs to the rainforests of the Congo Basin, all the way to the island richness of Madagascar — home to about 90% endemic species — there is an ancient interweaving between nature and humans, between the non-human world and the practices of local communities. In many cases, these communities do not merely live in these environments but are an integral part of them.
This relationship has nothing to do with the Western concept of the nature-culture dualism which, although scientifically outdated, still strongly persists in common perception.
However, this extraordinary wealth is now threatened by multiple pressures, both human-induced and natural, which jeopardise the integrity of these ecosystems. Climate change, deforestation, the expansion of industrial agriculture and mining are just some of the main threats to African and global biodiversity.
Since the early decades of the 20th century, various biodiversity conservation strategies have been applied to counter these threats, sometimes with positive results for certain animal and plant species. However, these models have often been implemented at the expense of local communities, resulting in evictions, marginalisation and social conflicts — outcomes rooted in a vision deeply shaped by colonialism and Eurocentrism.
Survival International, an NGO that defends the rights of Indigenous communities worldwide by protecting their lives and lands, defines conservation strategies that dispossess local communities of their cultural and territorial heritage as failures, describing this practice as “green genocide”.
For decades, the dominant paradigm in Africa has been that of fortress conservation — a model in which nature is considered “pure” only when separated from humans. This has led to the creation of protected areas from which local communities have often been forcibly excluded, resulting in serious human rights violations and, at the same time, questionable results in terms of environmental protection.
The militarisation of territories, the establishment of “untouchable” parks, the suppression of traditional knowledge, and the narrative that portrays local communities as “enemies of nature” deliberately ignore centuries of coexistence between humans and the environment, fuelling logics of domination and profit.
Biodiversity conservation — in Africa as elsewhere — cannot be separated from social justice. Exclusionary models imposed from outside, without the consent of local communities, have proven not only ineffective but have often caused profound and irreparable damage.
It is time to recognise that local populations are not enemies of nature, but rather essential allies in its protection. Restoring voice, rights, and power to those who live in and care for their territories is the first step towards truly effective, just, and lasting conservation.
