Alice Kammwamba, Project Manager and Indigenous and Local Knowledge (ILK) Coordinator for the Malawi National Ecosystem Assessment, participated in the Eleventh Session of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES-11). This event took place in Windhoek, Namibia, from December 9th to 16th, 2024. Her involvement in the session marked a significant milestone in her leadership role within the ILK_Move – a vibrant community of practice dedicated to weaving ILK into national ecosystem assessments.
Alice’s participation aimed to advocate for the recognition and inclusion of ILK in biodiversity assessments and decision-making, including strengthening the ILK_Move’s presence within IPBES discussions and policy dialogues. Before the plenary session, Alice participated in IPBES-11 Stakeholder Day, where she shared key highlights from the Malawi National Ecosystem Assessment process and highlighted the significance of incorporating ILK into national ecosystem assessments. Her contributions helped shape discussions around equitable participation in biodiversity initiatives, IPBES processes, and the inclusion of ILK in biodiversity assessments, incorporating diverse ways in which society values and benefits from nature to inform decision-making and shaping policies.
IPBES-11 served as an important platform for advancing ILK within global biodiversity governance. Alice’s core message focused on how the ILK_Move has been instrumental in promoting the inclusion of ILK systems in the Malawi National Ecosystem Assessment, particularly by bridging the gap between science and traditional knowledge. Another key point she emphasized was the importance of intergenerational knowledge transfer, which is one of the ILK themes of the Assessment. “My participation, particularly on stakeholder day, contributed to promoting a more inclusive and knowledge-diverse approach to biodiversity assessments. Moving forward, I will continue advocating for the integration of ILK in science-policy interfaces, ensuring that Indigenous People and local communities remain central to biodiversity conservation efforts,” said Alice.
A key outcome of her active engagement at IPBES-11 was increased visibility of the ILK_Move, which gained recognition as a vital initiative for including and amplifying the voice of Indigenous Peoples and local communities in biodiversity assessments.
Learn more about Alice Kammwamba’s participation at IPBES-11 here.
Learn more about the Malawi National Ecosystem Assessment from the scoping report: Malawi-Scoping-Report_Approved_20240228.pdf
About ILK_Move
Coordinated by UNESCO’s Local and Indigenous Knowledge Systems (LINKS) Programme and the National Ecosystem Assessment Initiative at UNEP-WCMC as part of the BES-Net consortium, the ILK_Move provides a unique space for sharing ideas, building skills and exchanging knowledge. This community of practice connects ILK experts from NEA Initiative’s Tranche III countries – Botswana, the Dominican Republic, Malawi and Thailand – who work together to enhance the inclusion of ILK in national ecosystem assessments. Under the leadership of Alice Kammwamba in 2024, the ILK_Move has flourished, steering steadily towards its mission of incorporating ILK into biodiversity policy and decision-making.