On 19 August 2003, a meeting on compensation for land lost for protected areas and other protected estates was organized by the Africa Biodiversity Collaborative Group (ABCG).
Compensation for loss of land (and natural resource) rights, interest in land, or value added to land is an important tool to address the socioeconomic impacts of policy and project developments. Compensation is paid to insure that those people affected by a development will be as well-- if not better-- off after the project is completed as they were before it started. In Africa, compensation is a common component of the design of certain types of projects, such as hydropower dams and large-scale mining operations, although the affected people are not always paid or adequately compensated. Historically, compensation has not been a common consideration for people affected by the establishment of a new protected area or by raising the legal status of an existing protected area. Rather, other tools have more often been used, including resettlement, benefit-sharing, and job training. Increasingly, however, compensation is being considered by the biodiversity conservation community for people affected by projected areas.
Three African legal experts (from Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda) shared experiences on compensation from their countries. Respondents from Conservation International, World Wildlife Fund, and Wildlife Conservation Society discussed examples of their organizations' work on compensation issues.
Read the meeting summary here. The powerpoint presentations and other meeting materials can be found under Tools & Resources.
Photo Credit: Conservation International