Working with Indigenous People and local communities: 8 Lessons from GCBC Research

Research conducted in partnership with Indigenous People and local communities (IPLCs) is increasingly shown to develop stronger, more inclusive understanding of our shared environment. By grounding evidence in local realities and lived experience, such approaches improve the relevance, impact, and resilience of interventions.

At the same time, the relationship between researchers and IPLCs may be characterised by very distinct priorities, significant power imbalances, and different ways of interpreting the world. Recognising this complexity, GCBC invited grant recipients to share their reflections on conducting research with Indigenous Peoples and local communities, in particular highlighting the insights they were gaining in the process.

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Primer Informe Técnico de Restauración Forestal en la Comarca Ngäbe-Buglé (Spanish)

The first Forest Restoration Monitoring Report from the Ngäbe-Buglé Comarca in Panama, produced by the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, presents early results from the Intelligent Reforestation Programme.

Monitoring of 14 one-hectare restoration plots and 15 transects, established in 2022, evaluated seedling survival, species richness, and successional dynamics across 27 native tree species.

The findings demonstrate the potential of community-led, science-based restoration using native species to enhance biodiversity recovery, increase carbon sequestration and support resilient, sustainable livelihoods in Indigenous territories.

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CROSSROADS-SSA Biodiversity Toolkit

This Biodiversity Toolkit from CROSSROADS-SSA, led by the University of Aberdeen, working in Ethiopia, provides standardised field protocols to assess key ecosystem processes, including soil fauna activity, decomposition and nutrient cycling, pest pressure, pollination success and seed predation.

The toolkit strengthens capacity for participatory biodiversity assessment, enabling practitioners and communities to generate comparable data to inform sustainable land management and Nature-based Solutions.

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