Lexicon

Commons “The original meaning of the term ‘commons’ comes from the way communities managed land that was held ‘in common’ in medieval Europe. Along with this shared land a clear set of rules was developed by the community about how it was to be used. Over time, the term ‘commons’ has taken on several meanings. Most generally, it can be used to refer to a broad set of resources, natural and cultural, that are shared by many people. Traditional examples of commons include forests, fisheries, or groundwater resources, but increasingly we see the term commons used for a broader set of domains, such as knowledge commons, digital commons, urban commons, health commons, cultural commons, etc.” from the IASC website.

• An video on the Spanish commons can be viewed here.
• Types of commons can be explored here.

ICCA “Territories and areas governed, managed and conserved by custodian indigenous peoples and local communities”  “This refers to an age-old, widespread, diverse and dynamic phenomenon that has many different manifestations and names around the world. Examples include: / wilayah adat/,/kaw/, /himas/, /agdals/, /tagal/, /yerli qorukh/, / faritra ifampivelomana/, /oran/, /ili, asang, rumak, qoroq/, /qoroq-e bumi/, /sapari/, /baldíos, crofts,/ /regole, aschii… /In diverse political contexts, they may be referred to as ‘commons’ and ‘greens’, ancestral domains, ‘country’, community conserved areas, /territorios autonomos comunitarios/, /comunales, territorios de vida/, /territorios del buen vivir/, sacred natural sites, locally managed marine areas and fishing grounds, and many more.” From the ICCA website.

• To understand the diverse types of ICCAs, please see the Territories of Life report. 

OECM Other Effective area-based Conservation Measures. The global definition as set out by the CBD is : “A geographically defined area other than a Protected Area, which is governed and managed in ways that achieve positive and sustained long-term outcomes for the in situ conservation of biodiversity, with associated ecosystem functions and services and, where applicable, cultural, spiritual, socioeconomic, and other locally relevant values”