The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and its partners announce the winners of the 16th Equator Prize, recognizing ten Indigenous Peoples and local communities from nine countries spanning Asia, Africa, and Latin America and the Caribbean. The winning organizations demonstrate how innovative, nature-based solutions can enable communities to achieve their local development goals while building community resilience amidst economic, environmental, and political challenges. This year’s awardees join a network of 296 communities who have been recognized since 2002. 

The cohort of Equator Prize 2025 winners has been announced on this year’s International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples. Seven of the winning initiatives are Indigenous-led, each advancing biodiversity conservation, climate resilience, and cultural heritage preservation. It is vital to recognize and support Indigenous Peoples and local communities as stewards of Earth’s ecosystems, holding the knowledge, governance systems, and lived experience to drive transformative climate action and shape a just, nature-positive future.

The honorees, selected from a pool of over 700 nominations from 103 countries, hail from Argentina, Brazil, Ecuador, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Papua New Guinea, Peru, and Tanzania. Each will receive US$10,000 and the opportunity to take part in a series of special virtual events associated with the UN General Assembly, the UNDP Nature for Life Hub, and Climate COP 30 in Brazil.