click below to learn more about the past, present, and future of marine protection in the galápagos.

• indigenous peoples to get $1.7 billion in recognition of role in protecting forests. this pledge is part of an ambitious goal to reverse forest loss and land degradation by 2030, and was announced one week ago on the first day of cop26. learn more about the motivations and results of this historic moment.

• indigenous communities are at the forefront of climate resilience. a chair of the pawanka fund says that “indigenous knowledge includes the interrelationship between human being, mother earth, and cosmos.” learn what this means and why indigenous people are so essential to climate change resilience.

• the disproportionate impact of climate change on indigenous communities. explore why some of the communities that contribute the least to climate change are the most impacted, and why their voices need to be heard.

• indigenous territories fight climate change. read this quick q&a with a researcher about the results of her study examining the importance of indigenous territories in climate change mitigation across panama and the amazon basin.

• what western society can learn from indigenous communities, detailed in this essay from the opinion section of the new york times (note: this site is subscription only). learn about how the new zealand government is embracing indigenous knowledge, how this can improve the management of ecosystems and natural resources, and the global implications.

check back tomorrow for more info on what is being explored at cop26 — and good reads to keep you informed!

this extraordinary undersea world has drawn researchers and conservationists from around the world, who live alongside a population of 25,000, many of whom are recent immigrants from mainland ecuador. the population of galápagos has risen steadily since a few decades before the creation of the marine reserve in 1998, as the archipelago’s economy has grown from agriculture and trade based, to hospitality and tourism based.

the magnificent sea and land animals, from sea turtles and sea lions to giant tortoises and darwin’s finches are a draw to tourists globally. over 200,000 travelers visit the archipelago each year to explore its lava formations and take photos with its fearless animal population. this economic change has partially influenced the galápagos national park directorate (gnpd), which oversees human activity in the reserve, to focus more of its efforts on conserving the wildlife of the area. part of those efforts were an increase on fishing regulations and a reduction to the amount of artisanal fishing allowed in certain parts of the reserve.

galápagean fishermen, many of whom have been fishing all their lives, have been caught in the crosshairs of these regulations, and are working with the gnpd, the charles darwin research station (the island’s scientific authority) and the tourism sector to maintain their right to fish. this conflict has gone on since the reserve was established in ’98, but due to increased efforts by scientists and national park rangers, the relationship between the groups has steadily improved over time, and a more co-managerial approach has been established.

regardless, some fishermen still feel snubbed by the changing economy, and have seen the galápagos they grew up in change completely. as the population continues to grow, and more and more visitors arrive, it is unclear what role these fishermen will have in the galápagos in the future.