Aamozish-e-Mahol

Viet Nam, one of the world’s most biodiverse countries, is losing nature at an alarming pace due to deforestation, unchecked tourism, land-use change, and pollution. Although 176 protected areas exist, many were long treated as “prohibited zones,” limiting community participation, weakening stewardship and restricting access to resources. Rapid growth in tourism, infrastructure, agriculture, and fisheries, combined with gaps in legal frameworks, institutional capacity, and awareness, has increased pressure on both protected and non-protected landscapes.

From 2020 to 2025, the GEF-funded Biosphere Reserve Project, led by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (now Ministry of Agriculture and Environment) with support from UNDP, worked to reshape this relationship. At its heart was a simple but powerful idea: biodiversity thrives when communities, authorities, and planners share responsibility for the landscapes they depend on.

Sri Lanka, though small in size, is part of a global Biodiversity Hotspot due to its rich biodiversity and increasing threats from habitat encroachment, unsustainable resource use, pollution, and invasive species. While 28% of the country is covered by Protected Areas (PAs), many critical ecosystems exist outside these zones. Recognizing this, the Ministry of Environment and UNDP, with funding from the GEF, implemented a co-management approach in Environmentally Sensitive Areas (ESAs) landscapes with high biodiversity and ecosystem service value outside formal PAs. The approach engaged public and private sectors, along with local communities, to conserve biodiversity while sustaining the ecological and socio-economic benefits essential to surrounding populations. It promoted inclusive and sustainable management practices, balancing conservation with responsible resource use, and enabling collaborative agreements between communities and the government. This approach is vital to safeguard Sri Lanka’s unique biodiversity.

As the government agency responsible for conserving Taiwan’s terrestrial and freshwater biodiversity, our Branch has long collaborated with the Indigenous Amis Makotaay (Gangkou) Village in Hualien County, beginning with terraced landscape restoration in 2009 and biodiversity monitoring in 2016. Building on this foundation, in 2021 we partnered with National Dong Hwa University to conduct community-based resilience assessment workshops, aiming to gain a comprehensive understanding of sustainability challenges facing the Gangkou landscape–seascape. These workshops identified 43 priority issues requiring urgent action. In March 2022, we co-established the Gangkou Forest-River-Village-Ocean Initiative (Gangkou ILSA), along with its cross-sector, multi-stakeholder platform and action plan. Since then, the Initiative has advanced ocean-friendly farming, restored coastal wetlands, strengthened community-based ocean and forest patrols, documented Amis knowledge and culture, and developed innovative youth-led eco-tourism.

Communities and park officials in Jomotsangkha Wildlife Sanctuary are working hand-in-hand to restore and sustain important wildlife habitats. The sanctuary faced challenges such as declining grasslands, scarce water sources, and growing pressure on natural resources. In response, a participatory habitat management approach was introduced, engaging local people in grassland improvement, construction of waterholes, and development of mineral licks for wildlife. This collaboration has strengthened community ownership, encouraged youth participation, and deepened understanding of conservation. As a result, habitats are healthier, wildlife now has better access to food and water, and people have become active partners in protecting the landscapes around them. The Solution demonstrates how shared responsibility between communities and park authorities can create resilient ecosystems and long-lasting conservation impacts, inspiring continued stewardship.

Sparśa is a women-led Nepali social business turning agricultural byproducts into fully compostable menstrual pads, addressing poverty, stigma, gender inequality, and plastic pollution. By sourcing banana fibers locally and applying innovative engineering, Sparśa delivers safe, affordable, plastic-free pads while creating dignified green jobs for women. Profits are reinvested into menstrual health education, ensuring lasting community impact. The enterprise integrates user-centered research, quality testing, and market strategies to guarantee comfort, safety, and cultural acceptance. Its Ambassador Program empowers youth and adults to challenge taboos and foster dialogue. Beyond Nepal, Sparśa serves as a pilot for replication in other regions and with diverse fiber plants, sharing open knowledge through global cooperation. By combining innovation, empowerment, and sustainability, Sparśa advances menstrual health and a plastic-free future, with local partnerships already active across the Global South.