Demonstration Videos are now available in multiple languages to assist members in navigating the ICCA Registry website and downloading data to ensure the accessibility of this critical information that can enhance advocacy and recognition of ICCAs—territories of life.
First published on 07/21/2024, and last updated on 07/26/2024
Written by Jasmin Upton (Programme Officer and manager of the ICCA Registry, UNEP-WCMC)
Information on hundreds of ICCAs— territories of life [1] —became publicly available on the ICCA Registry website, www.iccaregistry.org, in January of this year. For the first time, the ICCA Registry database can be openly accessed, providing information on more than 300 reported ICCAs—territories of life—and used to explore new interactive data displays, case studies, and imagery. This global database showcases these territories and their critical contribution to conserving biocultural diversity.
The ICCA Registry, developed in 2008 through a close collaboration between the ICCA Consortium, UNEP-WCMC, and other partners, is also a reporting platform that strengthens the evidence on the conservation importance of ICCAs—territories of life. It enhances global understanding and recognition of these crucial areas and the conservation practices of their custodians.
Indigenous peoples and local communities meticulously self-report data on territories of life to the ICCA Registry. This process involves a rigorous verification procedure based on peer review where possible, ensuring the utmost accuracy of the data. It serves as a mechanism for self-determination, self-declaration, and knowledge-sharing by the custodian communities, further enhancing the credibility of the database.
Custodians of territories of life can submit a range of information to the ICCA Registry – including geographical data, photos, and case studies – and explore how other communities around the world manage and conserve their territories and areas.
The upgraded platform hosts a new interactive map displaying the reported ICCAs—territories of life and a dashboard summarizing the latest ICCA Registry data, which includes the number and location of the territories of life reported; their objectives, governance, and ownership structures; how others recognize them; the primary threats they are facing and what forms of support they need.
Demonstration videos are now available in English, French, and Spanish to assist users in navigating the ICCA Registry website and downloading data. These videos provide a step-by-step guide to using the platform’s features and are designed to enhance visibility and accessibility for all members. You can watch the videos here: ENG, FR, ES.
[1] “The term ICCAs is not an acronym but an abbreviation. Two decades ago, the term was ‘CCAs,’ an acronym for ‘Community Conserved Areas’ (IUCN, 2004). It was later completed with an I to emphasize the role of Indigenous custodians, who also highlighted that they have ‘territories’ rather than mere ‘areas.’ The more recent formulation, ‘territories of life,’ was later adopted by many custodians in the Consortium to express the rich and multi-dimensional character of the environments they care for. ICCAs, however, is retained as the formulation has entered international policy, providing visibility to the phenomenon.”
