EcoStrategist

  Working at Rare taught me a humbling lesson that fundamentally changed how I think about environmental conservation: knowledge doesn't equal behavior change. It's a lesson that every environmentalist, policymaker, and concerned citizen needs to understand if we're serious about addressing biodiversity loss and climate change. The Knowledge Trap For years, I believed in what I now recognize as the "information deficit model" – the assumption that if people just knew the facts about environmental destruction, they would naturally change their behavior. Climate change is real, biodiversity is collapsing, plastic is choking our oceans – surely these facts would motivate action? Yet time and again, I witnessed the opposite. People who could eloquently describe the impacts of deforestation continued to buy products that drove it. Individuals deeply concerned about marine life still used single-use plastics. Even those working in conservation sometimes struggled ...

 In a world increasingly defined by technological solutions and data-driven approaches to global challenges, we often overlook the most fundamental ingredient for success in conservation and development initiatives: human connection. While scientific knowledge, policy frameworks, and funding are essential, the ability to forge meaningful relationships across diverse stakeholders ultimately determines whether conservation and development efforts endure beyond initial implementation phases. The Missing Link in Traditional Approaches For decades, conservation and development projects have followed a familiar pattern: external experts arrive with predetermined solutions, implement them with varying degrees of local consultation, and then depart—often leaving behind initiatives that gradually lose momentum once external support disappears. This phenomenon, sometimes called the "project cycle trap," stems from a fundamental oversight: treating human relationships as secondary t...

For the past 20 years, I have had the privilege of working alongside Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IPLCs), co-designing conservation projects that not only protect biodiversity but also enhance the wellbeing of communities. Through these experiences, it has become undeniably clear that conservation efforts must integrate social dimensions to be truly effective. Conservation is not only about preserving nature; it is about respecting and uplifting the people who have been its stewards for generations. People and Nature: An Inseparable Relationship The bond between people and nature runs deep. For many Indigenous communities, nature is not a resource to be exploited but a relative, a source of life, and a foundation of cultural identity. Traditional ecological knowledge, passed down through generations, offers invaluable insights into sustainable practices that modern conservation efforts can learn from. However, recognizing this relationship goes beyond appreciating traditio...

 In a world where noise often equals power — where leadership is confused with dominance, and influence with visibility — many of us have found ourselves leading from a different place. Not from the front of the room, shouting directions, but from the inside of conversations. From moments of deep listening. From a quiet, steady pulse of clarity that cuts through the chaos. Over the years, I’ve come to realize that what we sometimes call "soft skills" are in fact profound leadership strengths. Emotional regulation, empathy, conflict mediation, decision-making under pressure — these aren’t traits on the sidelines of leadership; they are at its core. And neuroscience is now confirming what many women have intuitively practiced for decades. This new understanding is being shaped by neuroleadership, a field that explores how our brains operate in complex organizational and social environments. From this research, a new model has emerged: Quiet Leadership. It’s not about leading fr...

Not long ago, while walking through Cumbayá during a heavy rain, I ended up soaked to the knees because of a collapsed storm drain. It’s ironic: we live in a city of mountains and ravines, yet we’ve made it impermeable. Concrete everywhere, rivers channeled or buried, and every winter catches us off guard as if we didn’t know what was coming. That day, I stumbled upon a fascinating idea: “sponge cities.” It sounds almost like science fiction, but it's a real proposal that’s transforming how we design urban spaces. Instead of resisting water, these cities absorb it, filter it, and reuse it—mimicking natural ecosystems like wetlands and forests. In China, the concept gained momentum after the devastating floods of 2012. In 2015, the government launched a program to transform 30 cities—including Wuhan—into sponge cities, aiming to absorb up to 70% of rainfall. They used green roofs, floodable parks, permeable pavement, and urban wetlands (World Resources Institute, 2022). And it’s not...

 If there was ever a time for NGOs to take a hard look at their funding strategies, that time is now. Many organizations have been operating under a donor-dependent model, relying almost entirely on grants and philanthropy to sustain their missions. But with recent shifts in global funding policies, many NGOs have seen significant funding cuts that have deeply impacted their ability to carry out conservation and development work worldwide. This reality raises an urgent question: how can NGOs build a more resilient funding model that ensures long-term impact? I trullyu belive the answer lies in diversification, blended finance, and innovative income-generating approaches. NGOs that fail to adapt risk stagnation, while those that rethink their financial strategies can thrive despite uncertainty. As Darren Walker, President of the Ford Foundation, puts it: "Nonprofits must become more entrepreneurial in their approach to sustainability, embracing new models that reduce dependency on ...