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Ecosystem restoration and Indigenous Peoples and local communities: Learning from protected and conserved areas

S. Mansourian

Published 2026 in Restoration Ecology

ABSTRACT

Global interest in, and funding for, ecosystem restoration is growing in the face of ongoing ecosystem degradation. The role and inclusion of Indigenous Peoples and local communities (IP&LCs) have not been given sufficient attention in ecosystem restoration. The objective of this research is to apply the lessons from the experience of protected and conserved areas (PCAs) in order to better consider the role of IP&LCs in ecosystem restoration. To do this, I develop a framework along three stages that apply to both PCAs and restoration: (1) site identification and planning; (2) management/implementation; and (3) impacts/outcomes. Questions were identified along each stage and used to guide eight in‐depth expert interviews (including with four Indigenous Peoples), the analysis of six case studies and a literature review. Along each of the three main phases of the restoration process I find several lessons from PCAs of relevance. Phase I – Site selection: Carry out inclusive processes for identification of restoration sites; Guarantee full FPIC; Share data transparently; Give voice to IP&LCs; Facilitate consultation processes; Prioritize tenure security; Use locally developed maps; Acknowledge divergent worldviews; Adapt western ideas to Indigenous knowledge and practice in restoration. Phase II – Implementation: Develop collaborative restoration plans; Ensure fair remuneration; Include Indigenous knowledge in implementation; Include IP&LCs in governance mechanisms; Recognize the role of IP&LCs in ongoing monitoring. Phase III – Outcomes: Ensure restoration responds to the needs of IP&LCs; Ensure governance and management mechanisms enable favorable outcomes for IP&LCs; Ensure benefits of restoration reach IP&LCs; Attend to within‐community variation (e.g., gender, ethnicity, religion, age sometimes), which can distort benefits distribution; Include IP&LC values in measures of restoration impact. Current and future restoration project would benefit from learning lessons from protected and conserved areas to ensure that IP&LCs are included at all stages of the restoration process. Three fundamental issues emerge: 1. Recognition that different worldviews guide IP&LCs and western approaches to restoration practice; 2. the need for innovative tools to combine knowledge systems at all stages of the restoration cycle; 3. the need for more comprehensive and culturally relevant measures of restoration.

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