In this reflection, Krizzley Ordoñez, a Maya Mam Indigenous leader from Guatemala and member of the 2nd cohort of the ICI International Environmental Policy Fellowship, shares how the fellowship strengthened her leadership and expanded community participation—particularly among youth and women—as she concludes her fellowship journey.

In this reflection, Maglin Reonela Alvarado Vargas, a Yine Indigenous leader from Peru and member of the 2nd cohort of the ICI International Environmental Policy Fellowship, shares how long-term support enabled her community to address mercury contamination from gold mining while strengthening leadership, collective decision-making, and territorial protection.

In this reflection, Matauri Miria, a Māori Indigenous leader from the Cook Islands and member of the 2nd cohort of the ICI International Environmental Policy Fellowship, shares how long-term fellowship support reshaped her understanding of leadership through community-based work and the revitalization of traditional taro farming practices.

In this reflection, Chanchira Tawangthan, a Phutai Indigenous leader from Thailand and member of the 2nd cohort of the ICI International Environmental Policy Fellowship, shares insights from her work with communities adapting to climate change, highlighting the importance of local knowledge, community resilience, and long-term support.

In this reflection, Sanjog Thakali, a Thakali Indigenous leader from Nepal and member of the 2nd cohort of the ICI International Environmental Policy Fellowship, shares how his fellowship experience strengthened the integration of traditional ecological knowledge with scientific data to support climate resilience and community-led solutions.

In this reflection, Apisai Kalivakarua, an iTaukei Indigenous leader from Fiji and member of the 2nd cohort of the ICI International Environmental Policy Fellowship, reflects on how local challenges in Mabula Village connect to global learning, highlighting youth engagement, community action, and the importance of linking local realities with global conversations.

When the River Speaks follows Maglin, a young Yine mother from Peru’s Madre de Dios, as she carries her community’s voice to the global Minamata Convention to confront mercury contamination threatening Indigenous lives and territories. Supported by the Inclusive Conservation Initiative, Yine communities are strengthening territorial governance, training mercury monitors, and empowering women and youth to advocate for policies that protect their rivers, health, and futures.

2025 marks a defining year for Indigenous leadership in global environmental policy. Hear from Indigenous leaders of the Inclusive Conservation Initiative (ICI) on how Indigenous Knowledge is lighting the policy path -- from Abu Dhabi, to COP6 for the Minamata Convention, and to UNFCCC COP30 in Belém.

In this reflection, Luna Larrat, a Mapuche Indigenous leader from Argentina and member of the 2nd cohort of the ICI International Environmental Policy Fellowship, shares her experience participating in the IUCN World Conservation Congress and Indigenous Peoples Summit, reflecting on representing her community in global spaces and the importance of Indigenous leadership in international decision-making.

Discover how Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities across 10 territories in 12 countries are leading inclusive conservation through biocultural mapping, direct financing, and community-driven governance. The ICI Phase Three report reveals measurable impacts across more than 6 million hectares, proving that Indigenous leadership is delivering durable biodiversity and climate solutions worldwide.

Phase 3 marks ICI’s transition from design to delivery, with Indigenous-led organizations across 12 countries directly managing conservation efforts at scale. The report highlights how Indigenous governance, gender-responsive systems, and culturally grounded monitoring are now shaping national policies and global agendas—offering a replicable model for rights-based, community-led conservation that works. With direct access to finance and decision-making power, they advanced land rights, governance, gender equity, and policy influence—proving that Indigenous-led action is critical to effective, scalable conservation.

This video features IMPACT Kenya’s use of biocultural mapping to secure pastoralist land rights and highlights how the Inclusive Conservation Initiative is enabling Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities to lead conservation across 10 territories in 12 countries. The 2024–25 Achievements and Learning Report shows how ICI is shifting power through rights-based finance, from land tenure gains in Tanzania to gender-responsive frameworks in the Amazon and biocultural education programs in Mesoamerica.

On International Mother Earth Day, Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities across ten geographies are demonstrating that they are not beneficiaries of conservation, but equal partners shaping biodiversity action through scaled, direct finance. From biocultural mapping to landmark co-governance agreements, the Inclusive Conservation Initiative shows how Indigenous leadership is redefining conservation worldwide.

The ICI Asia Regional Learning Exchange in Thini, Nepal brought together more than 100 Indigenous leaders, elders, women, and youth to share knowledge on customary governance, conservation, and biocultural heritage. From sacred ceremonies to field visits in Mustang, the exchange highlighted how Indigenous worldviews and community-led practices are shaping inclusive conservation across Asia.

In December 2024, more than 13 Mapuche communities and the Chilean government signed a landmark co-governance agreement granting Indigenous Peoples formal territorial rights within Villarrica National Park. This unprecedented framework establishes a shared Governance and Management Council, setting a national precedent for inclusive conservation rooted in Indigenous worldview and stewardship.

At CBD COP16, Indigenous leaders from the Democratic Republic of Congo showcased how direct access to biodiversity finance, legal recognition of ICCAs, and traditional governance are transforming conservation outcomes. Through ANAPAC and the Inclusive Conservation Initiative, IPLCs are advancing women’s leadership, securing territories of life, and shaping global biodiversity policy.

In this self-paced course, you will explore the connections between gender and biodiversity and learn practical tools to develop gender-responsive approaches and policies for Indigenous Peoples and local communities, aligning with the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.

At COP16 in Cali, Colombia, Indigenous co-chairs of the Inclusive Conservation Initiative demonstrated Indigenous governance in action, reaching consensus on 15 strategic decisions to guide global conservation. Through direct engagement with the GEF and IIFB, ICI leaders advanced the case for Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities as primary decision-makers in biodiversity finance and policy.

The ICI Africa Regional Learning Exchange in Tanzania brought together 37 Indigenous and local community leaders from across Africa to strengthen capacity, share solutions, and advance Indigenous-led conservation under the GEF-funded Inclusive Conservation Initiative. Through workshops, fellow case studies, and immersive visits to the Yaeda Valley and Hadzabe communities, participants demonstrated how secure land tenure, governance, and cultural knowledge drive lasting biodiversity outcomes.

At the first Annual ICI Kenya Stakeholder Forum in Nanyuki, Indigenous leaders and conservation partners reviewed Year 1 achievements, including biocultural mapping with 22 communities across the Mid-Ewaso Ng’iro River Basin. The forum catalyzed a shared Manifesto for Inclusive Conservation, reaffirming Indigenous self-determination as the foundation for safeguarding biocultural diversity in Kenya.

The ICI Phase 2 Report highlights how $14.5 million in direct-access agreements are enabling Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities to lead conservation through their own governance systems. Supported by the GEF, the report demonstrates how inclusive finance is transforming biodiversity protection while advancing rights-based, self-determined climate and conservation solutions.

The Inclusive Conservation Initiative (ICI) Phase 2 Report provides a comprehensive overview of the progress made towards inclusive conservation practices and the implementation of Indigenous Peoples (IPs) and Local Communities (LCs)-led initiatives over the past year. Supported by the Global Environment Facility (GEF), this initiative highlights the leadership of IPs and LCs in conservation efforts and the delivery of global environmental benefits (GEBs).

The Inclusive Conservation Initiative (ICI) has launched its International Environmental Policy Fellow Program, empowering Indigenous leaders from Tanzania, Panama, Chile, DRC, and Kenya to strengthen leadership and negotiation skills in global environmental policy. Fellows will apply their knowledge to advance Indigenous-led conservation, gender equity, and community-driven governance in their territories.

International workshop on advancing rights and equity in the implementation of Target 3 | January/February 2024 Nanyuki, Kenya.

Indigenous leaders from the Inclusive Conservation Initiative (ICI) participated in the GEF Assembly in Vancouver, advocating for inclusive conservation and greater recognition of Indigenous-led initiatives. They highlighted the importance of direct funding, Indigenous governance, and gender equity, while welcoming the launch of the Global Biodiversity Framework Fund (GBFF) to support Indigenous and local communities.

The first Inclusive Conservation Initiative Global Learning Exchange was hosted by the Isaak Olam Foundation on the unceded territory of the Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation in August 2023, bringing together Indigenous leaders from all ten ICI initiatives and members of the GEF Indigenous Peoples Advisory Group. The gathering included the inaugural meeting of the ICI Global Steering Committee ahead of the 7th GEF Assembly in Vancouver, marking a milestone in Indigenous-led global conservation governance.