Prey Lang, Prayer Gathering, Siem Reap, Cambodia

During the last 50 years, almost half of the world’s forests have been destroyed. How can we protect our remaining forests, which contain 80 percent of terrestrial species and provide livelihoods for nearly a third of the human population? Studies by the Center for International Forestry Research and the World Bank show that Indigenous forest-dwelling communities do a better job of protecting forests than conservation programs do. Our best bet for saving forests is to support their rights and their management of the forests they know best.