EP2019: Climate Change Mitigation Category Winners
The Equator Initiative brings together the United Nations, governments, civil society, grassroots organizations and indigenous peoples to recognize and advance local, nature-based sustainable development solutions for people, nature and resilient communities. The Equator Prize provides opportunities for indigenous peoples and local communities around the world to address the challenges of land degradation, biodiversity conservation and livelihood improvement in a socially equitable manner. It also ensures a connection is made between local actors on the ground, national governments and international policy makers.
In 2019, Louise Contino served as the Senior Producer for 22 short films designed to spotlight each of the winners of the 2019 Equator Prize.
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From their 214-metre long house in West Kalimantan, the Dayak Iban have protected an estimated 1.31 million tons of carbon in their 9,504-hectare customary forest. For decades they have fought against corporate interests, following the dictate that nature is more important than monetary wealth.
Ejecutor de Contrato de Administración Tuntanain brings together 23 indigenous groups and the Peruvian government to co-manage 94,967 hectares of forest in an impressive partnership that has increased local income 160 percent, protected the headwaters of three rivers essential for regional water security, reduced food insecurity, and fostered climate resilience.
Guardians of the largest Communal Reserve in Peru, Ejecutor de Contrato de Administración de la Reserva Comunal Amarakaeri demonstrates the power of indigenous-government co-management for climate change mitigation by successfully protecting 402,335 hectares of forest while providing alternative livelihoods to local communities.
Harnessing innovative satellite and mobile phone technology for community-led monitoring, these two indigenous Shipibo Peruvian communities have secured rights to 15,000 hectares of ancestral lands and completely eliminated illegal deforestation.
Located in one of Brazil’s most deforested states, this association of Kisêdjê indigenous people has transformed the status quo by reclaiming their traditional lands and developing an innovative entrepreneurial model that uses the native pequi tree to restore landscapes, foster food security, and develop products for local and national markets.
In the Kilum-Ijim Forest of Cameroon, the Cameroon Gender and Environment Watch (CAMGEW) organization has planted over 75,000 bee-friendly African cherry trees, trained 1,700 farmers in beekeeping and agroforestry, and empowered over 1,500 women to lead their own businesses, providing locally-grounded solutions for economic development, climate change mitigation, and biodiversity conservation.
By creating a successful value-added market model for Chilghoza pine nuts, this group has conserved 26,000 hectares of vulnerable forest in the Sulaiman Range of Pakistan and sustained the well-being of approximately 12,000 people from 100 villages.
In the Bijagós Archipelago off the western coast of Guinea-Bissau, this management council uses traditional knowledge to protect 54,500 hectares of critical marine and mangrove ecosystems in order to mitigate climate change, reduce coastal erosion, and ensure sustainable livelihoods for the Bijagós indigenous community.
Live from the Town Hall Theater in Manhattan, New York City on 24 September 2019. Ernestine Leikeki, Social and Environmental Officer, Cameroon Gender and Environment Watch (CAMGEW) gives the community statement on behalf of all Equator Prize 2019 winners in the Climate Change Mitigation prize category.