Central and Eastern Africa: Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Cameroon
Rosina Blomley, Fred Nelson, Adrian Martin and Martine Ngobo

Photo: Rosina Blomley

Wide differences exist between the four countries with regard to the size, and occurrence of CCAs. This appears to be the result of a complex set of reasons, but includes factors such as enabling policy/legislation, population density and demand for land, and the presence of traditional/indigenous communities who have lived in an area with relatively little disturbance.
The status and durability of CCAs is critically dependent on the ability of local communities to make decisions about land and resource uses, hold secure tenure over resources, and exclude outsiders from appropriating resources...

There is no one-size-fits-all working definition, or model of CCAs across SW China, where many groups maintain sacred land practices. CCAs can be found on exclusively collective forest, or on one household’s family land but, most importantly, a great number of them are overlapping or co-existing in multiple forms with protected areas.
CCAs are found in a nested hierarchical structure. It is important to recognize the significance of sacred land at the household level and through to the regional level.  Particularly the ones at the household level are most vulnerable. Without such foundation of day-to-day attachment and practices, the more lofty ones at the top might start to loose their cultural constituency...

The Circumpolar Arctic: Nunavut (Canada) and Russia
Michael A.D. Ferguson and Katja Viventsova

The concept of “Community Conserved Areas” is still largely unknown among indigenous organizations, local communities, academics, government and others in the Arctic. Most indigenous people do not conceive of their ancestral areas in sub-divided parts that can be properly conserved as separate units. To maintain their indigenous lifestyles, they have utilized extensive land- and seascapes that include several interdependent ecosystems. [In other words] the “southern” concept of “protected areas” does not readily fit into the knowledge systems of Arctic indigenous peoples.
On the other hand, the concept of CCAs can be a useful tool for indigenous peoples in the Arctic by which they may gain government recognition of their traditional practices and governance systems...

Northern Mesoamerica: Belize, Guatemala, Southern Mexico
Gary Martin, Claudia Camacho, Carlos del Campo

The CCA movement is vibrant is Mexico, growing in Guatemala but merely nascent in Belize.  Indigenous and some mestizo communities have historically managed their territory in a way that ensures the protection and sustainability of their resources.
 A long-standing common practice is to maintain a part of their territory in a forested area with minimal human impact.[…]
Indigenous autonomy movements are a strong trend in Mesoamerica, particularly in Chiapas and Oaxaca. In these cases, CCAs are embedded in a wider struggle for liberty, democracy, justice, land tenure, control of natural resources use, production, knowledge, technology, education and culture... .

Photo: Gary Martin