Developed in response to marine ecosystem degradation, declining fish diversity and abundance, and associated losses to fishermen’s and fisherwomen’s incomes, Akdeniz Koruma Dernegi, or Mediterranean Conservation Society in English, has created a network of ‘no-take zones’ that put local fishing communities at the lead of ma

The communities behind Al-Heswa Wetland Protected Area have successfully transformed a garbage dump into a functioning wetland ecosystem that provides a breeding site more than 100 migratory bird species, including flamingos. As a result, the Aden wetlands have grown into among the most important wetland ecosystems in Yemen and in the entire region. The community-managed protected area redirect

Developed as a response to the overexploitation of natural resources, wildlife poaching, and water pollution, the Alliance for Integrated Development Nepal (AID-Nepal) protects and manages the resources of Jagadishpur, an ‘important bird area’, a Ramsar site, and the largest manmade reservoir in Nepal. AID-Nepal works to create sustainable livelihoods wh

Created as a response to land degradation issues resulting from slash-and-burn agriculture, uncontrolled bush fires, and overgrazing, Amical Bè Ôko is a three-village initiative that focuses on the reforestation of the degraded banks of the Kpaya River with palm and fruit-bearing trees to improve local health, nutrition, and food security. Reforestation efforts have restored ecosys

Asociación Comunitaria “Bolívar Tello Cano” is reducing deforestation by providing a sustainable income-generation activity for local indigenous communities that does not require cutting down trees. The association has worked with researchers to pioneer a technique to extract the essential oils from the seeds of the Palo Santo tree. The oil has commercial value for use in perfumes and foo

An alliance of 21 indigenous communities, Asociación de Capitanes Indígenas de Yaigojé Apaporis has legally established its collective territory as a National Park. The association has succeeded in protecting a substantial area of forest and put natural resource management in the hands of resident indigenous communities. Developed to protect forests and community lands from

Developed in response to the uncontrolled poaching of wildlife in the Yasuní Biosphere Reserve, Asociación de Mujeres Waorani de la Amazonia Ecuatoriana (AMWAE, or in English, Association of Waorani Women of the Ecuadorian Amazon) is promoting organic cacao cultivation as a wildlife protection measure and a pathway to local sustainable development. The association has created a la

A response to high rates of poverty, poor access to basic social services, and low employment opportunities, this association is working to strengthen the small-scale fisheries sector around Al-Hoceima National Park through capacity building, the establishment of monitoring and surveillance committees to combat illegal fishing and the introduction of sustainable fis

Equator Prize for Sustainable Land Management in Sub-Saharan Africa

Family farming and mushroom cultivation are the twin tools of Association des Pépiniéristes et Planteurs de Tône-Ouest (Association of Nursery Workers and Horticulturists of West Tône) in responding to the land degradation, low agricultural yields,

Equator Prize for Sustainable Land Management in Sub-Saharan Africa

Association Tchadienne des Volontaires pour la Protection de l'Environnement was developed to address land and resource rights for women, in response to drought, desertification, and land degradation, and focuses on training in ecosystem restoration, drought preparedness, an

Equator Prize for Sustainable Land Management in Sub-Saharan Africa

Developed in response to water scarcity, environmental degradation, declining agricultural yields and high rates of poverty, Association Zoramb Naagtaaba (AZN, Zoramb Naagtaaba Association) brings together 10 villages to restore degraded land through the reintroduction of tr

An indigenous community conserved area, Comunidad Indígena de Manquemapu (Indigenous Community of Manquemapu) works to promote sustainable forest management and marine resource conservation as a way of meeting the economic needs of resident indigenous communities. Born in response to external threats from extractive industries, this community-based group manages a large area of alerche f

With the aim of sustainably managing local forests, the Conservation Area Management Committee, Parche is applying indigenous knowledge to local environment and development challenges. In addition to establishing tree nurseries and working with communities to harvest non-timber forest products (NTFPs), the organization has reduced wildlife poaching and is providing alternative energy access for

Equator Prize for Sustainable Land Management in Sub-Saharan Africa

Fédération des Unions de Producteurs de Maradi Gaskiya (FUMA Gaskiya, Gaskiya Federation of Maradi Farmers Unions) is a research-driven initiative that is bringing agro-ecological options to smallholder farmers. Composed of 17 unions, 325 self-help groups,

Equator Prize for Sustainable Land Management in Sub-Saharan Africa

Since 2001 Heiveld Co-operative has worked with small-scale rooibos tea farmers to provide organic and fair trade certification, as well as support with market access. In response to climate variability, farmers are cultivating drought-resistant varieties of rooibos. Collabo

Equator Prize for Sustainable Land Management in Sub-Saharan Africa

By equipping women with financial and technical resources to restore degraded lands and develop small-scale enterprises, Integrated Development in Focus is improving crop yields and local incomes. Women-led groups have planted three million trees and restored 350 hectares of

Developed in response to land degradation, natural disasters, and irregular water supply, Jeffrey Town Farmers Association employs diverse approaches to inform and educate farming communities on alternative energy options, sustainable agriculture techniques, and disaster risk reduction. The association focuses on land restoration, water harvesting, and organic farming. Fruit-bearing trees are p

Equator Prize for Sustainable Land Management in Sub-Saharan Africa

Reaching over 10,000 small-scale farmers, Kasisi Agricultural Training Centre provides agricultural extension services, research, and support marketing local products to local farmers. Demonstration plots are used for hands-on learning and for agricultural research. The cent

Founded by Mayan women, Koolel-Kab/Muuchkambal is an organic farming and agroforestry initiative that works on forest conservation (they established a 5,000-hectare community forest), promoting indigenous land rights, environmental education, and community-level disaster risk reduction strategies. The association advocates for public policies that stop deforestation and offer alternatives to in

An organic farming cooperative developed to transition away from tobacco cultivation and chemical-intensive agriculture, Makoni Organic Farmers Association is an initiative of 450 farmers trained in organic farming. The association uses a three-pronged approach that includes capacity building; scaling of good farming practices in apiculture, mushroom cultivation, poultry rearing, and tree nurse

Equator Prize for Sustainable Land Management in Sub-Saharan Africa

A community wildlife management association of 22 villages, Matumizi Bora ya Malihai Idodi na Pawaga (MBOMIPA) Wildlife Management Area works with the 30,000 people living adjacent to Ruaha National Park on sustainable natural resource management and anti-poaching efforts. T

An initiative focused on yam cultivation, Mouvman Peyizan 3e Seksyon Kanperen (MP3K, Peasant Movement of the 3rd Section of Camp Perrin) works with more than 1,500 farmers to build technical capacity, improve food security, facilitate access to seeds, and otherwise improve on-farm productivity. More than 500,000 yam seedlings have been distributed to local yam producers, along with training on

Equator Prize for Sustainable Land Management in Sub-Saharan Africa

Northern Rangelands Trust is a network of 26 community conservancies – which together cover over 25,000 km² of land in northern Kenya – driving a movement of community-based conservation that puts indigenous communities at the forefront of land management, w

Focused on women-led restoration of the degraded mangroves of the Equatorial African Rainforest, Organisation pour l’Environnement et le Développement Durable (OPED, Organization for the Environment and Sustainable Development) is transforming the local fishing industry by promoting sustainable shrimp aquaculture and providing energy-efficient alternatives to cutting down trees to

Working in and around Antongil Bay – the largest bay in Madagascar and among the most productive in the Indian Ocean – Plateforme de Concertation pour le Développement Durable de la Baie d’Antongil (PCDDBA, Collaborative Platform for Sustainable Development of the Antongil Bay) brings together a diverse range of stakeholders to encourage the sustainable management of ma

Equator Prize for Sustainable Land Management in Sub-Saharan Africa

In response to high levels of poverty and unemployment this community of 13,000 people in the Lubombo Mountains decided to set aside more than 2,650 hectares of its land as a conservation area and ecotourism project. A tourism camp is managed by the community, with revenues

To safeguard the Qomolangma National Nature Preserve – an area that is roughly the size of Taiwan – this grassroots initiative employs locally-nominated volunteers known as pendebas from each of the 406 villages within the protected area to promote environmental conservation, improve family health, advance options for income generation, and organize collective action for common good

In a region plagued by hunger and malnutrition, poor water and hygiene, and high communicable disease rates, the Traditional Healer Association, Chhattisgarh at Bilaspur (THAC) is taking an inventive approach to reducing infantmortality, improving maternal health, and facilitating local access to medical care. The association empowers ‘village botanists’ to serve as agents

The Tree Kangaroo Conservation Program manages a community conservation area and locally-owned forest, the first of its kind in Papua New Guinea. The locally-driven initiative undertakes a range of activities to protect the watershed and provide the local population with sustainable livelihoods. The conservation area covers 78,729 hectares of habitat, protecting endemic and endangered wildlife

Facing sea level rise, food shortages due to saltwater flooding, and other threats associated with climate change, this organization has organized for the voluntary relocation of the indigenous peoples of the Carterets Islands.  This is one of the first community-driven ‘climate change refugee’ relocation efforts in the region. Sustainable natural resource management is at the

Equator Prize for Sustainable Land Management in Sub-Saharan Africa

In the buffer zone of the Pendjari Biosphere Reserve in northwest Benin, Union des Associations Villageoises de Gestion des Réserves de Faune de la Pendjari (AVIGREF, Union of Village Associations for the Managem

One of the oldest non-profit organizations in the State of Palestine, the Union of Agricultural Work Committees (UAWC) supports Palestinian farmers to attain food sovereignty. UAWC works with farmers across Palestine, including vulnerable groups in remote and marginalized areas, to restore and conserve natural resources and rights to access these resources through four main program areas: land

Uplift the Rural Poor was founded to improve the livelihoods of communities living adjacent to a series of three biodiversity-rich protected areas in Uganda: Bwindi Gorilla National Park, Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, and Echuya Forest Reserve. Uplift the Rural Poor works to reduce pressure on forest resources and an important gorilla habitat, while also creating alternative livelihood strate

Equator Prize for Sustainable Land Management in Sub-Saharan Africa

Utooni Development Organization uses the innovative, low-investment “sand dam” technology in the communities of southern Kenya. Over 80 self-help groups were formed and 2700 farmers trained in water management, food security, sustainable agriculture, tree plantin

Working with nine downstream villages that have collectively faced severe water shortages, extreme droughts, and seasonal crop failures, Water Users Association (WUA) “Ob Umed”, or Water is Hope in English, is working towards the establishment of an equitable water distribution system based on traditional water rights, distribution rules, and the communal maintenance of local water