Association Burkinabè de Fundraising

Equator Initiatives is pleased to announce a call for nominations for the Equator Prize 2022. This year's Equator Prize will recognise innovative initiatives by indigenous peoples and local communities that demonstrate outstanding achievements in nature-based solutions for local sustainable development.

The Equator Prize, organised by the Equator Initiative within the United Nations Development Programme, is awarded every two years for outstanding community efforts to reduce poverty through the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity.

As sustainable community initiatives take root in the tropics, they are laying the foundation for a global movement of local success stories that collectively contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). As local and indigenous groups across the tropics demonstrate and exemplify sustainable development, the Equator Prize highlights their efforts by celebrating them on the international stage.

Information on financing

• The winners will join a prestigious network of 264 leading community organisations from 84 countries that have received the Equator Prize since 2002.
• Each Equator Prize winner will receive USD 10,000 and be supported to participate in a series of policy dialogues and special events in the latter part of 2022.

Theme of the Equator Prize 2022

The thematic priorities include:

• Creating a global safety net : Protection, restoration and/or sustainable management of ecosystems to help mitigate greenhouse gas emissions and/or help communities adapt to the impacts of climate change. This includes actions to :

  • Protect and restore nature to safeguard water, food, carbon, livelihoods and biodiversity
  • Protect the rights of indigenous peoples to their lands, territories and resources, including through the use of advanced technologies

• Redefining our relationship with nature : Redefining our relationship with nature by putting nature at the heart of local development plans and policies, and by defending the rights of land and water defenders. This includes actions to :

  • Integrate the concepts, traditional knowledge, vision and value of nature of indigenous peoples and local communities into local and/or national development plans and policies
  • Defending land and water defenders, defending land and water rights and promoting social and environmental justice

• Creating a new green economy for people and planet . Protection, restoration and/or sustainable management of terrestrial or marine ecosystems, biodiversity and/or wildlife that enable sustainable livelihoods, green businesses and employment, including the promotion of indigenous economies. This includes actions to:

  • Accelerating regenerative agriculture, agroforestry and sustainable fisheries
  • Ensure that indigenous peoples and local communities and their green micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) are at the heart of sustainable, equitable and inclusive supply chains
  • Develop sustainable raw material production and promote deforestation-free raw materials
  • Supporting and strengthening indigenous economies

Particular attention will be given to candidates working on ecosystem integrity and integrity, intergenerational equity and gender equality.

Eligible initiatives

• Community associations or organisations
• Community enterprises and cooperatives
• Women's associations or organisations
• Indigenous or ethnic minority groups or associations
• Youth groups or associations
• Non-governmental organisations.

Eligibility information

To be eligible for the Equator Prize, the following conditions apply :

• The initiative must have existed for at least three years and/or the actions undertaken must have been in place for at least three years.
• The applicant must be either a local community initiative, operating in a rural area, based in a country supported by the United Nations Development Programme; or an initiative led by indigenous peoples in any country, operating in a rural area.
• The actions undertaken by the applicant must be nature-based and must provide benefits related to at least two Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

eligible countries

Local community groups must be located in one of the countries listed below.

• Eastern Europe and Central Asia
• Middle East and North Africa
• Latin America and the Caribbean
• Asia and the Pacific
• Sub-Saharan Africa
• Global North (nominations from indigenous peoples and communities only).

For more information, please visit The Equator Prize 2022 .