Searchable database of alleged violations against Indigenous Peoples' human rights in protected areas and natural parks.
| Title | Country | Impacted Indigenous People(s) | Short Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tengis-Shishged National Park | Mongolia | ||
| Yasuní National Park | Ecuador | ||
| Embobut Forest | Kenya | ||
| Kaeng Krachan Forest Complex | Thailand | ||
| Isiboro Sécure National Park | Bolivia | ||
| Montaña de los Botaderos Carlos Escaleras National Park | Honduras | ||
| Central Kalahari Game Reserve | Botswana | San - Bushmen, Bahkwe, Basarwa, Bakgalagadi | In Central Kalahari Game Reserve (Botswana), the San (Bushmen) and other Indigenous groups have endured systematic evictions, violence, and denial of basic rights under state conservation and resource policies. Since the reserve’s creation in 1961—without consultation—major expulsions occurred in 1997, 2002, and 2005, when armed police destroyed homes, sealed water sources, and forcibly relocated hundreds of families. Despite a 2006 High Court ruling affirming the San’s right to return and hunt, authorities have continued to harass, torture, and arrest returnees, including cases of shootings and water access denial. These abuses coincide with diamond and gas extraction projects within the reserve, raising concerns that conservation is being used to mask resource exploitation. The 2011 Court of Appeal confirmed the Bushmen’s right to water, condemning government conduct as degrading, yet violations persist. The CKGR remains a symbol of “green apartheid”, where Indigenous custodians are criminalized while extractive and tourism interests flourish. |
| Tayrona National Park | Colombia | ||
| Laponia World Heritage Site | Sweden | ||
| Mt Elgon National Park (Uganda) | Uganda |
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