Home / South America

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

Published 29 Jan 2026

GCBC

Tags

Governance and Policy Improving livelihoods Indigenous Peoples Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Partnership Social Inclusion

Share

Research conducted in partnership with Indigenous Peoples and local communities (IPLCs) is increasingly shown to develop stronger, more inclusive understanding of our shared environment¹. By grounding evidence in local realities and lived experience, such approaches improve the relevance, impact, and resilience of interventions.

At GCBC, we place strong emphasis on incorporating local and Indigenous knowledge into the development of scalable and policy-relevant solutions. However, the role of IPLCs in research partnerships is complicated. In many projects, they may simultaneously be the subjects of research, the implementers of research, and the expected beneficiaries of the solutions developed.

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. Specifically, we asked:

What has the project learned about the necessary conditions to secure the engagement of local and Indigenous communities in the research?

The responses touch on a number of interconnected issues. Eight main insights emerged and are summarised below.

1. Early and Continued Engagement
Our projects emphasise that partnerships with Indigenous Peoples and local communities should begin early and continue throughout the research process.

Engagement should go beyond simple consultation.

For our project in Panama, for example, the proposed research emerged from a year-long consultation process, grounded in a much longer-standing relationship between one project partner and an Indigenous council².

In Ethiopia, ongoing dialogue between researchers and communities strengthened mutual understanding and helped reduced the risk of misconceptions³. A similar approach was taken by our researchers in Madagascar, where Indigenous Peoples and local communities were regularly updated on research progress and invited to evaluate the successes and challenges⁴.

2. Community-Led Research Framing

Much social and natural science research starts with a tightly defined set of research questions, the framing of which is usually led solely by researchers. Our projects demonstrate how this approach must be reconfigured to accommodate IPLCs perspectives and needs.

Experiences from Colombia highlight that meaningful engagement in research needs to be about more than just involving IPLCs in data collection – it begins with co-creating meaningful research questions that matter to the communities themselves⁵. This is supported by work in Indonesia which suggests that engagement with IPLCs is dependent on research questions being informed and shaped by them from the outset⁶.

The process of defining research questions can potentially be complex, as research in Peru and Ecuador reveals. Farmer-led research often follows its own logic and pace in ways that differ from formal institutional projects⁷.

Yet, experience from Ecuador and Viet Nam suggests that ultimately communities are more willing to engage in research activities when research agendas and research questions align with their needs.

3. Informed Consent

In our work with IPLCs, consent, often expressed as Free, Prior, Informed Consent (FPIC), is a fundamental principle – and sometimes legal requirement. For example, for a project working in Malaysia, engagement is based on a voluntary agreement made with full knowledge of the project’s scope, purpose, risks, and benefits⁹.

Gaining consent is not always a quick process. In Cambodia, trust and flexibility were required to gain consent and community support for the project. As a result, communities valued the opportunity to determine the project’s focus and to highlight the importance of their own knowledge¹⁰.

In some cases, FPIC is not just as an ethical necessity but also of practical importance too. For instance, a project in Ecuador found it fundamental for reinforcing community confidence and fostering long-term collaboration¹¹.

4. Communications and Transparency

Good communication with IPLCs emerged as a key attribute of project implementation. Our project in Guatemala detailed communication’s importance for a range of project needs including how information is to be used, how impartiality in data collection is assured, and how communities retain decision-making power over research that affects them¹².

The importance of communications tailored to specific groups was highlighted by one of our projects in Ethiopia that used communication approaches specifically designed for different groups to ensure gender and social inclusivity¹³.

However, good communication goes beyond the flow of information between researchers and IPLCs. Experiences in Colombia and the Dominican Republic suggest that projects can also act as a communication channel between members of the community¹⁴. 

5. Power Dynamics

Attention to power dynamics was important across various contexts. In Malaysia this required awareness of researchers’ own effect on those dynamics and the need to continually reflect on their power and impact on IPLCs¹⁵.

In Malawi and Uganda, power was a consideration in the implementation of fieldwork, where workshops required taking language and social dynamics into account to encourage the engagement of community members¹⁶.

Understanding power dynamics was also critical in relation to outcomes and ownership with our project in Peru. This highlighted the important role of good facilitators in ensuring that project participants, including women, whose involvement may be constrained by household power dynamics, can take ownership of the research and engage with confidence¹⁷.

‘One aspect of the project is to examine local governance structures and their power dynamics to support the effectiveness and equity of forest restoration in relation to local communities’¹⁸.

6. Traditional Knowledge

One of the core delivery principles of all GCBC projects is the requirement to consider and integrate local and Indigenous knowledge into research. It is therefore unsurprising that this was prominent in the approaches of our projects. A few selected responses variously show how Indigenous and local knowledge has made fundamental contributions.

In Ethiopia it was found that community members were more willing to collaborate when their knowledge was treated as important and central¹⁹. Whilst for a project in Colombia, the belief that IPLCs hold valuable knowledge was considered the starting point for the project²⁰.

From another project in Colombia, there is recognition that Indigenous and local knowledge has transformed the way the project is conceptualised and supported²¹. In Indonesia it was noted that understanding food and land management practices led to a better appreciation of how food security is currently addressed²².

7. Shared Benefits

The production of knowledge through research alone does not guarantee that Indigenous Peoples and local communities will benefit. Ensuring that communities gain from the process is therefore a key challenge for GCBC projects. For example, a project in Ecuador found that community engagement deepens when they perceive direct, equitable benefits, such as training and technical assistance²³. 

In the Cham Islands in Viet Nam the project has learnt that engagement requires continuous consultation, mutual trust, and tangible local benefits²⁴. Training was also noted from Kenya as one of various tangible short-term benefits that could strengthen participation whilst longer term project outcomes were yet to be delivered²⁵.

“We believe that IPLCs should benefit tangibly and intangibly from our research”²⁶.

8. Trust

Beyond the specific points noted above, a particular issue permeates and unites the responses. That issue is trust. Many of the responses were, explicitly or implicitly, about how trust is built between researchers and communities and how trust leads to better research outcomes.

      • Building trust is essential; this means recognising community knowledge systems, ensuring transparent communication and co-developing research goals²⁷.
      • An emerging insight from the first stakeholder workshop is that successful integration of traditional and scientific knowledge depends on long-term dialogue andtrust-building²⁸.
      • Securing the genuine engagement of local and Indigenous communities requires creating relationships grounded in mutualtrust, cultural respect, and continuous communication²⁹.
      • Field visits and workshops, where researchers listen before proposing solutions, have also been essential to build trust and gain a better understanding of real-world challenges farmers are faced with³⁰.
      • Trust has been built through regular consultations with local fishers and community representatives on seagrass habitats, ensuring their knowledge informs research design and monitoring³¹.

Reflections on Inclusive Research

The eight key points above represent a snapshot of current thinking and practice across GCBC projects. Whilst the responses touch on many interrelated issues, they highlight that our projects strive to be participatory in their approach to working with IPLCs and use a variety of participatory tools to guide their research.

Although these insights do not capture the entirety of the understanding gained, nor are they a complete guide to doing research with IPLCs, they offer valuable lessons and guidance.

More detailed and specific guidance for research with IPLCs is provided by Newing et al (2024)³². Their work is derived from interactions with a wider set of researchers and projects than informs our survey and consequently covers a wider range of issues. Whilst there are areas of notable similarity between their fourteen principles, and the experiences emerging from our survey, both deserve consideration when planning research with IPLCs.

Finally, ensuring that rights holders such as IPLCs are fully engaged in conservation action is not just a research issue, but relevant to all aspects of the planning and implementation of environmental conservation.

Recognising this, Principles for Inclusive Nature Action have been developed by Defra to place equitable, rights-based inclusion at the centre of all biodiversity action. GCBC supports the implementation of those principles.

 

 

Endnotes

1. Contributions of Indigenous Knowledge to ecological and evolutionary understanding. Jessen et al 2021 https://doi.org/10.1002/fee.2435
2. Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute: Forest Restoration on Indigenous Lands: Restoring Biodiversity for Multiple Ecosystem Services, Community Resilience and Financial Sustainability through Locally Informed Strategies and Incentives
3. Bioversity International: Deploying Diversity for Resilience and Livelihoods
4. The Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust (WWT) Following the Water: Participatory Research to Understand Drivers and Nature-based Solutions to Wetland Degradation in Madagascar
5. Fundación Tropenbos Colombia: Creation of an Intercultural Biodiverse Seed Bank with the Indigenous “Resguardo Puerto Naranjo” for Enhancing Restoration and Conservation Efforts in Degraded Areas in the Colombian Amazon
6. International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED): Nature Nuture
7. International Potato Center (CIP): Andean Crop Diversity for Climate Change
8. Oxford University: The Flourishing Landscapes Programme
9. The Scottish Association for Marine Science (SAMS): GlobalSeaweed-SUPERSTAR: Supporting livelihoods by Protecting, Enhancing and Restoring biodiversity by Securing the future of the seaweed Aquaculture industry in developing countries
10. Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), USA: SARIKA: Scientific Action Research for Indigenous Knowledge Advancement: Recognising and Rewarding the Contribution of Indigenous Knowledge for the Sustainable Management of Biodiversity
11. UTPL: BIOAMAZ: Realising the potential of plant bioresources as new economic opportunities for the Ecuadorian Amazon: developing climate resilient sustainable bioindustry
12. University of Greenwich: Nature based solutions for climate resilience of local and indigenous communities in Guatemala
13. University of Aberdeen: Cataloguing and Rating of Opportunities for Side-lined Species in Restoration of Agriculturally Degraded Soils in Sub-Saharan Africa (CROSSROADS)
14. University of Lincoln: NATIVE: Sustainable Riverscape Management for Resilient Riverine Communities
15. The Scottish Association for Marine Science (SAMS): GlobalSeaweed-SUPERSTAR: Supporting livelihoods by Protecting, Enhancing and Restoring biodiversity by Securing the future of the seaweed Aquaculture industry in developing countries
16. University of Birmingham: Building adaptive fisheries governance capacity
17. International Potato Center (CIP): Andean Crop Diversity for Climate Change
18. Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute: Forest Restoration on Indigenous Lands: Restoring Biodiversity for Multiple Ecosystem Services, Community Resilience and Financial Sustainability through Locally Informed Strategies and Incentives
19. University of Leeds: Biodiversity potential for resilient livelihoods in the Lower Omo, Ethiopia
20. Fundación Tropenbos Colombia: Creation of an Intercultural Biodiverse Seed Bank with the Indigenous “Resguardo Puerto Naranjo” for Enhancing Restoration and Conservation Efforts in Degraded Areas in the Colombian Amazon
21. Corporación de Investigación y Acción Social y Económica (CIASE): Gran Tescual Indigenous Reservation Climate Plan
22. University of Sussex: Exploring sustainable land use pathways for ecosystems, food security and poverty alleviation: opportunities for Indonesia’s food estate program
23. Escuela Superior Politécnica del Litoral (ESPOL): Empowerment of coastal communities in sustainable production practices in Ecuador
24. The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF): Translating Research into Action for Livelihoods and Seagrass (TRIALS) – Establishing scientific foundation for seagrass restoration and blue carbon potential, with sustainable livelihood development for coastal communities in Central Vietnam
25. CSIR-CRI, EMBRACE: Engaging Local Communities in Endangered Trees and Minor Crops Utilization for Biodiversity Conservation and Livelihood Enrichment
26. The Scottish Association for Marine Science (SAMS): GlobalSeaweed-SUPERSTAR: Supporting livelihoods by Protecting, Enhancing and Restoring biodiversity by Securing the future of the seaweed Aquaculture industry in developing countries
27. University of Aberdeen: Cataloguing and Rating of Opportunities for Side-lined Species in Restoration of Agriculturally Degraded Soils in Sub-Saharan Africa (CROSSROADS)
28. Lancaster University: Enabling large-scale and climate-resilient forest restoration in the Eastern Amazon
29. UTPL: Realizing the potential of plant bioresources as new economic opportunities for the Ecuadorian Amazon: developing climate resilient sustainable bioindustry
30. Oxford University: The Flourishing Landscapes Programme
31. The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF): Translating Research into Action for Livelihoods and Seagrass (TRIALS) – Establishing scientific foundation for seagrass restoration and blue carbon potential, with sustainable livelihood development for coastal communities in Central Vietnam
32. ‘Participatory’ conservation research involving indigenous peoples and local communities: Fourteen principles for good practice. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2024.110708

 

Photo Credits
  • Header image and Photo 1: Fisherman on Lake Sofia, Madagascar. Used with permission from the Wildlife and Wetlands Trust.
  • Photo 2: Sam At Rachana and Pin Plil, members of the CIPO research team, with Mr Treub Thaeum, Chief of the Bunong Indigenous community at Pu Kong, in the Brey Ngak sacred forest of the Bunong people, Cambodia. Photographer: Tong Len.
  • Photo 3: Women from the Pasto community outside their restaurant initiative in the resguardo, Colombia, with Daniela Torres, Mama Genith Quitiaquez, Taita Vicente Obando, Ricardo Ibarguen, Wendy Toro and Rosa Emilia Salamanca (Corporación de Investigación y Acción Social y Económica – CIASE).
  • Photo 4: Researchers and local community members from the Bioamaz project during a workshop on safeguards and plant socialisation in the Shuar San Antonio Community, Ecuador.

Tags

Governance and Policy Improving livelihoods Indigenous Peoples Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Partnership Social Inclusion

Share

Related

Enhancing Coastal Ecosystem Services: ENHANCES Explores Solutions through Games

Published 19 Sep 2025

GCBC

Tags

Coastal Ecosystems Conservation and Restoration Improving livelihoods

Share

 

Children play games to learn about the world. Games help us explore our environment, develop our social skills, and understand how to address complicated challenges. They offer a powerful tool that engages individuals to think differently about complex problems and provide psychological safety for experimentation. Gamification, the use of games and game elements in a context beyond entertainment, has the potential to facilitate cooperation and knowledge sharing around convoluted and sometimes contentious issues.

One particularly complex challenge facing tropical coastal regions is coastal erosion and flooding. In Suriname, the effects of this problem are particularly potent. With climate change threatening both rising seas and unpredictable storms, protection of Suriname’s coastline and the 85% of Suriname’s population that lives in this region is critical. The country’s mangrove green belt has historically provided protection to this coastal region, but environmental factors and human land use have weakened these ecosystems and the protection they provide.

While a major focus of the GCBC funded ENHANCES project is collecting environmental data from coastal Suriname to better understand mangrove ecosystems as a nature-based solution for flood protection, gaining insight into what is happening and why is only part of the challenge. Developing effective approaches to reduce erosion and flooding requires consensus and collaboration from stakeholders in the country. However, limited resources and differing views on the best strategies make this process particularly challenging.

To support dialogue and knowledge sharing around this issue, ENHANCES is developing an interactive boardgame. The game aims to foster constructive conversations among stakeholders.

 

Resilient Coast: The Game

The development of this game began with a clear goal: building consensus. The design team set out to create a space where dialogue among stakeholders with diverse, and often competing interests, could take place. The design team is led by Dr. Agnessa Spanellis, Senior Lecturer in Systems Thinking and Dr. Sandy Louchart, Research Associate in Game Design, at the University of Edinburgh, working closely with the Anton de Kom University of Suriname, particularly Dr. Fariel Ishaak and Graciella Hunte from the Faculty of Social Science and Prof. Sieuwnath Naipal (Faculty of Technological Sciences), and supported by the whole multi-disciplinary ENHANCES team, led by Dr. Isabella Bovolo from the Department of Geography at Durham University.

The game is seen as a first step toward consensus building on coastal flood mitigation, offering participants an opportunity to reflect on the issue. To do so, it must establish a baseline of knowledge about tropical coastal protection. This baseline combines factual insights from scientific literature and experts (within the ENHANCES team and elsewhere) with the perspectives and opinions of stakeholders in Suriname and the region. From this foundation, three broad questions emerge about the role of mangrove ecosystems in mitigating coastal flooding:

  • What information is relevant to players?
  • What is currently known and supported by scientific evidence?
  • What do experts believe should be done?

In May 2023, interviews were arranged with local stakeholders and insights from these conversations helped identify the core requirements for the game.

 

It was very enriching to understand experiences of different people on the ground and see what they are doing to cope with the floods. Some of them said that nobody has asked them about their experiences before.

Dr. Agnessa Spanellis, Senior Lecturer in Systems Thinking, University of Edinburgh

These insights, together with scientific evidence on coastal processes, were brought together in a causal map—a tool that visualizes the actions and consequences within a complex system to help identify key information, elements, and processes. The map was cross-referenced with project experts to clarify existing knowledge and identify gaps related to coastal flooding in Suriname

From this data, the first prototype of the game was born. Priority learning outcomes were established first, and game mechanics followed based on these initial aims. Some knowledge could be shared with the players simply and directly. The more complex concepts, however, are better communicated through experience and observation (constructivist learning). These experiential loops would develop into game mechanics, driving the game and engaging the players in problem solving.

 

What does the game look like now?

Six players work cooperatively to protect a mass of land from increasingly devastating flooding events. The land includes six zones, and within each zone are tiles that correspond to agriculture, businesses and industry, population centres, and natural features, including mangrove forests along the coast. The players assume specific roles, each with certain capabilities and skills that might prove useful. The goal is to work together, pooling resources and skillsets, to protect the land from flooding while growing the country’s economy, and population.

Since the first prototype, the game has seen many different forms. Each new version has been informed by the previous versions in an iterative and logical process. In March 2025, Sandy facilitated the initial gameplay testing with two groups of players from various locations along the Suriname coast and from varying backgrounds.

Meeting the communities involved and testing the game in situ has allowed me to observe player interaction and communications and better understand group dynamics.

Dr. Sandy Louchart, Research Associate in Game Design, University of Edinburgh

The playtests generated valuable insights that enabled further refinement of the gameplay. The final version of the boardgame is expected to be completed by early autumn 2025 and rolled out in Suriname in early 2026.

To find out more about ENHANCES, please visit www.enahncesproject.org, or contact the project Principle Investigator, Dr Isabella Bovolo, Durham University.

 

 

Blog kindly prepared by Dr Zane Havens, Outreach and Dissemination PDRA, Heriot Watt University, UK

This work has been generated by the ENHANCES (ENHANCing Coastal Ecosystem Services) research project, with funding from DEFRA -Global Centre on Biodiversity for Climate (GCBC), project GCBC RGC1 G01-007511, and shared contribution and responsibilities of Durham University (project lead), Edinburgh University and Heriot-Watt University in the UK and the Anton de Kom University in Surinam (local lead).

 

Image Caption: During a gameplay test with students from Anton de Kom Universiteit van Suriname, the ENHANCES team gained valuable insights into how the game’s mechanics engaged players and the types of conversations that emerged during play. Participants in this session included Suraja Premchand, Hussain Zalikha, Yashwier Sewdajal, Roel Kalpoe, Naipal Sumintra, Millerson Janvier, and Chaotlian Winay. The game facilitators shown are Sandy Louchart, Fariel Ishaak, Graciella Hunte, and Tom Wagner. Video recorded by Zane Havens.
Game Design Images Caption: The final version of the game will feature a variety of cards designed to advance gameplay and enhance players’ scientific knowledge. It will also include a game board printed on fabric, making it durable, portable, and water-resistant. Images provided by Sandy Louchart.

Tags

Coastal Ecosystems Conservation and Restoration Improving livelihoods

Share

Related

When Youth Draw What Matters: Native Crops, Climate Change, and Connection

Published 24 Jul 2025

GCBC

Tags

Agriculture Food Systems Indigenous Peoples

Share

You can feel the shift.

The rains do not come when they used to.
Crops wither.
Pests like the Andean weevil thrive.

In the highlands of Cotopaxi, climate change is not a theory, it is a lived reality. Families rely on farming, and when the land suffers, so do livelihoods, traditions, and entire ways of life.

Ask the youth what they know about potato agrobiodiversity, and most will mention “Super Chola”, a common variety grown for market. But varieties like Coneja Negra or Leona Negra, both known for surviving droughts, often draw blank stares. Mashua, another native Andean tuber with pest-repelling properties, is rarely seen as food anymore. It is remembered mostly for its medicinal use, if at all.

That is the gap this capacity-strengthening event set out to bridge.

In collaboration with the University San Francisco de Quito (USFQ), the Technical University of Cotopaxi, EkoRural Foundation, the INIAP (the National Agriculture Research Center), and the International Potato Center (CIP), a scientific illustration course was launched, not just to teach drawing, but to reconnect youth with their agrobiodiversity heritage and raise awareness of climate resilience. This was done under the project “Andean Crop Diversity for Climate Change” supported by Global Centre on Biodiversity for Climate (GCBC), and the University San Francisco de Quito.

Eleven youth from rural communities and nearby universities joined the five-session course. Three sessions were held in person and the rest were online. Participants visited University San Francisco to learn the principle of botanical illustration: detailed observation and drawing. Drawing nature requires a deep observation of different subjects and breaking paradigms to “draw what we actually see” in place draw what “we have been thought to see”. This is a deep reflection process that makes us appreciate the rich details of nature.

Students also visited the USFQ Herbarium where they learned how plants are documented and preserved and saw firsthand that some native crops are barely represented – even in scientific records. Later, the Technical University of Cotopaxi hosted sessions where participants worked mainly on how to mix colour to capture the details of samples of native potatoes and mashua provided by the International Potato Center.

Some participants chose to illustrate Chaucha Roja, a native potato variety known for surviving even in difficult seasons. One participant shared:

“Chaucha Roja faces many challenges like drought, but it stays resilient to climate change and continues to produce.”

Others focused on other native potatoes after speaking with grandparents who remembered planting them but had stopped due to the labour and pest issues:

“What my grandmother told me is that they used to plant it, but not anymore, because it requires more care and there are more pests. Still, it is a crop that is more resistant to drought… so it could really help with climate change.”

Some insights were straightforward but powerful:

“Yes, it helped us. During the drought season, it held up well with compost. So yes, it helped me for food.” (Referring to the potato)

The resulting illustrations were not just botanical, they were cultural and ecological. Each one carried a story, a memory, and a perspective on how these native crops can support adaptation in a changing climate.

To celebrate these efforts, the youth’s work was exhibited along the work of 19 artists, from 18th to 25th May at QGalery from the San Francisco de Quito University and the Botanical Garden in Quito. This exhibition was part of a global event: Wordwide Bontanical Art 2025, to showcase this discipline across the world. The exhibition placed local crop diversity at the centre, through the eyes and hands of the youth who are reclaiming it.

 

Reflections from the Process

This experience left us with several powerful takeaways:

  • Youth need space to explore. When given the time and tools to connect with their own cultural and ecological heritage, they do not just participate, they take ownership.
  • Dialogue creates change. Conversations with parents and grandparents sparked not just knowledge sharing, but pride in crops and practices that had been overlooked or forgotten.
  • Context matters. Young people do not talk about climate change the same way scientists do, but they understand it deeply through their lived experience. Letting them express that through art made it real, personal, and lasting.
  • Art renews connection with nature: The simple process of observation and drawing creates a powerful link between the artist, the observer and the subject. It helps us to question us about the nature that surrounds us and makes us remember how our lives are linked to nature.

 

This capacity-strengthening event reminded us that young people are not just future leaders. They are current voices. And when they are invited into the conversation with respect and creativity, they draw more than just plants.

They draw connections.
They draw awareness.
They draw change.

 

This blog was written by Israel Navarrete, Associate Scientist, CIP, in collaboration with Bettina Heider (CIP) and Jenny Ordoñez, by San Francisco de Quito University.

Tags

Agriculture Food Systems Indigenous Peoples

Share

Related

Towards COP30: Belém Workshop Explores Forest Restoration in Pará

Published 24 Jul 2025

GCBC

Tags

Governance and Policy Improving livelihoods Indigenous Peoples

Share

On 10 June 2025, the city of Belém hosted a key event on the future of forest restoration in the state of Pará. The workshop “Towards COP30 – Integrated and Participatory Planning for Forest Restoration in Response to the Climate Crisis” took place at Embrapa Amazônia Oriental.

Organised by Lancaster University, UK and Embrapa Amazônia Oriental, the workshop was part of the international research project “Enabling Large-scale and Climate-resilient Forest Restoration in the Eastern Amazon,” funded by GCBC and the Centre for Advanced Socioecological Research for Environmental Recovery (CAPOEIRA).

The milestone event brought together scientists, restoration practitioners, policymakers, and civil society organisations to spark dialogue, strengthen collaboration, and help steer forest restoration efforts through the Embrapa–Lancaster University partnership.

Images: 1) From left to right, Jos Barlow (Lancaster University), Leonardo Miranda (Lancaster University), Joice Ferreira (Embrapa Amazônia Oriental), and Erika Berenguer (University of Oxford). 2) Joice Ferreira (Embrapa Amazônia Oriental), with Jos Barlow (Lancaster University) seated beside her. Joice introduced both projects (GCBC and Capoeira) and outlined the day’s agenda. 3) Andrea Coelho (SEMAS-PA) presented perspectives from Pará State’s restoration strategy.

The event was attended by representatives from Pará State Secretariat for Environment and Sustainability (SEMAS), Museu Paraense Emílio Goeldi (MPEG), Federal University of Pará (UFPA), National Institute for Space Research (INPE), Amazon Institute of People and the Environment (Imazon), Luiz de Queiroz College of Agriculture (ESALQ/USP), International Institute for Sustainability (IIS), WRI Brazil, Socioenvironmental Institute (ISA), and the Amazon Restoration Alliance, among others.

Dr Joice Ferreira, co-founder of the Sustainable Amazon Network, highlighted that the event built on earlier co-construction efforts under the State Plan for Native Vegetation Recovery (PRVN), where Embrapa has played an active role.

“We’re now turning our attention to the spatial planning side of restoration,” she explained. “Our research is focused on identifying where restoration efforts can deliver the greatest impact—boosting climate action, enhancing biodiversity, and addressing critical challenges like water scarcity and food security.”

Professor Jos Barlow, Principle Investigator from the Lancaster Environment Centre, emphasized that the longstanding collaboration with Embrapa, and strong partnerships with Brazilian institutions, has been key to bridging restoration and forest conservation efforts. “Through this workshop,” he noted, “our goal was to sharpen the focus of our research, ensuring it responds directly to local challenges and supports practical, place-based solutions.”

 

Pará Aligns with Global Commitments

Pará currently has around 23.2 million hectares of open areas lacking native vegetation cover, equivalent to 18.6% of its territory. These environmental liabilities are concentrated in private lands (12.8 million ha), rural settlements (5 million ha), Indigenous territories (424,000 ha), quilombola territories (337,000 ha), protected areas (1.6 million ha), and undesignated public forests (2.9 million ha).

Many of these areas are used for low-productivity pasture and agriculture, especially in the eastern and southeastern parts of the state. On private lands alone, 2.88 million hectares are legally required to be restored under the Brazilian Forest Code, including Legal Reserves (RLs) and Permanent Protection Areas (APPs).

As a major South American country facing complex land-use challenges, Brazil has committed to restoring 12 million hectares by 2030, in line with international frameworks such as the Paris Agreement, the New York Declaration on Forests, and the Latin American 20×20 Initiative. For Pará, connecting to this global goal and restoring part of its environmental liabilities is both a legal obligation and a strategic move to reduce deforestation, recover ecosystem services, and promote a forest-based economy.

According to Andrea Coelho, Cabinet Advisor at the Secretaria de Meio Ambiente, Clima E Sustentabilidade (SEMAS), forest restoration in the Amazon requires a holistic, multi-scalar approach. “This is why coordination among public institutions, the productive sector, local communities, academia and civil society is so critical. Such collaboration allows for harmonisation of data, methodologies and capacities, and alignment of policies, funding programmes and on-the-ground efforts.”

Andrea added that this collaboration also strengthens governance and supports joint restoration efforts aligned with shared goals such as climate neutrality, biodiversity conservation and social inclusion. “It also improves resource allocation efficiency and avoids duplication, ensuring that restoration plans are grounded in technical evidence, social legitimacy, and territorial feasibility.”

Bringing together government, civil society, academia and local organisations is essential to ensuring that restoration strategies are not only scientifically sound but also socially legitimate and practically viable. No single institution has all the answers. Building integrated solutions requires bridges, exactly what this event set out to create.

Dr Leonardo De Sousa Miranda, University of Lancaster

 

COP30: An Opportunity

The workshop offered a vital opportunity to reflect on how Pará’s restoration efforts can align with global climate strategies, especially in the lead-up to COP30, taking place in Belém in November 2025. The event also strengthened the state’s spatial restoration planning and helped identify collaborative actions that could be showcased during the global climate summit.

Dr Leonardo de Sousa Miranda, researcher at Lancaster University and part of the organising committee, said the workshop came at a historic moment for Brazil, and especially for the Amazon, by offering a platform to highlight concrete examples of environmental leadership.

He stressed that large-scale restoration in the Amazon requires coordinated efforts among institutions with different roles and expertise. “Bringing together government, civil society, academia and local organisations is essential to ensuring that restoration strategies are not only scientifically sound but also socially legitimate and practically viable. No single institution has all the answers. Building integrated solutions requires bridges, exactly what this event set out to create.”

According to Leonardo, the approach goes beyond simply sharing data. “It’s about co-creating knowledge. We want to build together; listening to and learning from forest peoples, smallholder farmers, and restoration practitioners,” he added.

 

Programme Highlights

During the event, participants explored key themes such as restoration planning in Pará; key metrics and indicators for a multi-benefit restoration strategy beyond carbon; the incorporation of climate risks, such as drought and fire; and how to ensure genuine participation of producers, communities, technical experts, and public managers.

To foster these discussions, the workshop featured preliminary findings from collaborative projects that are mapping restoration opportunities, challenges, and pathways across Pará.

“This was a crucial step toward strengthening the technical, social, and political foundations for a more resilient Pará—one that is aligned with global climate goals,” concluded Joice Ferreira.

As the region moves toward COP30, the insights and alliances forged here mark an important milestone in the building of a more sustainable and inclusive restoration agenda for the Eastern Amazon.

 

Tags

Governance and Policy Improving livelihoods Indigenous Peoples

Share

Related

The GCBC community is growing: Reflections from the 2025 GCBC Research Symposium

Published 24 Mar 2025

GCBC

Share

By Samantha Morris

In March, the GCBC community came together in person and online to share big ideas, transformative practice, and stories of impact at the 2025 Research Symposium.

Support for research tackling the impacts of climate change, biodiversity loss, and poverty is essential. The GCBC is a programme that does this and more, bringing together researchers and practitioners from around the world to unlock the potential of nature to deliver climate solutions and improve livelihoods.

Each year the GCBC hosts a research symposium to share big ideas, transformative practice, and stories of impact. This year the research symposuim was bigger than ever with a full three-day programme, including the first ever GCBC Open Day on Tuesday 4 March.

This year’s symposium was a fully hybrid event, with online attendance supported throughout as part of the GCBC’s commitment to reduce barriers to global engagement within and beyond our growing community

Watch the GCBC Research Symposium Open Day here.

 

Prof. Gideon Henderson, Chief Scientific Adviser, UK Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.  

The GCBC Research Symposium Open Day shone a spotlight on results from across the programme highlighting important cross cutting issues for the programme including innovative research practice, working with the private sector, and connecting research and policy.

After a warm welcome from Kew’s Professor Monique Simmonds, OBE and Deputy Director of Science – Partnerships, the day officially began with opening addresses from Professor Alexandre Antonelli (Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew), Professor Gideon Henderson (Defra) and Kate Hargreaves (DAI) who all shared their reflections on why research at the intersection of biodiversity loss, climate change, and poverty alleviation is so critical right now.

Professor Tim Wheeler, Deputy Director of International Science at Defra, spoke next hosting the first panel of the day: Contributing to global goals, the science behind frameworks and targets. Joining him were Dr Constanza Gonzalez Parrao (3IE), Dr Aster Gebrekirstos Afwork (CIFOR-ICRAF), Wendy Toro (CIASE), and Rithiny Teng (WCS Cambodia).

The second panel of the day was hosted by research uptake expert Louise Shaxson, and tackled the important issue of influencing policy and decision makers with research evidence. Louise was joined by a panel of five GCBC research project representatives both in person and online: Professor Elizabeth Cottier-Cook (SAMS), Dr Euridice Honorio (RBG Kew), James Mutunga Joshua (Nature Kenya), Fiona Nunan (University of Birmingham), and Damian Sulumo (MVIWAARUSHA). Louise and the panellists drilled down into a variety of new ideas and creative approaches to using research evidence to influence policy and practice.

The final panel of the day took on the challenge of how to harness private sector investment for nature based solutions. Panel chair George Whalley was joined in person and online by six panellists from a variety of sectors and backgrounds to tackle the question: what are the practical steps to harnessing private sector investment, and how do we get money flowing into biodiversity projects? The panellists were: Susan Forester (FSD Africa), Alicia Gibson (Finance Earth), Drea Burbank (Savimbo), James Naughton (DAI), Julia Martin-Ortega (University of Leeds), and Scobie Mackay (Imperative).

On the remaining two days, the symposium programme focused on connection and collaboration within the current group of funded GCBC research projects. With over fifty representatives at Kew in person and more joining the programme online it was a productive and busy couple of days covering early results, best practice approaches and innovative methods.

Breakout session at the GCBC Research Symposium

Overall, the 2025 Symposium was a collaborative and inspiring event. An opportunity to deepen existing connections within the GCBC research community and to build new links with a wider network of partners and organisations committed to working at the intersection of climate change, biodiversity loss, and poverty alleviation.

Thank you so much to all members of our GCBC research community who joined us in person and online for the symposium, and to our wonderful speakers, panelists, and chairs for your insights, expertise, and for generously giving your time to be with us.

All funded projects are listed on the GCBC website here.

Share

Related

The GCBC Research Grant Competition 3 (RGC3) Concept Note application has CLOSED

Published 04 Feb 2025

GCBC

Tags

Agriculture Agroforestry Coastal Ecosystems Conservation and Restoration Food Systems Improving livelihoods Indigenous Peoples Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Natural Resource Management Nature based solutions Partnership Small Island Developing States Social Inclusion

Share

The GCBC Opportunities Portal for Concept Note submissions for the Third Research Grant Competition (RGC3) CLOSED at 23:00 hrs UTC, on Sunday, 16 March, 2025. Any applications submitted after that time and date will not be accepted or considered for the full proposal stage. 

The GCBC extends grateful thanks to all applicants who made submissions through the Opportunities Portal. We have been delighted with the responses to this grant call, particularly from the Global South.

Over the next few weeks we will be working through the applications, carrying out eligibility checks, technical evaluations, moderation and scientific meetings to establish the most suitable Concept Notes to take forward to the next round. 

RGC3 Themes

The two research themes of this RGC3 are:  

  • Theme 1: Using biodiversity to improve the climate resilience of agricultural, food and bioeconomy value chains – Transforming agrifood systems at scale to incorporate nature-based solutions that build biodiversity back into production landscapes to boost climate resilience and reduce poverty (open to all GCBC focus regions). 
  • Theme 2: Biodiversity hotspots in Small Island Developing States (SIDS) – Building sustainable businesses from nature to adapt to climate change, protect biodiversity, and tackle poverty (focused in SIDS). 

The GCBC, a UK Official Development Assistance (ODA) programme funded by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), aims to fund a mixed portfolio of up to twenty grants in RGC3, covering a range of topics and geographies across both themes. Grants sums of between £100,000 and £1 million are offered for projects of 12-36 months duration. 

The GCBC will accept proposals for projects with activities in GCBC-eligible countries in Latin America (including Central America), the Caribbean, Sub-Saharan Africa, and South-east Asia and the Pacific and Small Island Developing States. A list of GCBC eligible countries is available here. To be accepted for funding under the GCBC programme projects must demonstrate: 

  • Fit to GCBC: All proposals need to address poverty alleviation and climate resilience, focusing on approaches that better value, protect, restore and sustainably manage biodiversity. 
  • Fit to theme: Proposals must address research questions within one of the themes set out above. 
  • GESI: All proposals must incorporate clear plans to factor in gender, equality and social inclusion from the outset. 
  • R&D: Proposed work must meet the definition of research and development: creative and systematic work undertaken to increase the stock of knowledge – including knowledge of humankind, culture and society – and to devise new applications of available knowledge (OECD, 2015). 

 

 

 

Tags

Agriculture Agroforestry Coastal Ecosystems Conservation and Restoration Food Systems Improving livelihoods Indigenous Peoples Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Natural Resource Management Nature based solutions Partnership Small Island Developing States Social Inclusion

Share

Related

Research Grant Competition 2 (RGC2): The GCBC awards £13.4 million in UK ODA grants for research to find nature-based solutions to climate change and poverty reduction   

Published 14 Jan 2025

GCBC

Tags

Agriculture Agroforestry Capacity Building Coastal Ecosystems Conservation and Restoration Food Systems Governance and Policy Improving livelihoods Indigenous Peoples Natural Resource Management Nature based solutions

Share

RGC2 awards 18 new project grants worth £13.4 million based on the theme: “Driving innovation in how biodiversity can support climate resilience and sustainable livelihoods through practice and governance”. 

Initial concept note applications for the second GCBC research grant competition (RGC2) numbered 507 from lead delivery partners in 60 UK-ODA eligible countries. This response more than trebled the 155 applications submitted for the first round of grants in 2023. From the initial concept notes, 56 applications were selected to submit full proposals.    

Grant awards were made using several criteria, including applications’ contribution to the context of the RGC2 theme. These involved assessing applicants’ understanding of how addressing evidence gaps in the potential of nature-based solutions using less utilised species (plants, animals, insects, fungi, trees etc.) can contribute to:   

  • improving poor livelihoods through more resilience to climate change;  
  • meeting resource or service demands; and  
  • protecting and conserving traditional knowledge and biodiversity.  

Filling these evidence gaps is critical to finding innovative approaches to guide practice and governance.  

Climate change, biodiversity loss and poverty are three of the most pressing challenges facing the world today and are fundamentally inter-linked. Climate change, driven by human activity, is increasingly and negatively affecting people and the natural environment. Biodiversity loss, which also results from human activity, is causing degraded landscapes and soil and increasing food insecurity. This exacerbates climate risk by reducing the resilience of natural and managed ecosystems. Unfortunately, those living in poverty are often the most vulnerable and the least able to respond to the impacts of climate change and biodiversity loss. 

By working in partnership with scientists, research institutions and practitioners around the world, the GCBC seeks to develop innovative research and scalable approaches to the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity. This will have an impact on ecosystem resilience to climate change, halting and reversing biodiversity loss, contributing to poverty alleviation and helping countries to achieve a nature-positive future. The GCBC is funded by the UK’s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs working in partnership with DAI as the Fund Manager Lead and Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew as the Strategic Science Lead.  

The 18 projects awarded under RGC2 will be implemented in 16 UK ODA-eligible countries in the Global South; seven countries from Latin America (including Central America) and the Caribbean (Brazil; Colombia; Ecuador; Dominican Republic; Guatemala; Panama; Peru); six from Sub-Saharan Africa (Democratic Republic of Congo; Ethiopia; Ghana; Kenya; Tanzania; Republic of Congo); and three from South East Asia and the Pacific (Cambodia; Indonesia; Vietnam).  

Eleven of the RGC2 projects cover broad thematic areas: Agroforestry; Community led approaches; Integrated land / water management; and Forest restoration. Seven of the projects cover more uniquely focused research areas: Seagrass restoration; Carbon markets; Biodiverse seed bank; Mangrove restoration; Peatlands; Land use (landscape level); and Underutilised species for soil restoration.  

“This new round of 18 diverse and innovative projects represents a consolidation of the ‘Global Centre on Biodiversity for Climate’ as Defra’s flagship ODA R&D programme.  These new projects will continue GCBC’s growing reputation for delivery of high-quality evidence about the effective and sustainable use of biodiversity for climate resilience and to improve livelihoods.” said Professor Gideon Henderson, Chief Scientific Adviser, UK Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

“As fund management lead, DAI is delighted to continue our relationship with Defra and especially to welcome the successful applicants who are joining the GCBC’s project portfolio for the next phase of the programme’s development. Through this project round, we will continue to support scientists, academics and research institutions working to build stronger capacity, increase collaboration, deliver high-impact projects and share learning on the biodiversity-climate-livelihoods nexus that will have an impact on ecosystem resilience to climate change, halting and reversing biodiversity loss and contributing to poverty alleviation,” said Luqman Ahmad, Senior Vice President, DAI.  

“As strategic science lead, the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew also welcomes the new projects to the growing portfolio. The new evidence, data and knowledge across pressures/drivers, solutions and enablers for the different themes of the grant competitions will support the adoption of systems approaches in tackling the nexus of climate, biodiversity and livelihoods. By understanding and managing the complex interactions between science, society and the multiple interacting systems through temporal and spatial scales it will be possible to recommend solutions – orientated approaches for transformative change across different sectors and regions,” said Professor Monique Simmonds, Deputy Director, Science (Partnerships), The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.    

The 18 Projects funded by RGC2:

Assessing Carbon Credits as a Sustainable Funding Mechanism for Participatory Forest Management in Tanzania – Lead Grantee: Sokoine University of Agriculture, Tanzania (Country: Tanzania)

Biodiversity for climate and social resilience: Empowerment of coastal communities in sustainable production practices in Ecuador – Lead Grantee: Escuela Superior Politecnica del Litoral – ESPOL, Ecuador (Country: Ecuador)

Biodiversity science in support of community-led conservation of threatened local forests in Tompotika, Central Sulawesi: Protecting biodiversity, ecosystem services and climate resilient local livelihoods – Lead Grantee: Missouri Botanical Garden (MBG), USA (Country: Indonesia)

Biodiversity potential for resilient livelihoods in the Lower Omo, Ethiopia – Lead Grantee: University of Leeds, UK (Country: Ethiopia)

BREL-Borneo: Benefits of Biodiverse Restoration for Ecosystems and Livelihoods in Borneo – Lead Grantee: Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, UK (Country: Indonesia)

Cataloguing and Rating of Opportunities for Side-lined Species in Restoration of Agriculturally Degraded Soils in Sub-Saharan Africa (CROSSROADS-SSA) – Lead Grantee: University of Aberdeen, UK (Country: Ethiopia)

Creation of an Intercultural biodiverse Seed Bank with the indigenous “Resguardo Puerto Naranjo” for enhancing restoration and conservation efforts in degraded areas in the Colombian Amazon – Lead Grantee: Fundación Tropenbos, Colombia (Country: Colombia)

EMBRACE: Engaging Local Communities in Minor Crop Utilisation for Biodiversity Conservation and Livelihood Enrichment – Lead Grantee: Council for Scientific and Industrial Research-Crops Research Institute (CSIR-CRI), Ghana (Countries: Ghana and Kenya)

Enabling large-scale and climate-resilient forest restoration in the Eastern Amazon – Lead Grantee: Lancaster University, UK (Country: Brazil)

Exploring sustainable land use pathways for ecosystems, food security and poverty alleviation: opportunities for Indonesia’s food estate programme – Lead Grantee: University of Sussex, UK (Country: Indonesia)

Forest restoration on Indigenous lands: Restoring biodiversity for multiple ecosystem services, community resilience and financial sustainability through locally informed strategies and incentives – Lead Grantee: Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama (Country: Panama)

Integrated Land and Water Management of the Greater Amanzule Wetland System – Lead Grantee: University of Education, Winneba, Ghana (Country: Ghana)

NATIVE: Sustainable Riverscape Management for Resilient Riverine Communities – Lead Grantee: University of Lincoln, UK (Countries: Colombia and Dominican Republic)

Nature based solutions for climate resilience of local and Indigenous communities in Guatemala – Lead Grantee: University of Greenwich, UK (Country: Guatemala)

Realising the potential of plant bioresources as new economic opportunities for the Ecuadorian Amazon: developing climate resilient sustainable bioindustry – Lead Grantee: Universidad Tecnica Particular de Loja, Ecuador (Country: Ecuador)  

Recognising and rewarding the contribution of Indigenous knowledge for the sustainable management of biodiversity – Lead Grantee: Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), USA (Country: Cambodia)

TRIALS: Translating Research into Action for Livelihoods and Seagrass: Establishing scientific foundation for seagrass restoration and blue carbon potential, with sustainable livelihood development for coastal communities in Central Vietnam – Lead Grantee: WWF-UK, UK (Country: Vietnam)

Using biodiversity to support climate resilient livelihoods in intact tropical peatlands  – Lead Grantee: Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, UK   (Countries: Peru, the Republic of Congo and the Democratic Republic of Congo)  

 

Photo Credit (Detail): Laitche

 

 

 

 

Tags

Agriculture Agroforestry Capacity Building Coastal Ecosystems Conservation and Restoration Food Systems Governance and Policy Improving livelihoods Indigenous Peoples Natural Resource Management Nature based solutions

Share

Related

Biodiversity for Climate and Social Resilience: Empowerment of Coastal Communities in Sustainable Production Practices in Ecuador

Project Details

Status: Active
GCBC Funding Round: RGC2
Grant Value: £809,454
Dates: Nov 24 – Oct 27

Published 14 Jan 2025

GCBC

Tags

Coastal Ecosystems Conservation and Restoration Improving livelihoods

Share

Project Summary

Countries: Ecuador

Delivery Partner: Escuela Superior Politecnica del Litoral – ESPOL

Principle Investigator: Professor Julia Nieto Wigby, ESPOL

Project Description

The project aims to mitigate climate change by enhancing mangrove health, reducing human impact, and increasing fishing communities’ resilience while providing fair alternative incomes. Innovative techniques and approaches are applied to improve environmental, climate and social resilience along with novel finance solutions.

This involves: a) Ecosystem recovery – evaluating trophic structure recovery through habitat restoration strategies such as cultured black cockle (BC) restocking and red mangrove afforestation; b) Ecosystem protection – offering alternative livelihoods to reduce fishing pressure on natural banks by transferring technical mariculture capacities to fisher communities, along with environmental education and social empowerment for inclusive community governance systems; and c) Valorisation – internalising ecosystem services to determine real BC extraction and trade costs, and functional ecology valuation.

Communities will use key information to demand national policies to protect their territories and livelihoods.

Photograph (detail): Diego Tirira

Tags

Coastal Ecosystems Conservation and Restoration Improving livelihoods

Share

Related projects

Creation of an Intercultural Biodiverse Seed Bank with the Indigenous “Resguardo Puerto Naranjo” for Enhancing Restoration and Conservation Efforts in Degraded Areas in the Colombian Amazon

Project Details

Status: Active
GCBC Funding Round: RGC2
Grant Value: £167, 493
Dates: Nov 24- Oct 27

Published 14 Jan 2025

GCBC

Tags

Agriculture Conservation and Restoration Food Systems Improving livelihoods Indigenous Peoples Nature based solutions Partnership

Share

Project Summary

Countries: Colombia

Delivery Partner: Fundación Tropenbos Colombia

Principle Investigator: Carlos Alberto Rodríguez, Tropenbos, Colombia

Project Description

The programme will establish intercultural seed banks to store and distribute a wide variety of seeds of indigenous forest species for a variety of uses such as food, medicine, architecture and art, in line with the government’s restoration objectives.

The programme will integrate Indigenous and scientific knowledge to identify and geo-reference seed source trees. Laboratory tests will determine the most efficient local practices for seed production. Local methodologies, participatory action research and quantitative data coming from a live laboratory will be deployed to create a sustainable strategy for intercultural seed banks suitable for the climate and geography of Puerto Naranjo Resguardo and the Amazon.

A systemic approach will allow for innovation in the creation of a scalable plan that positions intercultural seed banks as a local solution to help improve livelihoods, address the current effects of climate change and restore biodiversity in indigenous territories.  Outputs will include local research, scientific articles, a collaborative database, storytelling and a business plan for the community to transform the initiative into a sustainable income-generating opportunity.

Photograph (detail): Dmitry Makeev

Discover More

Read: Tropenbos Colombia Establishes Centre for Intercultural Tree Seed Management

 

 

Tags

Agriculture Conservation and Restoration Food Systems Improving livelihoods Indigenous Peoples Nature based solutions Partnership

Share

Related projects

Enabling Large-scale and Climate-resilient Forest Restoration in the Eastern Amazon

Project Details

Status: Active
GCBC Funding Round: RGC2
Grant Value: £996,991
Dates: Nov 24-Oct 27

Published 14 Jan 2025

GCBC

Tags

Capacity Building Conservation and Restoration Governance Governance and Policy Nature based solutions

Share

Project Summary

Countries: Brazil

Delivery Partner: University of Lancaster

Project Partners: Manchester Metropolitan University, Oxford University, Amazon Environmental Research Institute (IPAM), Embrapa Amazônia Oriental

Principal Investigator: Professor Jos Barlow, Lancaster Environment Centre, University of Lancaster, Joice Nunes Ferreira, Embrapa Amazônia Oriental, Leonardo De Sousa Miranda, Lancaster University

Contact: jos.barlow@lancaster.ac.uk / joice.ferreira@embrapa.br / l.miranda@lancaster.ac.uk

Brazilian Forest Landscape

The project advances data-driven and collaborative restoration planning in Amazonia, mapping carbon, biodiversity, ecosystem services, and climate-related risks priorities to inform policies and strengthen local capacity for evidence-based decision-making.

Challenge

Tropical forest restoration offers a powerful opportunity to address climate change, biodiversity loss, and social inequality simultaneously. Yet, identifying where and how to restore remains a major challenge in the Brazilian Amazon, where deforestation, degradation, and recurrent climate-linked threats continue to reshape landscapes.

The State of Pará, one of the Amazon’s most deforested and economically dynamic regions, faces particular difficulties in aligning restoration with land-use planning, carbon goals, and community needs. Limited integration between ecological data, spatial models, and policy implementation often results in restoration efforts that are poorly targeted.

This project tackles these gaps by combining high-resolution field data, remote sensing, and social indicators to produce spatially explicit, climate-resilient restoration strategies that maximise biodiversity and carbon benefits while supporting sustainable livelihoods across Pará.

 

Insight

The project addresses these challenges by integrating ecological field surveys, spatial data, and stakeholder knowledge to guide evidence-based forest restoration across Pará. The team is developing predictive models of carbon storage, biodiversity value, and climate-related risks to identify priority areas where restoration can deliver multiple environmental and social benefits.

Working closely with SEMAS-PA, the project ensures that scientific outputs directly inform state-level spatial planning and restoration policy. Early results reveal strong overlaps between high-carbon and high-biodiversity areas, indicating opportunities for synergistic interventions that deliver both climate and conservation gains. The project also strengthens local technical capacity and fosters inclusive governance by engaging universities, research agencies, and community representatives in the co-production strategies that can sustain restoration outcomes beyond the project’s lifetime.

 

Collaboration

The project is built on a strong partnership between Lancaster University (UK) and leading Brazilian research institutions, Embrapa Amazônia Oriental, IPAM – Instituto de Pesquisa Ambiental da Amazônia, and Universidade Federal Rural da Amazônia (UFRA), working in close collaboration with the Secretaria de Meio Ambiente e Sustentabilidade do Pará (SEMAS-PA).

Together, these organisations integrate expertise in ecology, remote sensing, and social science to generate practical, policy-relevant outputs. The collaboration draws on existing networks established through the Rede Amazônia Sustentável (RAS) and the CAPOEIRA project. This partnership ensures scientific rigour and local engagement, critical to scaling restoration efforts and embedding the project’s results into long-term environmental policy.

What makes this project unique is the strength of its partnerships. Scientists, policymakers, and local actors working together to design restoration strategies that are both scientifically sound and inclusive. It’s an example of co-produced science driving real-world change in the Amazon.

Dr Leonardo De Sousa Miranda, University of Lancaster

Discover More

Read: Towards COP30: Belém Workshop Explores Forest Restoration in Pará

Professor Jos Barlow

Professor Jos Barlow’s research examines how human activities impact tropical forest biodiversity and the ecosystem functions and services it provides. Working in the Brazilian Amazon since 1998, he is co-founder of the Sustainable Amazon Network (Rede Amazônia Sustentável – RAS), which brings together scientists, practitioners, and local stakeholders to understand the environmental and socio-economic trade-offs shaping one of the world’s largest remaining tropical forests.

Dr Joice Ferreira

Dr Joice Ferreira is a senior researcher and co-founder of the Sustainable Amazon Network (RAS). Her research focuses on the interface between land use, forest resilience, and the provision of environmental services in the Amazon. She adopts a socio-ecological systems approach to study how ecosystem conservation and biodiversity protection can be reconciled with sustainable development in tropical landscapes.

Dr Leonardo Miranda

Dr Leonardo Miranda is a biodiversity data scientist specialising in geospatial analysis and ecological modelling. His work bridges field-based ecology with computational tools to generate insights that inform conservation planning, ecosystem restoration, and climate adaptation. His research primarily focuses on biodiversity and ecosystem services in the Amazon.

 

Images: 1) From left to right, Jos Barlow (Lancaster University), Leonardo Miranda (Lancaster University) 2) Andrea Coelho (SEMAS-PA) presenting perspectives from Pará State’s restoration strategy.

Tags

Capacity Building Conservation and Restoration Governance Governance and Policy Nature based solutions

Share

Related projects