How much is this really grassroots with what the people living in the area want, versus Western environmental groups empowering and giving a platform to a voice they agree with.<p>Recall the hierarchy of needs. Most people in developing countries really care more jobs and development more than in preserving nature or tradition (see for example the path that happened in the US and Europe where environmentalism really didn’t take off until the a certain level of development).<p>Same thing with endangered species. I bet most poor farmers in areas with lots of elephants, hate the elephants that can destroy their crops and easily kill more maim them. However, largely Western environmental groups apply tremendous pressure to protect the elephants, and elevate and give a platform to those who agree with them, whether or not they actually represent the majority view of the people actually living there.