Kasmita Widodo

Abstract Conservation areas are critical for tackling the global environmental crisis1. These sites are reported as covering 18.5% of the terrestrial realm2 and governments have committed through Global Biodiversity Framework Target 3 to increase this to at least 30% by 2030 (ref. 3). There are concerns that this potential near-doubling of conservation area coverage will negatively affect vulnerable people and over-stretch conservation resources4.

There is one thing that seems necessary for us to remember in discussions about conservation, namely that conservation is not just about saving species, planting trees, or designating an area as a protected zone. Fighting against destruction is also a form of conservation. For indigenous communities that are defending their territories from mining, plantations, logging, or other forms of encroachment, the struggle is fundamentally an effort to preserve the ecosystem.

Ada satu hal yang tampaknya perlu kita ingat kembali dalam pembicaraan tentang konservasi, yaitu bahwa konservasi bukan hanya soal menyelamatkan spesies, menanam pohon, atau menetapkan suatu kawasan sebagai wilayah yang dilindungi. Melawan perusakan juga merupakan konservasi. Bagi masyarakat adat yang mempertahankan wilayahnya dari pertambangan, perkebunan, pembalakan, atau bentuk perampasan lainnya, perjuangan itu pada dasarnya adalah upaya mempertahankan ekosistem.