A/HRC/43/53 are more likely to invest in the good management of forests, soil and water if they have clear user rights and security against eviction. They are more likely to invest in improving yields on existing land and less likely to extend cultivation into marginal or forest areas. Forests that are legally owned and/or designated for use by indigenous peoples and local communities deliver a wide range of ecological and social benefits, including lower rates of deforestation and forest degradation, greater investments in forest restoration and maintenance, improved biodiversity conservation, lower carbon emissions and more carbon storage, reduced conflict, and poverty reduction. 59 110. The Maya Biosphere Reserve in Guatemala is one of the world’s most biodiverse areas. To help to conserve the reserve, the Government gave nine local communities land concessions so they can make a sustainable living from the forest. The concessions have generated more than $5 million in annual revenue, as well as jobs for local community members. The forest concessions have had a near-zero deforestation rate for the past 14 years. According to research, there is a positive relationship between socioeconomic progress (income, investments, savings, capitalization of community enterprises, and asset building at the household and enterprise levels) and conservation of the concession areas.60 111. In Kenya, the Green Belt Movement, for which Wangari Maathai won a Nobel Peace Prize in 2004, has planted more than 51 million trees. This grass-roots organization sponsors 4,000 tree nurseries that produce more than eight million native seedlings annually. More than 30,000 women received training in forestry, beekeeping, food processing and other trades, enabling them to earn a livelihood while protecting local lands and ecosystems. Similar movements now exist in Uganda, the United Republic of Tanzania and other African States. 112. Mauritius has established community-based programmes aimed at restoring important ecosystems, including coral reefs and mangrove forests. At least five vulnerable coastal communities have participated in training programmes and created coral nurseries. Mangrove forests in Mauritius that have been rehabilitated are now protected by the Fisheries and Marine Resources Act. IV. Conclusions 113. In the present report, the Special Rapporteur has summarized many good practices in implementing the human right to a safe, clean, healthy and sustainable environment, drawn from more than 175 States.61 A remarkably diverse array of actions can deliver on the imperatives of cleaner air, improved access to safe water and adequate sanitation, and sustainably produced food, healthy environments and a safe climate. This is true even in difficult circumstances, such as in States or communities plagued by poverty, conflict or natural disasters. The most important beneficiaries of the good practices highlighted in the report are the individuals and communities who are most vulnerable to the adverse effects of environmental harm and who lack access to basic environmental services. 114. Protecting the environment contributes to the fulfilment of human rights, and protecting human rights contributes to safeguarding the environment. While in some States some aspects of the right to a safe, clean, healthy and sustainable environment are subject to progressive realization, all States must dedicate the maximum available resources to comply with their human rights obligations in addressing environmental challenges. 59 60 61 18 See Global Assessment Report on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services, Intergovernmental SciencePolicy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services, 2019. Dietmar Stoian et al., “Forest concessions in Petén, Guatemala: A systematic analysis of the socioeconomic performance of community enterprises in the Maya Biosphere Reserve”, Center for International Forestry Research, 2019. See also “Additional Good Practices in the Implementation of the Right to a Safe, Clean, Healthy and Sustainable Environment”, available at www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/Environment/SREnvironment/Pages/Annualreports.aspx.