Equator Prize 2025

Published on 17 Nov 2025

• Recently, Bibi Fatima Women's Self-Help Group from a village in Kundgol taluk of Dharwad district, Karnataka has bagged the ‘Equator Prize 2025’ given by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

• The Equator Prize, started in 2002, is an international award recognizing outstanding efforts by Indigenous peoples and local communities in reducing poverty through the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity. 

• It is a biennial award administered by the Equator Initiative, a partnership hosted by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

• The Award is also referred to as the Nobel Prize for Biodiversity Conservation and the award includes a cash prize of $10,000 (approximately ₹8.5 lakh).

• And this year, the award selection was based on the theme "Women and Youth Leadership for Nature-Based Climate Action”.

• Eligibility: Initiatives must be at least 3 years old, community- or Indigenous-led, rural-based, and nature-based with benefits for two or more SDGs.

• Eligible Initiatives: Community associations, cooperatives, women’s and youth groups, Indigenous or minority organizations, and NGOs.

• Eligible Countries: Community groups must be from UNDP-supported countries, while Indigenous Peoples can apply from anywhere, including the Global North (e.g., US, EU, Canada, Japan, Australia).

• Several Indian organizations like the Deccan Development Society and Kudumbashree Mission are among its notable winners.

Keywords:

Equator Prize 2025 United Nations Development Programme UNDP Biodiversity Nobel Prize for Biodiversity Conservation Bibi Fatima Women's Self-Help Group Women empowerment