Revolutionary endowment model puts Indigenous communities in control of conservation funding decisions, transforming biodiversity finance from the ground up
The ETH BiodivX Team announced the establishment of the Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities Science Endowment Fund (IPLC Science Fund) at the 30th Conference of the Parties of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP 30) in Belém, Brazil. Established with the USD 250,000 Bonus Prize from the XPRIZE Rainforest Competition, this pioneering initiative represents a fundamental shift in conservation financing by placing Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IPLC) at the forefront of funding decisions.
The fund emerges from a profound understanding of conservation’s socio-economic dimensions. “An old saying from the Amazon states: The man on the red doesn’t care about the green,” said Gabriel Nunes, co-chairman of the fund and Amazon representative, explaining how communities without socio-economic means to thrive are often forced into practices that exploit the very nature they depend upon. “The drivers of both biodiversity protection and destruction are fundamentally human and rooted in socio-economic conditions.”
This perspective shaped the ETH BiodivX Team’s pioneering work adapting cutting-edge technologies, including AI, machine learning, acoustics, and drone imaging, for use by Amazon IPLCs. By integrating traditional knowledge with advanced tools, the team has enabled community-led monitoring of natural resources vital for local economic resilience and territorial permanence, exploring the crucial socio-economic dimensions of biodiversity data.
Reclaiming Conservation Protagonism
The IPLC Science Fund transforms the traditional conservation funding paradigm. Through an Indigenous Data Council, IPLC representatives will evaluate submitted projects and approve only those that align directly with their community’s values and priorities. This bottom-up approach restores conservation protagonism to nature’s stewards.
“There is a lot of talk about funds to save, protect, or reforest the Amazon, but those who live here are rarely included,” said Marina Mura, co-chair of the fund and Indigenous scientist from the ETH BiodivX Team. “To understand a territory, you must listen to those who were born and breathe in it. Projects made about the Amazon, but without the Amazonians, end up being superficial … views from the outside, from above the trees. We want to change this. We want the people who truly protect the Amazon to be the protagonists, to have a voice and decision-making power. All that’s missing is the scientific data, the tool, and the access. And that is why this fund was created: to unite knowledge and strengthen the protagonism of those who have been protecting the Amazon for millennia.”
“For too long, conservation funding has operated through grant-based models that make it nearly impossible for nature stewards to compete with global universities and well-resourced institutes,” said Nunes. “Even when Indigenous communities receive funding, financiers often impose their own priorities on conservation activities, creating misalignment with the priorities of Indigenous people doing the actual conservation work. This fund changes that by putting financial power directly in the hands of nature stewards.”
A New Paradigm for Conservation Science
Under the IPLC Science Fund model, scientists will co-construct conservation projects with Indigenous communities, though only projects receiving Indigenous Data Council approval will be financed. This ensures both scientific rigor and cultural alignment, fundamentally transforming how conservation funding operates.
The governance structure guarantees Indigenous leadership by requiring full consensus of Indigenous and Local Representatives for all funding decisions—effectively granting them veto power over how resources are allocated.
“This fund honors and supports the vital role of Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities in safeguarding global biodiversity,” said David Dao, ETH BiodivX Team Leader and Co-founder of GainForest. “We’re building a model that respects Indigenous knowledge systems, promotes data sovereignty, and fosters long-term environmental and cultural resilience.”
Bridging Knowledge Systems
“This fund will enable Indigenous communities to lead research projects, co-author scientific papers, and strengthen their role in global conservation efforts—all while maintaining control over their data and traditional knowledge,” Marina Mura said.
Governance That Ensures Indigenous Leadership
Structural safeguards ensure enduring Indigenous representation, including a Cultural Continuity Clause requiring IPLC seats to be held by individuals recognized as community leaders by their peers, verified through third-party testimonials.
An Advisory Council of five IPLC advisors will review board decisions for cultural alignment, evaluate projects to ensure they address local challenges, and suggest potential initiatives and partnerships.
Aligned with Global Conservation Goals
The IPLC Science Fund aligns with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) and supports implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. The fund’s vision is fixed and cannot be altered: “To provide, develop, and research accessible technologies and data, by and with Indigenous and Local Communities, that support self-determined development towards the full and effective implementation of community-led conservation initiatives and Indigenous science projects.”
Call for Endorsement and Partnership
The ETH BiodivX Team invites governments, philanthropic institutions, private sector actors, universities, research bodies, and civil society organizations to sign the Declaration of Endorsement for the IPLC Science Fund and join this movement toward equitable conservation finance.
“During the XPRIZE Rainforest competition, our team recognized that successful conservation requires the active participation of indigenous and local communities, and that their knowledge is essential for conservation science,” said ETH BiodivX team member Florencia Sangermano of Clark University’s School of Climate, Environment, and Society. “By announcing this fund at COP30, where Indigenous communities are fighting for their inclusion in climate actions and decisions, we convey that we hear them, see them, acknowledge them, and are with them.”
About the ETH BiodivX Team
The ETH BiodivX Team is dedicated to advancing biodiversity research and innovation through partnerships with Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities. The team emphasizes cross-border, technology-enabled, and participatory biodiversity monitoring grounded in both traditional knowledge and modern science, with a focus on equitable partnerships, capacity building, and ethical data governance.
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