The Equator Prize, honors nature-based solutions led by Indigenous Peoples and local communities that promote sustainable development and ecological resilience. Photo illustration from pexel-vee terzy
On the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), through its Equator Initiative, announced the ten winners of the Equator Prize 2025, with Kenya and Tanzania among the champions leading transformative climate action on the continent.
The Equator Prize, presented annually, honors nature-based solutions led by Indigenous Peoples and local communities that promote sustainable development and ecological resilience.
This year’s winners, drawn from across the globe, include standout African initiatives that are not only protecting ecosystems but also securing livelihoods and empowering women and youth.
Selected from a highly competitive pool of over 700 nominations from 103 countries, the 2025 winners exemplify this year’s theme, “Nature for Climate Action,” with a special focus on youth- and women-led climate action.
Their work spans critical areas: protecting and restoring ecosystems to mitigate and adapt to climate change, and advancing inclusive, nature-based economies that create opportunities for Indigenous Peoples and local communities.
“On this important day, the 2025 Equator Prize winners are a reminder of the importance of honoring and recognizing the vision and leadership of Indigenous Peoples and local communities. These solutions, grounded in Indigenous knowledge and collective stewardship, are not only effective but essential to achieving a just, inclusive, and sustainable future for all,” stated Marcos Neto, UN Assistant Secretary-General and Director of UNDP’s Bureau for Policy and Programme Support.
The two African-based winners of the Equator Prize 2025 are:
Kenya: Nature and People As One (NaPO)
In the arid landscapes of northern Kenya, pastoralist communities are living at the sharp edge of climate change.
Erratic rainfall, degraded rangelands, and shrinking grazing areas threaten both livelihoods and biodiversity.
Against this backdrop, Nature and People As One (NaPO) has emerged as a model of community-led restoration.
This women- and youth-led Indigenous organization uses traditional knowledge alongside affordable restoration techniques to breathe life back into degraded drylands.
NaPO has restored more than 550 hectares and manages over 10,000 hectares under community bylaws.
The group trains local leaders and engages young people to take ownership of environmental stewardship, ensuring that climate resilience is not just a short-term intervention but a generational shift.
The organization’s approach blends ecological restoration with social transformation.
Key Projects and Initiatives:
- The Ramat Model: This is their flagship initiative that combines traditional ecological knowledge with low-cost restoration techniques like Farmer-Managed Natural Regeneration (FMNR) to restore degraded lands. They train “Ramat Champions” (local elders, women, and youth) to lead these efforts.
- Herder Conservation Network: This program engages local herders, who have a deep understanding of the environment, to monitor wildlife using GPS tools, contributing to the protection of endangered species like the African elephant and Grevy’s zebra.
- NaPO Conservation Cup: An annual football tournament that uses sports to engage youth in ecosystem restoration activities, such as planting indigenous trees.
- Bee Works Africa: A program that enhances livelihoods by training community members in beekeeping and purchasing honey directly from them, creating a nature-based business that incentivizes biodiversity conservation.
- Recognition: NAPO was a winner of the prestigious Equator Prize in 2025, which recognizes outstanding community-led solutions for sustainable development.
Tanzania: Sustainable Ocean Alliance Tanzania (SOA TANZANIA)
