🏞 In the newest study from our Land Struggle Series, we explore how policies of ‘nature conservation’ in South Africa violate the tenure rights of traditional communities and uphold colonial power structures. Under conservation policies in the iSimangaliso Wetland Park, recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the local fisher communities are harrassed, displaced and treated as poachers, in an attempt to keep the area untouched by human influence. At the same time, the space is open to luxurious ecotourism lodges under the pretense of sustainable business. This is an example of how the market-based approach to sustainability and conservation invites a green-washed form of neocolonialism.🏿 The Tenure Guidelines stress the importance of centering the voices of Indigenous People and other communities with customary tenure systems in decisions regarding the management of land and natural resources. As the South African example showcases, the right to land of local communities must be at the center of environmental discourse. Read the article via the link in our bio! With the support of @masifundisedt#WeBelongToTheLand #IndigenousRights #PeasantStruggles #LandStruggleSeries #RightToLand #conservation #natureconservation #environment #UNESCO #SouthAfrica