On the International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), through its Equator Initiative, proudly announces the ten winners of the Equator Prize 2025. This prestigious award is presented annually to honor nature-based solutions led by Indigenous Peoples and local communities that promote sustainable development and ecological resilience.
This year's winners- from Argentina, Brazil, Ecuador, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Papua New Guinea, Peru, and Tanzania- showcase the power of nature-based solutions led by communities on the frontlines of climate change.
Selected from a highly competitive pool of over 700 nominations from 103 countries, the 2025 Equator Prize winners exemplify this year's theme, "Nature for Climate Action," with a special focus on youth- and women-led climate action. Their work highlights two core areas: protecting and restoring critical ecosystems to mitigate and adapt to climate change, and advancing a just transition toward inclusive, nature-based economies that create opportunities for Indigenous Peoples and local communities. Together, these initiatives safeguard biodiversity, promote food sovereignty, and build resilient communities, while honoring traditional knowledge and the essential leadership of Indigenous Peoples and local communities in sustainable development.
"On this important day, the 2025 Equator Prize winners are a reminder of the importance of honoring and recognizing the vision and leadership of Indigenous Peoples and local communities. These solutions, grounded in Indigenous knowledge and collective stewardship, are not only effective, but essential to achieving a just, inclusive, and sustainable future for all," stated Marcos Neto, UN Assistant Secretary-General and Director of UNDP's Bureau for Policy and Programme Support.
With the 2025 winners, the Equator Prize network now includes over 300 community-based organizations from 84 countries honored since the Prize's launch in 2002. Each winning initiative will receive USD 10,000 and be recognized during a high-level online award ceremony later this year, with the opportunity to participate in global events including the UN General Assembly and the UN Climate Change Conference (COP30) in Belém, Brazil.
Meet the Equator Prize 2025 Winners
1. Cooperativa de Mujeres Artesanas del Gran Chaco (COMAR) - Argentina
COMAR empowers over 2,600 Indigenous women in northern Argentina's Gran Chaco through Matriarca, a brand that transforms traditional crafts into sustainable products for global markets. Founded in 2011, the cooperative promotes biodiversity, climate resilience, and women-led governance through nature-based, culturally rooted solutions.
2. Associação Uasei dos Povos Indígenas de Oiapoque - Brazil
Founded in 2022, Uasei brings together four Indigenous Peoples in Amapá to build a sustainable, Indigenous-led bioeconomy around native açaí. By creating their own value chain and agroindustry, the first on Indigenous land in the state, they boost income, protect biodiversity, and reduce reliance on exploitative middlemen. Their Empório Uasei store showcases açaí products and crafts, while women and youth play central roles in this model of economic autonomy, cultural preservation, and ecological stewardship.
3. Hakhu Amazon Foundation - Ecuador
Led by Indigenous youth and women, the Hakhu Amazon Foundation defends the Ecuadorian Amazon and Indigenous rights through advocacy, decolonial education, and grassroots media. Its women's territorial guard, Yuturi Warmi, protects land and life, while the Hakhu Amazon Design social enterprise supports sustainable, culturally rooted livelihoods for Kichwa women. With a focus on gender equity and climate justice, Hakhu champions Indigenous self-determination and environmental protection.
4. Bibifathima Swa Sahaya Sangha (Bibifathima Self Help Group) - India
Founded in Karnataka, this women-led initiative supports over 5,000 farmers across 30 villages through millet-based multi-cropping, seed banks, and solar-powered processing. Combining traditional knowledge with regenerative agriculture and renewable energy, it restores biodiversity, boosts food security, and empowers marginalized women and youth as agripreneurs, advancing climate resilience and equity.
5. Mitra BUMMA (Yayasan Menoken Indonesia Sejahtera Bumi Semesta) - Indonesia
This initiative in Tanah Papua supports community enterprises that protect 100,000 hectares of rainforest while strengthening local economies and tribal governance. By combining traditional knowledge with modern tools, Mitra BUMMA empowers over 3,000 people, especially women, in sustainable livelihoods, climate finance, and ecosystem stewardship.
6. Ranu Welum Foundation - Indonesia
Founded in Central Kalimantan, this women- and youth-led Indigenous organization empowers Dayak communities through forest conservation, cultural preservation, and media. Its programmes have mobilized over 1,000 youth, protected 3,000 hectares of forest, restored peatlands, and trained women firefighters. Through storytelling, education, and inclusive governance, Ranu Welum is driving Indigenous-led sustainable development and climate action in Indonesia.
7. Nature and People As One (NaPO) - Kenya
This women- and youth-led Indigenous organization empowers pastoralist communities in northern Kenya to restore drylands using traditional knowledge and affordable restoration methods. NaPO has restored over 550 hectares and manages 10,000+ hectares under community bylaws. Through training local leaders and engaging youth, NaPO strengthens climate resilience and community-driven ecosystem stewardship.
8. Sea Women of Melanesia Inc. (SWoM) - Papua New Guinea
This Indigenous women-led organization empowers women to lead marine conservation by combining traditional knowledge with modern science. Since 2018, SWoM has trained over 50 women to manage marine areas across 1,500 hectares of coral reef, restoring ecosystems and advancing sustainable fisheries in over 15 villages. Their work strengthens climate resilience, challenges gender norms, and inspires global models for inclusive ocean protection.
9. The First Agrobiodiversity Zone in Peru: Cuyocuyo Terraces, Puno - Peru
Led by six Quechua communities, this is Peru's first officially recognized agrobiodiversity zone. Spanning over 6,500 hectares in the southern Andes, it protects 1,281 native crop varieties and the region's largest system of ancient terraces. Through collective stewardship, the communities preserve biodiversity, practice sustainable agriculture, and pass down ancestral knowledge across generations.
10. Sustainable Ocean Alliance Tanzania (SOA TANZANIA) - Tanzania
Founded in 2020, this youth-led nonprofit restores Tanzania's marine ecosystems and empowers coastal communities. SOA TANZANIA has restored over 100 hectares of seagrass, planted 20,000 mangroves, and trained 130+ young leaders through its Ocean Bootcamp. Its Bahari Venture promotes sustainable seaweed farming, advancing gender equality, climate resilience, and ocean health.
These 2025 Equator Prize winners remind us that transformative climate and biodiversity action must be locally led, culturally grounded, and globally supported. When Indigenous Peoples and local communities lead, nature thrives, and so do their communities and the planet.
