Safeguarding the ancients

Yato Conservation Area, Solomon Islands

By Nakau

December 6^th, 2023

The Atawa and Amwea Tribes from East Makira have been working together to establish the Yato Conservation Area and protect almost 12,000 hectares of stunning primary rainforest and cloud forest — some of the most pristine tropical forests in the Pacific.

Now, they are preparing for a portion of this to become a conservation carbon project that supports the tribes so they can continue to manage the forest in a sustainable way as an alternative to commercial logging.

The partnership between the Atawa and Amwea Tribes stems from their shared vision of safeguarding the unique ecosystem and rich biodiversity which has been under their stewardship for generations: ancient trees, clean river systems, tropical plants and animals.

In recent years, commercial logging has increased across Makira, threatening the forests and placing communities at risk from worsening climate change impacts. In the absence of an official protected area and carbon project, logging and land-clearing is often the only income alternative for the customary landowners of Makira, even when it devastates forests, customary connection to the land, soil and waterways.

Martha Saunana is a Project Coordinator from Live & Learn Solomon Islands who is working closely with the Atawa and Amwea Tribes. She acknowledges their hard work establishing a protected area in recent years and says “setting up a carbon project in collaboration with the landowners of Yato requires mutual understanding, commitment and trust and this has been made possible through community consultations.”

Live & Learn and Nakau are working with the tribes in preparation for developing a carbon project using the Nakau Methodology, a process that ensures the community remains at the heart of a project, their carbon and land rights are protected, and a rigorous consultation and free, prior and informed consent process is followed.

As Martha and her colleague, Project Officer Kevin Sura from Live & Learn work alongside the Atawa and Amwea Tribes, they remain motivated by their shared goals of sustainable development that support both people and nature.

Thirty-two bird species and 33 other endemic species have been recorded in the Yato Protected Area. There are culturally significant Tabu sites and caves that contribute to important ancestral stories of the Atawa and Amwea people. And the Yato Protected Area is bound by the Bagarei, Maraone and Pehuru Rivers which provide clean water to coastal communities.

The team from Live & Learn have been travelling across the community to get a deeper sense of some of the livelihood challenges faced by customary landowners, as well as their strengths. They’ve engaged in workshops to explore how people use the land for food, water and other basic needs.

With 78% of the population under 35 years old — about half of these are children — the need for income opportunities are only increasing. The potential income from a carbon project reinvested in other sustainable livelihood activities would help alleviate financial stress in the future, while ensuring forests remain intact too.

"I would like to see this community in a position where they are able to manage their resources and benefit in a sustainable way."

“I would like to see this community in a position where they are able to manage their resources and benefit in a sustainable way. Logging is environmentally destructive and even socially disruptive to the peaceful lives of the rural people, and they have fought together against logging developments for so long,” Martha says.

“It is of great importance the community understand the type of development they are going to engage in and that everyone is heard. I also consider culture as the background of any setup.”

Next steps for the team are to report the findings of the recent surveys back with the communities they visited in East Makira, and continue preparatory work.

This work was funded by the Millennium Challenge Corporation and supported by the Solomon Islands Threshold Program. It continues to be implemented by Nakau and Live & Learn.

Footnotes

Banner photos: John Mittermeier, courtesy John Albert. Fieldwork photos: Kevin Sura, Live & Learn Solomon Islands. Atawa and Amwea Tribes are currently working in collaboration with Live & Learn Solomon Islands and Nakau in preparation for a community-owned carbon project that will benefit everyone in the Yato area. The Live & Learn team also acknowledges the support of Program Manager Wilko Bosma who works with Nakau and NRDF.