Fortress conservation versus traditional forest management

The example of Soliga tribal people from the Western Ghats, India

Dados Bibliográficos

ID23312414
AutoresKamaljit K Sangha (0000-0002-7675-9916, Charles Darwin University, autor correspondente), M Balasubramanian (0000-0003-2798-5850, Institute for Social and Economic Change), C Madegowda (Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment), Siddappa Setty (Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment), S Siddappa Setty (Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment), Jeremy Russell-Smith (0000-0003-1489-2866, Charles Darwin University)
Ano2026
Volume22
Fascículo1
Data de publicação2026-12-31
Peer ReviewedSim
Open AccessSim
TipoARTICLE
PeriódicoEcosystems and People (JOURNAL)
Identificadores do periódicoISSN: 2639-5908 • E-ISSN: 2639-5916
EditoraInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/26395916.2026.2698265
OpenAlexW7171407045
IdiomaEN
Referências citadas49

Wildlife conservation is typically achieved by excluding, evacuating or alienating the rights of Indigenous peoples and local communities (IPLCs). This fortress conservation approach has led to uprooting, ongoing distress and despondency among many IPLCs worldwide. However, in the expansive and deep forests of the Western Ghats, India, the Biligiri Rangaswamy Temple Wildlife Sanctuary (BRTWS) offers a prime conservation exemplar where tribal (Adivasi) people, the Soligas, have been living with wild animals, especially tigers, leopards, elephants and managing forest resources for millennia. We provide an integrated ecological, socio-cultural and policy analysis of Soligas living in the Biligiri landscape, applying Ostrom’s socio-ecological framework. We highlight the need to understand and recognise the importance of Adivasi people’s connections, knowledge and skills in forest management. Comparing traditional and contemporary conservation approaches, we identify the need for collective action and collaboration between State authorities and Soliga communities to effectively manage forest resources, including emerging threats (e.g. pernicious weeds, pests, wildfires). Involving tribal people with the knowledge and skills to manage their natural systems can offer a win–win situation for supporting people’s well-being and for governments to reduce management costs and protect wildlife in Protected Areas. The BRTWS example demonstrates the cost-effective practical advantages of a collaborative, community-based conservation approach for meeting Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and ensuring the delivery of ecosystem services for local communities and wider society.

Action (physics) · Fencing · Indigenous · North American Model of Wildlife Conservation · State (computer science) · Traditional knowledge · Wildlife · Wildlife conservation · Wildlife management · Conservation, Biodiversity, and Resource Management · Primate Behavior and Ecology · Wildlife Ecology and Conservation