Katie Constantine

The Ecuadorian rainforest is home to the Kichwa People of Pastaza, the largest Indigenous nationality in the country. They’ve lived and thrived in the forest for centuries, but as society changes and newer generations disengage from the culture, it has become difficult to maintain and pass down their traditions. That is why, in 2022, a group of Kichwa women ceramicists founded the artisan collective called Sinchi Muskuyuk Warmi (SMW). Kichwa women ceramicists. Photo Credit: Andreas Margraff.

Situated on Chandragiri Hill in Kirtipur, Nepal, about 12 km northwest of the capital city of Kathmandu, is the Champa Devi Forest and the Bagh Bhairab Forest. With no local support systems in place to protect the local environment, these forests were over-grazed by livestock and were so dry that forest fires often occurred. To combat these problems, the Nepalese government turned over the management and protection of the forests to local groups called Community Forestry User Groups (CFUG).

In November, Oxfam joined world and Indigenous leaders, environmental organizations, activists, and an unprecedented amount of fossil fuel industry representatives in Dubai for the two-week-long 2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference, or, as it’s more commonly known, COP28. Every year, attendees review the current state of climate change and how it’s being dealt with, then discuss actionable items that will help reduce climate impact in the future.