Around the world, indigenous peoples and local communities hold a unique power to protect and restore essential ecosystems. From forests to wetlands, these ecosystems are a key defence against climate change. But when local people are threatened – or denied the chance to make a sustainable living – our climate is threatened too.
The Ashden Award for Natural Climate Solutions will boost work in developing countries strengthening the incomes, wellbeing and security of Indigenous peoples and local communities – allowing them to act as guardians and restorers of their lands. Indigenous people safeguard 80% of the world’s remaining biodiversity, but face daily threats to their way of life.
The winner could be turning palm or soy plantation areas into sustainable productive land, helping communities restore degraded or desertified ecosystems, or supporting community forest enterprises. The winner’s work will be centred on the needs, priorities and knowledge of indigenous people and local communities.
In southern Peru, ECA-Amarakaeri supports people to earn a sustainable living, and also gives them the tools to monitor and report illegal logging and mining.
This partnership is empowering Indigenous communities in Costa Rica to grow food sustainably, generate clean energy and build leadership roles for women.
AMAN has helped 168 Indigenous groups in Indonesia map their territories and strengthen their rights, launch sustainable businesses, access clean energy, and prepare for the impacts of climate change.
CERAF-NORD supports communities around Benue National Park, and in the north of Cameroon, to restore degraded land through agroforestry.
Previous Natural Climate Solutions award winners provide excellent examples of replicable models supporting indigenous communities to play a central role in the restoration of degraded land and be properly remunerated for their work and expertise:
This NGO has been working with indigenous communities in Indonesian Borneo to reverse illegal logging and deforestation for more than 15 years.
A community-based NGO network working with rainforest communities in the Democratic Republic of Congo to make a sustainable living though agriculture and tourism.
This indigenous-led organisation is doing critical work supporting the livelihoods and valuing the skills and knowledge of indigenous communities in the Brazilian Amazon.
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