At the IUCN World Conservation Congress 2025, FES secured approval of Motion 105, recognizing Indigenous Peoples and local communities as key stewards of natural resources and promoting dedicated funding for community stewardship
At the IUCN World Conservation Congress 2025, LGT Venture Philanthropy's partner, the Foundation for Ecological Security (FES), achieved a major milestone with the approval of Motion 105: “Recognising and Supporting Community Stewardship of Natural Resources through Dedicated Funding.”
This motion highlights the critical role of Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IP&LCs) as stewards of nature, recognizes traditional knowledge as a powerful nature-climate solution, and underscores that investing in community stewardship is a just, cost-effective, and scalable pathway for climate and nature resilience.
Since 2021, LGT Venture Philanthropy has supported FES in this transformative work, helping communities across 14 states in India manage shared land and water resources. Together, we have brought more than 15 million acres under community governance, benefiting over 34 million people.
We thank FES, Landstack - Center for Land, and Steven Lawry for their tireless efforts and research that made this achievement possible.
The dialogue continues today at the India Land & Development Conference (ILDC) 2025 in Ahmedabad, where Landstack - Center for Land is convening funders and partners to explore pathways for Community Stewardship Funds in India - furthering the shared vision of LGT Venture Philanthropy and FES for empowered, resilient communities.