Nature's Fault Lines

Any trip to the Outer Hebrides would not be the same without the dramatic peat landscape. Yet 80% of Scotland's peat areas are degraded. Peatlands are an extraordinary carbon store — vital for climate change and biodiversity alike. Here in Scotland, local crofters and communities are now able to tap into Scottish Government funding for peatland restoration, particularly in areas like the Western Isles. Having access to funds is a game changer for what was previously ignored for centuries.

Indigenous is not a community far away.

Indigenous peoples represent just 6% of the global population yet are custodians of a third of the world's most biodiverse areas according to UNEP. They hold formal legal title to just 11% of the land they protect (RRI). There is a clear disconnect between ownership, responsibility and accountability.

Ghost forests in Cambodia are sacred lands dedicated to the dead for spiritual and religious beliefs. The impact of indigenous ownership is impressive in its scale. Indigenous-controlled forest – controlled by the Kuy people - lost just 7% of its primary forest cover to illegal logging according to Eco-Business/Global Forest Watch. The surrounding area, Beng Per Wildlife Sanctuary, lost 77%. That difference is stewardship in practice.

In the Amazon, indigenous communities are integral to the regeneration of nature — using ancient planting methods and creating fertile soils over thousands of years. Terra Preta, or Amazonian Dark Soils, is a fascinating proof of stewardship — cultivated for their extraordinary richness and passed down through generations. Alongside this, there has been the selective cultivation of abundant and diverse trees for sustainable management and food.

The world has committed to protecting 30% of nature by 2030 — the Protected Planet Initiative. It cannot be achieved without indigenous peoples. Yet they fight to be heard.

Is anyone listening?

As travellers we need to ask more questions. Change our mindset to change behaviour and shape a new model. Chain or local restaurant, global hotel brand or locally owned hotel — where do local communities have more control and input? Clearly, it's another form of leakage to opt for the chain when local restaurants use local farmers and locally produced produce, and local hotels keep more money in the destination.

Let's put local — in all its shapes, forms and diversity — in the mix. Whilst supporting indigenous peoples’ rights.