Searchable database of alleged violations against Indigenous Peoples' human rights in protected areas and natural parks.
| Title | Country | Impacted Indigenous People(s) | Short Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Melghat Tiger Reserve | India | Korku, Gawli, Gond, Balai, Halbi, Wnjari, Nihal, Burad, Rathiya | In Melghat Tiger Reserve (India), Indigenous communities—including the Korku, Gond, Gawli, and others—have faced decades of forced displacement, violence, and criminalization under India’s tiger conservation program. Since the reserve’s creation in 1974, thousands of families have been evicted—often without consent, fair compensation, or rehabilitation. Protests against the ongoing relocations have been met with police brutality, arrests, and custodial torture, including the 2022 death of a young man allegedly beaten by forest staff. Despite these abuses, local communities continue to demand recognition of their forest and fishing rights under the Forest Rights Act (FRA). While recent rulings have acknowledged some land claims, Melghat remains a stark example of India’s “conservation-by-eviction” model that prioritizes wildlife protection over Indigenous survival. |
| Mochongoi Forest Reserve | Kenya | ||
| Lake Baringo National Park | Kenya | ||
| Monte Roraima National Park | Brazil | ||
| Salazar Ranch | Paraguay | ||
| Te Urewera National Park | New Zealand | ||
| Maduru Oya Reserve | Sri Lanka | ||
| Volcanoes National Park | Rwanda | ||
| Mt Elgon National Park (Kenya) | Kenya | ||
| San Francisco Peaks | United States of America |
Disclaimer: The Conservation database contains allegations related to human rights violations of indigenous peoples impacted by protected areas, national parks and other conservation measures. Allegations of human rights violations were collected from a wide range of sources, including thematic, country, and fact-finding mission reports submitted by indigenous organizations, individual experts, non-governmental organizations and other civil society actors, newspaper articles, petitions, communications, statements, and other relevant information or materials issued by United Nations independent experts and human rights mechanisms. The information provided in this database does not necessarily reflect the official views of the University of Arizona, the University of Arizona College of Law, or the University of Arizona Indigenous Peoples Law and Policy Program, nor is there any guarantee or endorsement of any information or views expressed therein. If you wish to add additional allegations, please reachout to us via email law-conservation@arizona.edu