Conservation champion and TED Fellow Adjany Costa is on a mission to empower Indigenous communities. Instead of imposing pre-designed policy and plans on local people, she says, conservation efforts should center those who know the land best, enabling them to tailor solutions to their unique environmental, social and economic realities. She presents a roadmap for Indigenous communities to take back ownership of their heritage and reclaim stewardship of their land. "Real community-based conservation ... fosters fierce independence," Costa says.

Adjany Costa: Lasting conservation, led by Indigenous heritage

Lasting conservation, led by Indigenous heritage

Empowering communities for true conservation necessitates reversing traditional roles, enabling local wisdom to guide global policy.

Indigenous tales like the Mukissi are not folklore but stewards of biodiversity, urging the transfer of environmental guardianship.

By fostering independence over dependency, community-led conservation embeds the belief, belonging, and dream of a sustainable future.