The 2023-2024 Progress Report for Naso Indigenous Territories Protection

*An idyllic area of the Naso conmarca found near the Naso Palace. Photo by ©Joshua Asel*

In 2023 and 2024, the Foundation for Sustainable Conservation (FUNCOS) provided critical support for the protection of nearly 200,000 hectares of intact forests in the Naso Comarca, a communal reserve under the national protection that overlaps with the La Amistad National Park (PILA) in Panama.

Naso Kingdom, Panama Indigenous Community Protection: La Amistad International Peace Park (PILA).

With the aim of developing new strategies for environmental conservation and balance, the Ministry of the Environment (MiAMBIENTE) and FUNCOS signed an agreement that will strengthen joint actions in protected areas. The agreement was signed by Juan Carlos Navarro, Minister of the Environment, and Kherson Ruíz Gómez, representing FUNCOS.

With the support of the Foundation for Sustainable Conservation (FUNCOS), Global Conservation has put in place, for the first time, real community protection for these two large newly-designated Indigenous Territories—called Comarcas in Panama.

*Integrated patrol operations with the Panama military to support Naso People’s land rights.*

Protecting the Naso Kingdom and La Amistad International Park (PILA)

Over 60 Naso Community Ecoguards, equipped and mobilized with backup support from Panama Law Enforcement, patrolled over 2,000 kilometers, mapped threats, and removed illegal settlements and cattle ranches in their territories, thanks to the dedicated work of Kherson Ruiz and his team over the past two years.

This year, they made two arrests for the illegal land clearing and destruction of the first Naso Ranger Station in 2023. These GC Patrols are the first time joint protection with law enforcement has resulted in wins for the Naso (or Teribe) People.

*The Naso Comarca showing recent deforestation (in magenta) with proposed new Community Ranger Station locations.*

Additionally, the Panama Geographic Agency has started demarcating the Naso territories, and we anticipate publishing a formal gazette with permanent boundary markers in the next two to three years.

Based on these experiences working with Indigenous Peoples to protect their own communal lands protected under the Constitution, Global Conservation published our first Community Protection Handbook (also in Spanish) to scale up indigenous community protection to other countries in Latin America.

Ground patrols and satellite monitoring clearly highlight the primary threats to Naso territory, as outsiders engaged in illegal cattle ranching and logging have invaded large areas of their territory. Just last year, our newly built Naso Community Ranger Station was burned to the ground by invaders.

The Naso people face significant challenges in defending their ancestral territory. The encroachment of squatters, the relentless expansion of agricultural frontiers, and the ongoing struggle with cattle ranchers who repeatedly invade their lands pose serious threats to the Naso Territory's integrity. These external pressures jeopardize not only the cultural, natural, and spiritual heritage of the Naso people but also the delicate balance of the region's ecosystems.

Now that the Naso have secured legal rights to their Comarca after many years of legal battles, it is critical that we provide the necessary resources and support to empower the Naso Community in their efforts to protect and preserve their territory for future generations.

*Naso Community Rangers patrolling the territory, utilizing the SMART tool for data collection, ensuring effective monitoring and conservation efforts in the Naso Territory.*

Naso Indigenous Territory Protection

On the limits of the PILA, new cattle ranches used for the colonization of agricultural areas have been found and destroyed. Outsiders have reported these new clearing areas, livestock invasions, hunting sites, and human settlements in the Naso Comarca to the Ministry of the Environment.

Naso Ecoguards are now using SMART Patrolling technology and GPS to clearly locate and report threats. The Naso now have an attorney who, from now on, will directly file complaints with the Public Ministry, supported by Global Conservation.

The Naso people face significant challenges in defending their ancestral territory. The encroachment of squatters, the relentless expansion of agricultural frontiers, and the ongoing struggle with cattle ranchers who repeatedly invade their lands pose serious threats to the Naso Territory's integrity.

These external pressures jeopardize not only the cultural and spiritual heritage of the Naso people but also the delicate balance of the region's ecosystems. It is imperative to provide the necessary resources and support to empower the Naso community in their efforts to protect and preserve their territory for future generations.

*Heads of the Naso People show their partnership with Global Conservation.*

Protecting the Naso Comarca

The Naso People is an indigenous community that upholds its ancestral governance system, which includes a functional king and a council of elders supporting the king's role.

The community's new territory, known as the Comarca Naso, is located in Bocas del Toro, Panama, within the foothills of the Cordillera of Talamanca. This territory was created by taking parts of the La Amistad International Park and the Palo Seco Forest Reserve and fitting them together. The Comarca Naso is vast, with an area of 160,616 hectares; it boasts diverse ecosystems and plays a crucial role in Panama rainforest conservation efforts.

Global Conservation has been working in partnership with the ancestral authorities of the Naso People to deploy Global Park Defense with a 60-person team of Community Rangers.

Our partnership with the Naso People aims to support their Community Rangers, known as "klung kjër" in the native language, in the protection of their territories and increase government collaboration in demarcation and law enforcement.

Global Conservation has provided training in SMART patrolling, ranger basic training, first aid, satellite monitoring, GIS mapping, and the use of smartphones for patrolling, data collection, and analysis. As well, Global Conservation is providing equipment and communication devices to enhance security and patrol operations support, including river and road transport, fuel, and food rations.

Over the past 18 months, we have gathered key information about areas invaded by ranchers, verified the Comarca's boundaries, and minimized squatting activities within Naso territory with the presence of Community Rangers.

The Global Park Defense program will also offer training and employment opportunities to younger Naso people in patrolling, transport, logistics, and construction. Traditional Naso culture faces long-term decline as young people migrate to nearby cities in search of work and educational opportunities, causing loss of community and traditions.

*Through the partnership with GC, a Naso ranger lets an Owl Butterfly rest on his hand after the team discovered a poached area of their forest. Photo by ©Joshua Asel.*

Global Conservation is the only NGO working to protect the Naso Indigenous Territory, Panama’s largest legally established Comarca (160,616 hectares) won by the Naso People after nearly twenty years fighting in the courts and ministries.

In the next three years, Global Conservation will invest over $300,000 focused on deploying Global Park Defense with the Naso People, who have organized a 60-person Community Protection and Enforcement team to demarcate, monitor, and patrol their vast territory across many mountain ranges and rivers.

La Amistad National Park in Panama, on the other hand, has just four (4) national park rangers (government employees) covering 221,000 hectares. In an integrated program, Global Park Defense will be deployed in Naso Indigenous Territory, La Amistad National Park and Palo Seco Forest Reserve, a conservation corridor linking Fortuna Forest Reserve and La Amistad International Park with an estimated area of 167,410 hectares.

*This map highlights the PILA Ranger and joint operations patrols together on the borders of the Naso Comarca.*

The Next 3 Years

Global Conservation works for 5-6 years in each GC Project to achieve major improvement in park and Indigenous Territory protection, carrying out six (6) primary objectives:

Objective 1: Training and Specialized Education for Community and Park Rangers

To ensure the effective safeguarding of the Naso Territory, it is vital to provide ongoing training to the Naso Community Rangers. These courses will focus on advanced techniques in patrolling, monitoring, and conservation practices. By enhancing their skills, the Community Rangers will be better equipped to tackle emerging threats and challenges. The requested funding will be utilized to conduct regular training programs and workshops.