Youth and Territorial Governance: Inclusive decision making in the Model Forests of Latin America and the Caribbean

The Latin American Model Forest Youth Network (RLJBM) is a voluntary organisation that brings together young people from Latin America and the Caribbean to strengthen their participation in environmental governance. It was created in response to the lack of youth inclusion in decision making and seeks to promote intergenerational knowledge exchange on landscape management. In 2022, the Youth Network was formed through workshops and processes to identify young leaders, and in 2023, it was formalised as an autonomous network. In 2024, RLJBM was consolidated through mentoring from the Chocó Andino Model Forest and held its first face-to-face meeting in Costa Rica, where thematic priorities and a horizontal governance structure were defined. RLJBM currently has a Central Committee representing several countries and promoting conservation, environmental education, inclusion, and regional coordination activities.

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URUGUAY. Ecosystem Restoration Initiatives in the Transition to Public Policy

The project promoted restoration, prioritizing the following ecosystems: natural grasslands, native forests, wetlands, and coastal ecosystems.

The project achieved the following:

Support the production of vegetation necessary to initiate restoration processes by strengthening public nurseries, raising awareness, and providing training through workshops and the development of educational materials.
To provide training and develop knowledge products for dissemination.
Implement and promote direct actions on the prioritized ecosystems, including reducing the causes of degradation.

These experiences, framed within a national planning process, fuel inclusive debate and the creation of public policy on restoration, as well as contributing to the National Biodiversity Strategy. Among the overall environmental benefits the project aimed to generate, 11,164 ha of degraded land and ecosystems have been restored.

Ecuador, an Exemplary Model of Success in REDD+

PROAMAZONÍA, an Ecuadorian initiative for 2017–2023, which reduced deforestation and CO2 emissions. It linked national efforts to reduce emissions, priority agendas, and productive policies within the REDD+ framework, as outlined in its REDD+ Action Plan “Forests for Good Living” (2016–2025). It succeeded in reducing emissions from deforestation by 7 million metric tons of CO2 equivalents, contributing to Ecuador’s NDC. Comprising projects funded by the GCF and GEF, it was implemented by MAATE, MAG, and UNDP.

It addressed four components: REDD+ policies and institutional framework, transition to sustainable production, sustainable forest management, conservation and restoration, and operational management of REDD+. It updated land-use planning instruments, facilitated the transition to sustainable production across 93,000 hectares, conserved and sustainably managed 790,000 hectares of forests, and restored 15,000 hectares of Amazonian forests, benefiting 83,000 people.

Scaling community led catchment restoration into Integrated Landscape Management (ILM) in Zambia’s Lower Kafue

In Zambia’s Lower Kafue Sub-Catchment, rising water demand, climate change, and land degradation have reduced water availability and negatively impacted smallholder livelihoods. To address it, GIZ implemented the AWARE project, combining catchment restoration, climate-smart agriculture, and strengthening water governance.

Communities co-plan and implement low-cost Nature-based Solutions (NbS) – soil bunds, trenches, check dams – restoring degraded catchments and improve water availability. Downstream farmers apply climate-smart agricultural practices at demonstration sites. Gender-sensitive design ensures women lead and benefit equally. Community members are trained as local experts, sustaining results beyond the project cycle.

Water User Associations (WUAs) coordinate local action, while collaboration between line ministries and the Water Resources Management Authority (WARMA) aligns outcomes with national water governance. The approach informed Zambia’s national rainwater-harvesting strategy and is being scaled under AWARE 2

Recognising local knowledge holders to strengthen marine conservation in Alor, Indonesia

Marine protected area management in Alor depends on knowledge held by local communities, practitioners and managers who have learned through years of working with coastal and marine ecosystems. Much of this expertise has remained informal, locally held and insufficiently recognised. The Alor Marine Protected Area’s Center of Excellence (CoE), hosted by Universitas Tribuana Kalabahi, addresses this gap by making local and traditional scientific knowledge a foundation of its training model. Local practitioners serve as trainers and resource persons alongside academics and technical specialists. Learning combines 70% field practice with 30% theory across four laboratories: community, governance, biodiversity and corporation/private-sector practices. The model connects practical knowledge with research and competency-based learning, allowing experience generated in Alor to be documented, recognised and transferred to protected area managers, students and practitioners from other areas.

Youth Empowerment in conservation through Creative approaches

Young people in the Western Seascape have an important role in conservation but often have limited opportunities to engage meaningfully in environmental decision-making. To address this, WWF Solomon Islands, in partnership with Dreamcast Theatre Solomon Islands, developed a youth engagement approach that combines conservation education with creative arts, storytelling, theatre, music, and filmmaking.

The solution empowers youth to become conservation champions by building their leadership and communication skills and enabling them to create and share locally relevant conservation messages. Implemented across multiple communities, the approach has increased youth participation in conservation, strengthened community awareness of environmental issues, and helped reach an estimated 10,000 people across 15 communities through youth-led outreach and advocacy activities.

Strengthening territorial governance and forest guardianship, Tucumán Model Forest

Since 2008, the Tucumán Model Forest has distinguished itself through territorial governance led by the Cooperativa Generar. The governance approach centres on knowledge transfer and reinforces key processes and capacities among grassroots actors. This turns isolated efforts into coordinated “glocal” (global and local) development strategies and serves as a scalable model. Within this structure, the Cooperativa Generar uses its legal status to strengthen the Fundación Coquena (Tourism Guides), which, in turn, supports the Cooperativa Lagoferiantes (Women Producers). The organisation’s legal status enables its autonomy. It allows networks to self-manage and engage in international cooperation, even in political and economic adversity. As “Guardians of the Forest,” these organisations influence public policies on land-use, restoration, and climate action. The impact is reflected in improvements in marketing and social empowerment, which guarantee economic well-being without sacrificing ecosystem conservation.

Azua Biological Corridor: The Beginning of Participatory Landscape Management in the Dominican Republic

Through the “From Field to Plate” and “REDD Landscape” projects of the German Development Cooperation (GIZ), measures to promote biodiversity and other policy initiatives were implemented to specifically strengthen the structure of the Azua Biological Corridor. Stakeholders from various sectors within the Corridor expressed interest in establishing and formalizing a management structure.

During an exchange of experiences, an opportunity was identified for a tripartite collaboration involving the private initiative of banana producers in the Province of Azua, where Costa Rica shares the institutional experience of its National Biological Corridors Program with the Dominican Republic, as well as its experience with participatory landscape management models under the framework of biological corridors through local platforms.

Based on this knowledge transfer, the Dominican Republic is developing its policy and regulatory framework for biological corridors and is launching a pilot project—in partnership with the private sector and NGOs—for its first corridor.

Gestion communautaire des pâturages boisés de la Bourgeoisie de Cormoret dans les montagnes du Jura Suisse, canton de Berne.

La gestion collective de la Bourgeoisie de Cormoret depuis plusieurs siècles a permis à ce territoire de montagne de 450 ha (233 Ha pâturages boisés et 217 Ha de forêts) de préserver ses activités agricoles et forestières extensives et d’investir dans l’entretien de ses infrastructures. Située dans le Jura bernois, elle abrite une mosaïque d’habitats ouverts et boisés dont la biodiversité importante dépend du maintien du taux de boisement actuel lié lui-même à la pérennité de ses activités économiques. Les Bourgeois collectivement en suivant les règlements établis et en utilisant les organes de décision et financiers existants, grâce à des liens étroits et un investissement fort de ses membres, gèrent avec le conseil de la bourgeoisie, leur territoire durablement en contact rapproché avec des spécialistes et entreprises locales. Ceci se fait main dans la main avec la commune de Cormoret et en relation avec les autres bourgeoisies du Val Saint-Imier, le canton de Berne, la Confédération, et le parc naturel de Chasseral.

URUGUAY. Instrumentación de la figura de Reservas Privadas

Debido principalmente a la baja superficie de áreas protegidas en Uruguay, y al alto porcentaje de superficie en manos de privados se creó la figura de Reservas Privadas en 2017. En 2023, en el marco del Proyecto URU/21/G31, se comenzó a trabajar en su instrumentación. En 2024, se aprobó el instructivo de implementación de esta figura a través de una Resolución del Ministerio de Ambiente. Entre fines de 2024 y principios de 2025, se recibieron varias solicitudes y, en junio de 2025, se dio un gran hito, mediante la declaración de la primer Reserva Privada para el país. Actualmente, hay seis Reservas declararas cubriendo una superficie de 4.049 hectáreas y se encuentran en proceso de evaluación varias más, totalizando una superficie que supera las 6.800 hectáreas. El instrumento aporta al reconocimiento de iniciativas privadas de conservación que no estaban siendo reconocidas por entidades gubernamentales, así como a metas tanto nacionales como globales (Meta 3) del Marco Mundial de Biodiversidad de Kunming-Montreal.

Killer in the Kitchen

The majority of marginalized households of forest fringe villages of Sundarban are dependent upon firewood for cooking. Burning firewood in traditional cook stove creates enormous indoor air pollution which directly effects women and children. Considering the gravity of the situation we have already installed more than 2500 Improved Cook Stoves (ICS) which is reducing firewood consumption by 30%. A single ICS may save minimum 900 kilograms of firewood annually (3 kilograms /day/family of 04 members x 300 days use/year), thus it reduce 1728 kilograms CO2 emission per annum. In it’s lifetime (10 years) a single ICS reduce 17280 kilograms of CO2 emission. ICS reduce indoor air pollution and improve the health condition of women and children. Due to reduction of cooking time, rural women may involve in other economic and social activities. ICS helps to protect the green covered area too. With minimum investment ICS may provide multiple benefit for rural marginalized community.

FORMULATION OF THE FIRST MASTER PLAN FOR THE DORSAL DE NASCA NATIONAL RESERVE WITH FISHER ASSOCIATIONS' SUPPORT

The RNDN, created in 2021, is the largest Natural Protected Area in Peru (6,239,205.75 ha) and the only one focused exclusively on marine ecosystems. Located 105 km off the coast of Ica, it is a vital source of resources like giant squid, sharks, and flying fish eggs for fishers from Paita, Pisco, Marcona, and Matarani. Its creation was an unprecedented multisectoral process that involved various stakeholders and governmental institutions. In 2022, the San Andres Artisanal Fishers Syndicate led the RNDN management committee, and in 2023 the Master Plan’s terms of reference were approved. The first Master Plan was developed collaboratively with fishing organizations and stakeholders, setting strategies for the conservation and sustainable use of natural and cultural resources. This plan integrates commitments to protect marine species, including the “Blue Five” (in this case whales, sharks, turtles and dolphins), and recognizes the identity and knowledge of artisanal fishers as part of the sociocultural value of the NPA.

Reviving Reed Craft, Protecting Wetlands: Women-Led Heritage Action at Chongming Dongtan

At Chongming Dongtan National Nature Reserve in Shanghai, reeds are vital to wetland ecology and local culture. Yet as reed uses and crafts faded, fast-growing reeds became a management challenge, requiring regular cutting and disposal.

With support from the UNDP-GEF Flyway Conservation Network Project, Chongming Dongtan NNR and local partners revived reed craft heritage as a practical conservation and community solution. Three locally rooted women, with experience in media, planning, nature education and design, returned to Chongming and helped establish the women-led enterprise Jiang Yi Wei. Through the Reed Artisan Guardian Plan, they worked with artisans and community women to pass on reed craft skills, develop products and courses, and create a village-based studio.

The solution shows how fading heritage can be revived to turn reed management challenges into a women-led green enterprise model that supports cultural transmission, supplementary income and public awareness of migratory bird conservation.