EcoStrategist

 As 2025 came to an end, I found myself reflecting not just on global headlines or reports, but on conversations, projects, and moments in the field that shaped how I see conservation and climate action today. This year didn’t feel like a year of dramatic breakthroughs. It felt like something quieter,   and perhaps more important: a year of consolidation, learning, and reckoning. Here are a few reflections on what 2025 gave us, and what I believe 2026 will demand from all of us working with nature, communities, and climate: 1.         Nature-Based Solutions Are No Longer a Trend, they’re a Responsibility In 2025, it became clear to me that Nature-based Solutions are no longer something we experiment with. They are something we, as conservationists, must do well, or not do at all. Across different projects and discussions, I saw: ·        More serious investment in forest conservation and restoration · ...

 Today I’m writing something different from what I usually share. Not an update about work or a new project, but something much more personal, something that came from a moment that changed everything. Two weeks ago, around 6 p.m. on an ordinary Friday, I was working with a colleague on a project proposal. I was focused, fully immersed, doing the kind of work I genuinely love. Then suddenly, without warning, my body collapsed into a pain I couldn’t make sense of. I rushed to the Emergency Room, scared and confused, only to be told it was “nothing” and sent home. But two days later, on Sunday morning, the pain was unbearable. I returned to the ER, this time knowing something was truly wrong. Within hours I was admitted, and by December 2 nd ,   one day before my 50th birthday,   I was undergoing spine surgery. It’s strange how life rearranges itself in an instant. One moment you’re reviewing a proposal, thinking about deadlines and deliverables, and the next you’re s...

  Lately, I’ve been diving deeper into Article 6 of the Paris Agreement, and I wanted to share my understanding of what it actually means, why it matters for the future of climate action, and why I think we should be talking about it a lot more. Because even though carbon markets and international climate policy may sound technical and distant, Article 6 is essentially about one big question: How can countries work together to reduce emissions in a fair, transparent, and effective way?   So, What Is Article 6? Article 6 is one of the most complex, and fascinating, parts of the Paris Agreement. It creates rules for how countries can cooperate to meet their climate goals, especially through carbon markets. It’s divided into three key parts, but the two that are shaping global carbon markets the most are: Article 6.2 – Cooperative Approaches Allows countries to trade emissions reductions between each other through “ITMOs” (Internationally Transferre...

For more than twenty-five years working in conservation and climate action across Latin America and Asia, one truth has become increasingly clear to me: sustainability is not achieved through technical design alone, it is built through trust, inclusion, and the ability of people to see themselves as co-owners of the solutions that shape their future. I have led strategies for REDD+ type projects, biodiversity conservation, and community resilience in some of the world’s most critical ecosystems, from the Amazon and the Chocó to climate-vulnerable landscapes in Latin America and Asia. Yet despite the diversity of geographies and cultures, the success or failure of every initiative has always hinged on one factor: how deeply it connects with the people who live in those territories. We tend to think of environmental projects in terms of metrics, tons of CO₂ avoided, hectares restored, species protected. These are important outcomes, but they tell only part of the story. What truly dete...

  As I reflect now, working in the private sector after doing my MBA, I see the ambition behind the phrase “return on investment” in conservation and development in a new light: it’s not just a grant-making label, but a discipline in linking financial, ecological, and social logics into a coherent value story. What follows is how I think about ROI in these fields now, what I learned in business school, what the evidence says, and how I try to build credible impact arguments in my current work. First, ROI in conservation and development must be treated as an integrated narrative, not a single formula. In the corporate world, ROI is about dollars in vs. dollars out; but when you apply that to, say, restoring a mangrove or improving immunization coverage, you immediately confront benefits that are diffuse, time-distributed, and uncertain. So the challenge is: how do you credibly trace a dollar you spend today to avoided losses, health gains, or better resilience tomorrow? That is th...

 In conservation, success isn’t just about what you protect, it’s about how you go about it. Over the past few years, the term Conservation Design has gained traction among ecologists, landscape planners, NGOs, and community leaders alike. But what exactly does it mean? Why does it matter? And how do you actually do it? This post unpacks the when, why, how, and what of Conservation Design, and more importantly, it dives into why understanding the problem, co-designing with stakeholders, and building local capacity are not just good ideas, they're essential.   What Is Conservation Design? Conservation Design is a structured, participatory, and adaptive approach to developing conservation strategies. It blends ecological science with social realities and governance structures to create interventions that are not only effective but also legitimate and sustainable. Rather than starting with pre-defined solutions, it begins with asking questions: What is the problem? W...