On Wednesday, July 17, Hindou Ibrahim was officially nominated for the Pritzker Emerging Environmental Genius Award. From scientists to communicators, sustainable business leaders to social justice advocates, the candidates for the Pritzker Award from UCLA represent the full spectrum of answers to environmental concerns.

The Sahel. Photo courtesy of AFPAT

Hindou Ibrahim is a long time advocate for climate justice and the inclusion of indigenous ecological knowledge in mitigation and adaptation strategies for climate change. Her article on the Sahel desert introduced her initiative in partnership with the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification to reverse desertification trends in the region and restore economic, social, and environmental capital to its peoples.

She is no stranger to high-level international discussion on climate change, as a selected speaker at the signing of the Paris Climate Agreement and Co-Chair of the International Indigenous Peoples’ Forum on Climate Change. This year, she has been busy advising the program for the United Nations Climate Action Summit on September 23. In an interview with Cultural Survival magazine last year, she said:

“Traditional knowledge and climate science are both critically important for building resilience of rural communities to cope with climate change, and indigenous peoples are ready to share their knowledge to help mitigate and adapt.”

- Hindou Ibrahim 

From a Mbororo pastoralist community in Chad, Ms. Ibrahim founded the Association for Indigenous Women and Peoples of Chad (AFPAT) and works to empower indigenous voices to ensure their inclusion on international platforms. To encourage sustainable management of the environment in Chad, she co-developed a 3D mapping project with elders and herders. This participatory mapping project allowed elders to document the environmental history of the land from when they were young to what is there now. It gave young people an opportunity to learn from people with a deep understanding of the land and gave voices to women in more conservative communities. 

3D Mapping Project presented to local leaders and government. Photo courtesy of AFPAT.