Recently, an initiative was established to preserve and restore the African forests and protect them from being cut down by returning the forest dwellers, those who were expelled from the forests, forests where they lived for many generations
In recent years, two forest-dwelling tribes were evicted from their place of residence, from the forest where they lived for many generations. In Cameroon, the Baka, a tribe of small-scale hunters formerly known as Pygmies, were expelled from the Minton Forest Reserve (Ngoyla-Mintom). In Kenya, the Ogiek were expelled from the Mau forest.
In both cases and in many other cases of evacuation, the winds were blowing from two directions. On the one hand, there were the indigenous rights defenders who opposed the eviction and demand their return, on the other hand, there were the nature conservationists who claim that forest reserves empty of people should be created. Of course the question that arises is who is right. In order to preserve the forest, must it be "cleansed" of people, or do the natives who inhabited the forest for many generations not harm it but, on the contrary, help preserve it?
In many parts of the world the tension is rising between environmentalists who believe that the right way to preserve forests is by declaring reserves where no people will live. Facing them are millions of natives who have been driven from their land and areas where they have lived for ages.
In front of the conflict between the parties stands the fact that the forests in Africa are cut down and destroyed at an alarming rate, either by loggers or by farmers looking for new cultivation areas. These also invade forest reserves and cause damage on a huge scale.
It turns out that an initiative was established to preserve and restore the African forests by returning the forest dwellers, those who had been expelled from the forests, forests in which they lived for many generations. In a hearing before the African Court of Human Rights in 2017, the Haugike people demanded to cancel their expulsion from the Mau Forest, the court granted their request and the natives Returned to the forest. Since your return, they have restored extensive forest areas, a restoration that is beneficial For areas throughout the region, the Mau forest, which captures a lot of rainwater, is a source of water, a source of livelihood. The Ogaik people hope that the court's ruling will eliminate the danger of being evicted from their home and land. However, in 2012, after the expulsion of the Baka from the Ngolia forest, logging companies raided on the forest and caused enormous damage, by the time the Cameroon authorities realized what trouble they were in it was already too late since the permits The felling was granted and the forest that was protected as long as the Ogeik people lived in it is becoming extinct.
According to the representative of the Haugaik tribe, when the forest dwellers are not involved in tree planting projects and forest restoration, they are sabotaging the restoration efforts. While those natives are important allies when you share the initiative with them. At a meeting of Global Landscapes, one of the leaders of the Haugek tribe said that "when the people of the forest are not given ownership of their ancestral land, they feel like rebels. "They feel neglected and without rights."
According to the Oxfam organization: Throughout history, natives have existed in local societies on about half of the inhabited surfaces. in the entire world, but the recognition of their rights was limited, so in most cases they were given "ownership" of only a fifth of the territory that was traditionally "theirs".
The explosion of the world's population caused an increase in the demand for land areas for agriculture and "development", with a significant part of the pressure being on forests. To withstand the outbreak, countries in Africa committed to rebuilding million square kilometers of forests by 2030. The restoration of the forests will help the water system, improve the crops, and will be added to the fight against warming, following the decision and as a result of surveys and studies, more and more governments recognize the rights of the native forest dwellers and the benefits of their presence. Even among nature conservationists there is a trend of change and understanding of the important environmental role of forest dwellers.
It is difficult to compare African forests with our forests, yet for many years there has been a ban on grazing goats in general and black goats in particular in large areas. In recent years, following repeated fires, there is an understanding that grazing controlled by goats helps to preserve the forests, because like in the Aed forests in Africa, it is the same with us. In the entire environment as well as in the forests, there is an influence of humans that over generations has brought a healthy balance. Allowing the natives to continue to live and to exist in territories where many generations have lived allows for better preservation of the existing and optimizes the preservation of the environment.
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