In November 2025, Álvaro Fernández-Llamazares, PI of the IEK-CHANGES project, participated in the First Author Meeting of the Second Global Assessment of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES).
The meeting, held at UNESCO headquarters in Paris, brought together 117 leading experts selected to contribute to the new global assessment and marked the beginning of a multi-year process to synthesize the latest evidence on biodiversity, nature’s contributions to people and pathways towards more sustainable futures. As Lead Author of Chapter 2, “Different Knowledge Systems and the Role of Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities,” Álvaro will contribute to assessing the role of Indigenous and local knowledge systems in biodiversity governance.
For the IEK-CHANGES research project, participation in this process provides an important connection to global biodiversity policy. The project is investigating how Indigenous Environmental Knowledge changes over time, including the factors that shape its continuity, transformation and transmission. Engaging directly with the IPBES assessment allows these questions to be situated within broader international discussions about biodiversity loss, Indigenous Peoples and environmental governance.
More information here on this link.
