Local Rights and Conservation Regimes in Noncolonized Countries: Historical Antecedents and Contemporary Dispossession

Conservation regimes have been implemented in various countries, including Iran, regardless of their colonial history. This paper focuses on how conservation regimes have affected local communities' access to land and resources, primarily through protected areas and community- based conservation programs led by non-governmental organizations.

The paper argues that conservation regimes in non-colonized countries, like Iran, are grounded in a modernist approach that rejects the utilization of traditional resources. This approach disregards indigenous knowledge and practices, which are integral to effectively managing natural resources. The paper also examines the current methods of dispossession and emphasizes the harmful impacts of conservation regimes on local communities, specifically with respect to forced relocation and exclusion from decision-making processes.

The paper concludes that conservation in non-colonized countries requires a more nuanced approach that values and integrates indigenous knowledge and practices in the management of natural resources. Greater recognition of indigenous people's rights to land and resources, as well as their meaningful participation in decision-making processes, is critical. NGOs and other conservation actors must take a more critical view of the historical and political context in which they operate and engage in collaborative partnerships with local communities to address issues of dispossession and inequality.