Quito, Ecuador — The Amazon Sacred Headwaters Alliance (ASHA), representing one of the world’s largest Indigenous-led conservation initiatives, has been selected as a finalist for the 2024 Earthshot Prize in the «Protect and Restore Nature» category. This prestigious recognition highlights the Alliance’s work in protecting 35 million hectares (86 million acres) of Amazon rainforest, home to over 30 Indigenous nationalities in Ecuador and Peru.
The Earthshot Prize, launched by Prince William in 2020, aims to accelerate solutions to the planet’s most pressing environmental challenges. The «Protect and Restore Nature» category honors initiatives that protect biodiversity, restore ecosystems, and regenerate natural habitats. ASHA’s nomination underscores its dedication to safeguarding one of the most biodiverse and culturally-rich regions on the planet: the Sacred Headwaters of the Amazon rainforest.
Formed in 2017, the Alliance is a pioneering partnership led by Indigenous peoples, whose territories span the Napo, Pastaza, and Marañón river basins. The Amazon Sacred Headwaters bioregion, in addition to supporting vast species and ecosystems, plays a crucial role in regulating the global climate and hydrological cycles. In an era where environmental degradation threatens life worldwide, the Amazon Sacred Headwaters Alliance offers a bold vision from a bioregional perspective, grounded in ancestral knowledge and ecological stewardship.
“We are honored to be recognized as finalists for the Earthshot Prize,” said Uyunkar Domingo Peas, President and founding member of the Alliance. “This nomination acknowledges the efforts of our Indigenous nations to defend the rainforest and institute a regenerative model that benefits all life. The Amazon cannot be viewed as a natural resource; it is our home, and its survival is vital to the well-being of the planet.”
Through its Bioregional Plan 2030, the Alliance proposes alternative pathways for forest conservation, ecosystem restoration, and Indigenous governance, seeking to keep fossil fuels in the ground, restore degraded lands, and protect biodiversity. The Alliance’s vision aspires to achieve legal recognition of Indigenous territories, prevent deforestation, and establish alternative economies based on forest regeneration and values rooted in Indigenous governance.
As ASHA progresses to the final stage of the Earthshot Prize, its work stands as a model of resilience, innovation, and collective action for the world to follow. The winners will be announced in November 2024.
For more information on the Sacred Headwaters Alliance and its initiatives, please visit www.sacredheadwaters.org.
Contact:
Amazon Sacred Headwaters Alliance
Email: info@sacredheadwaters.org
Phone: +593 2 356 0480