This panel discussion will highlight the crucial role that indigenous and local communities play as key actors in the conservation and restoration of biodiversity-rich landscapes in Latin America. Drawing on examples from the EU DeSIRA project “Five Great Forests of Mesoamerica,” and from Colombia, the session will showcase successful cases of community-led forest management in Guatemala and in the Miskitu territory of Honduras, and forest restoration in the Cañamomo indigenous territory and OEMCs in the Orinoco savannas in Colombia. These examples emphasize the power of recognizing land rights and supporting sustainable livelihoods as essential strategies for long-term forest conservation.  Through these case studies, the event will illustrate how partnerships, political will, and enabling conditions can create environments where communities strengthen their rights and capacities, actively contributing to the protection of biodiversity in the landscapes on which they depend.

By sharing experiences from the field, this session will encourage dialogue on the opportunities and challenges communities face in continuing to lead biodiversity conservation and restoration efforts. Join us for an engaging conversation that celebrates the leadership of indigenous and local communities in safeguarding some of the world’s most biodiverse landscapes, ensuring that both people and nature thrive.