Key messages from SDM projects

The SDM was launched in 2013. Since then it has selected 73 projects by 2025. The grant recipients have reported outstanding achievements. The followings are key messages shared by the organizations which recently completed their SDM projects:

• 2024

  Strengthening the restoration and sustainable management of five sacred forests of the Ramsar site 1018 in Benin, Benin

  The restoration and sustainable management of sacred forests are effective and long-lasting when they are based on an integrated approach that combines traditional knowledge, modern silvicultural techniques, and economic valorisation mechanisms.

• 2024

  Strengthening governance mechanisms and protection of the community conservation area in the Portoviejo River Estuary, Manabí, Ecuador, Ecuador

  Community-led governance, supported by multi-actor coordination and ecosystem-based livelihoods, is vital for strengthening SEPLS resilience and long-term conservation.

• 2023

  Satpura-Melghat Landscape Restoration Initiative, India

  Harmonising ecological, social and economic needs forms the cornerstone of sustainable landscape management. However, achieving this balance represents the most intricate and demanding aspect of such initiatives.

• 2023

  Safeguarding the ecological integrity of the Atewa Forest Reserve through the promotion of best agroecological practices, Ghana

  Empowering women to promote biodiversity conservation and sustainable farming practices to enhance human well-being.

• 2023

  Enhancing knowledge and awareness of the camelids with the Andean communities in the international year IYC (IY of Camelids), Argentina

  International years, days and decades should be celebrated from the ground up, recognising local people within their territories.

• 2023

  Developing a sustainable socio economy through the restoration of sacred groves of the Malaiyali community in the Kalrayan hills of South India, India

  The conservation of natural repositories like sacred groves and their traditional ethnobotanical knowledge is obligatory for a green, sustainable socio-economic development.

• 2022

  Restoration and conservation of globally endangered Cordeauxia edulis woody species in the drylands of Ethiopia’s Somali Region, Ethiopia

  The capacity building, awareness-raising, and the strengthening of institutional frameworks is important for restoring and conserving threatened species and preventing extinction caused by human activities.

• 2022

  Inheritance and application of Satoyama farming knowledge in Nan'an tribe, Chinese Taipei (Taiwan)

  Since it is not easy for groups to get together, and farmers are very busy dealing with their daily lives, we need to be careful about how often we mobilize farmers and avoid forcibly mobilizing them and demotivating them to participate.

• 2022

  Fomenting the SEPL milpa (three sisters) through in situ landrace maize seed protection, Mexico

  The project must be well rooted in the community so that it meets the needs of this particular socio-ecological landscape. Conditions are heterogenous when there is vast biocultural diversity. Therefore, goals and methods should be developed and adjusted within the local context.

• 2022

  Mixed species farming and landscape restoration through supporting local families and stakeholders, Vietnam

  It is crucial to provide continuing support to farmers and stakeholders for restoration through mixed species farming and collective efforts towards OECM area-based conservation.

• 2022

  Indigenous and ecosystem-based solutions in SEPLS management during overlapping crises in the Sundarbans, Bangladesh, Bangladesh

  Involving IPLCs through a co-management approach is crucial for sustainable protection and conservation of the Sundarbans. ILK-based innovative practices can enhance the Sundarbans’ resilience to climate change, protect its biodiversity, and improve the livelihoods of IPLCs.