Gaia Protection with Landia & Ancestral Guardians: Web3 Climate Solutions Research & Education, Fundraising, and Regenerative Infrastructure Development with Indigenous Communities & Land Stewards in the Global South

🌐 CLIMATE CATEGORIES This project addresses the following categories of Climate Solutions identified by Climate Coordination Network:

• Climate Activism/Education
• Oracles & dMRV
• Carbon Accounting
• Nature-Based Solutions
• Climate Adaptation/Climate Resilience

⚔️ THE CHALLENGES The power of Web3 has yet to be fully realised in climate action as many of these technologies remain disconnected from communities on-the-ground. Access to funding and technology is a major challenge - particularly in the Global South’s rural and indigenous communities who have massive potential to expand biodiversity protection and commons stewardship, but lack market access and funding to grow initiatives and purchase their land (often back) for conservation, reforestation, regeneration and food security.

Establishing standards for monitoring and evaluating climate change mitigation efforts is expensive, with high barriers and up front costs for carbon accounting, oracles, and dMRV to issue carbon and biodiversity credits for climate resilience. https://medium.com/kolektivo-co/monitoring-reporting-and-verification-methodologies-in-regenerative-finance-81d76cb9710

There is also a huge learning and technology curve to gain access to eco credit markets, and many existing institutional programs that work with these communities are corrupt, provide under market value, and lack transparency in funding flows and impact accounting. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/257721886_Problematizing_REDD_as_an_experiment_in_payments_for_ecosystem_services

Most financing is also exogenous and does not maintain value and circulation within these communities, who remain dependent on external economic injections. https://blog.block.science/complex-systems-modeling-of-community-inclusion-currencies-a-blockscience-collaboration-with-grassroots-economics-the-danish-red-cross/

🌍 THE OPPORTUNITY For thousands of years, indigenous communities have been protecting our forests, the global heritage of medicinal plants, and traditional ways of farming, producing, and organizing life. They are critical to the success of nature-based solutions (NbS) to climate change mitigation, such as improved forest management practices and ecosystem protection. https://www.facetsjournal.com/doi/10.1139/facets-2019-0058.

Mobilization in Lima, Peru, for justice for murdered environmental defenders. Photo: MOCICC.

Source: https://es.mongabay.com/2023/08/acuerdo-de-escazu-es-un-instrumento-que-tiene-que-cobrar-vida-entrevista/

Indigenous lands cover 20% of Earth's surface and are home to 80% of its remaining biodiversity. (Recio et al., 2022) Indigenous Peoples have a long-standing tradition of environmental stewardship, and their sustainable practices have existed for millenia. In contrast, development, privatization, and individual ownership models have resulted in climate change, biodiversity loss, and land degradation. According to a technical review of the State of Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities' Lands (IPLC) published in 2021, "Supporting IPLCs as custodians of nature provides widespread benefits and services for all of humanity." (WWF et al., 2021: 8)

Sources: Percentage of IPCL lands in good condition (WWF et al., 2021) Protecting and conserving Indigenous territories are integral to global conservation efforts, making strengthening ancestral knowledge and increasing resilience and climate targets of global conservation efforts. Together with carbon reduction measures and renewable energy efforts, NbS alone can contribute 30-40% of CO2 mitigation needed by 2030, helping to keep warming below 2 degrees Celsius. https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rstb.2019.0120

Identified projects within indigenous territories not only contribute to land conservation but also serve to safeguard historical sites, cultural practices, and sacred grounds integral to indigenous cosmo-visions. Building a bridge between Web3-powered fundraising efforts and the conservation initiatives of indigenous people in the Global South, beginning with Costa Rica (specially positioned as containing 6% of the world’s biodiversity), holds paramount importance in safeguarding both the environment and the cultural heritage of these communities. By integrating and leveraging emerging technologies with nature-based solutions, indigenous groups, land stewards, and conservationists can share learnings and co-develop solutions to further preserve ancestral lands, protect bio- and cultural diversity for the regeneration of people and planet.

This collaborative approach fosters sustainable development while respecting the rights, sovereignty, and wisdom of indigenous communities, ensuring that their voices are heard and their invaluable contributions to conservation efforts are recognized and supported on a global scale.

🌊 THE VISION

To bridge intersectional regeneration and Web3 to guard precious ecosystems and ancestral cultures. To leverage climate data for resilience, monitoring, and computing for climate data-driven decision making Capacity building and endogenous value creation for land stewardship and protection.

Our vision is to secure funding for this vital project that contributes to intersectional ecological restoration and climate action. We aim to support in creating buffer zones around indigenous and endangered lands to create contention against outside aggression that threatens their land. By protecting sacred sites and co-developing infrastructure in allyship with those communities, we aim to foster sustainability and preserve invaluable cultural and natural heritage. We aim to support and continue to enable the integration of indigenous land practices and “Western” science methodologies, also known as “Two-Eyed Seeing” in Eskasoni and Acadia Nation traditions.

🌳 THE MISSION Supporting the expansion of indigenous-led biodiversity conservation by lowering the barriers to access and co-developing guides for Web3 tech, financing, eco credits, the creation of complementary currencies to build economic, cultural, and climate resilience.

Initial goals include: To create exposure and protection for the communities using oracles & dMRV, Carbon Accounting, Climate Activism/Education, Nature-Based Solutions, and Climate Adaptation/Resilience. Co-develop an educational guide specifically designed for rural and indigenous communities to include information about Web3 climate tooling, eco credit markets, community currency creation, cryptocurrency, etc. and coalition building with other communities and land stewards with high integrity partner organizations in these fields. Support the expansion of land preservation with the issuance of high-quality eco credits via dMRV and oracle partnerships where the investment stays within the communities and helps reduce GHG emissions and preserve biodiversity. Support the repurchase, preservation, and regeneration of degraded land, especially on the edges of indigenous territories to expand the “buffer” amidst increasing development pressure.

💚 WHO WE SERVE Land stewards and conservationists including indigenous and rural communities The land and all non-human kin

🎥 THE GRANT WORK WILL RESULT IN:

COSTA RICA PILOT

CONTEXT Costa Rica ranks among the 20 countries with the highest biodiversity per area, hosting 5% of world species despite only covering 0.03% of Earth's surface. (GEF, 2005) Unfortunately, due to cattle ranching, extensive agriculture, and cash crop production activities from 1940 until 1987, it experienced rapid deforestation, and its land area shrunk from 75% down to 40% of what it once was. https://www.premiumwoodslabs.com/info/analysis-of-the-forest-cover-of-costa-rica-between-1960-and-2013/

Costa Rica is an outstanding example of a small and sustainable nation that has prioritized conservation efforts over recent decades and tried to safeguard indigenous territories (Castro et al., 2019) however, the country has the highest levels of income equality among Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries. https://www.oecd.org/gov/gov-at-a-glance-2021-costa-rica.pdf

Source: The mysterious stone spheres of Costa Rica were created by the pre-Columbian indigenous people of the Diquís culture between 200 BCE and 1500 CE. These spheres are highly valued as an integral part of Costa Rican cultural heritage and UNESCO wolrd-heritage. (Greeglobetravel.com, 2015)

PILOT PROJECT -A research & fundraising Pilot in the Boruca indigenous territory in Costa Rica in partnership with community leaders

With this grant, we aim to establish a pilot initiative within the Boruca Indigenous community to:

-Support existing initiatives for land repurchase and the development of syntropic agroforestry and regeneration of degraded former banana plantation land. -We also aim to develop the understanding of data management and onboarding procedures for Indigenous communities to build for future projects seeking international funding and economic capacity building within their community and with neighbouring communities.

The project phases include: -Funding materials and infrastructure development e.g. paying for malocas the Boruca community would like to build to host eco/cultural visits to share their medicine. -Organising and documenting a volunteering visit to the Boruca Project. -Research and documentation of dMRV methodologies, regenerative and collaborative finance mechanisms, emerging technologies and biodiversity credits. -Initiating a Regenerative Finance Program for commons stewards.

LONG-TERM PROJECT GOALS

Depending on the size of grants, we will work on the above as well as further research, development, and education.

We will use info from the pilot to develop:

The expansion of dMRV methodologies e.g. Regen Network co-development of regenerative cattle grazing methodologies for pilots in Costa Rica Community education guide to carbon assets & biodiversity credits, community asset vouchers, Web3 & crypto in English & Español Onboarding framework for rural indigenous communities to raise funds including Web3 fundraising e.g. Giveth.io & micro-lending e.g. EthicHub.com White Labelling products to solve the needs of the demand such as community education guide to carbon assets & biodiversity credits, community asset vouchers, Web3 & crypto in English & Español. Acquisition of land to protect sacred Boruca community sites. Development of infrastructure where volunteers can stay, to support conservation efforts. Covering tax and legal fees associated with the project. Production of short engaging videos for future fundraising and Landia promotions.

💱 WHAT WE CAN DO WITH MORE FUNDING With additional funding, Landia can amplify the quality and impact of our initiatives. This includes:

Expanding our operations team to tackle larger-scale projects. Covering additional restoration projects to broaden our impact. Translating community guides and educational materials into more languages. Increasing partnership and distribution efforts to share knowledge and increase action towards ecological restoration and climate action.

👥 AUDIENCE Our audience includes supporters of environmental conservation, cultural preservation, and sustainable development. We aim to engage a diverse community of donors, activists, and organisations passionate about making a positive impact on our planet using Web3 tooling and recognized standards and methodologies to reduce GHG emissions and protect biodiversity.

🤝 THE TEAM The project team consists of dedicated individuals committed to environmental stewardship and community empowerment. With expertise in strategy, Web3, conservation, fundraising, partnerships, and storytelling, we are poised to lead successful initiatives that benefit both people and the planet:

Lila Behr https://www.linkedin.com/in/lilabehr/ -Co-founder, Gaia Protection https://gaiaprotection.org/ -Author of the paper “Exploring the Potential of ICT in Indigenous Territories: How Costa -Rica's Conservation Efforts Can Scale Beyond the Digital Divide” https://drive.google.com/file/d/1VGDipqA4xfzJOOeqJglKkCucAGjlkebp/view -Co-founder of La Colmena https://www.instagram.com/lacolmenacostarica/ -Guardianes Ancestrales, an umbrella for indigenous partnerships and initiatives that produced a short-film in 2021 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9y7RrL123zc

Arturo Montanaro https://www.linkedin.com/in/arturo-g-montanaro-75873218b/ -Founder of Landia: https://twitter.com/LandiaRegen / landia.world / https://www.linkedin.com/company/landia-world/

Project mentor and participant Abuela Ana Iris Elizondo Maroto, Boruca Indigenous Leader -Co-Founder of the “Guardianes de las esferas” Project https://www.gofundme.com/f/guardianesdelasesferas?utm_campaign=p_lico+share-sheet&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_source=customer

Mariano Iglesias, Permaculture Landscape Design & Advisory -Founder of Integral Roots https://integralroots.com/

Project mentor & advisor Jhon Fonseca, former Vice Minister of Foreign Trade for Costa Rica https://www.linkedin.com/in/jhon-fonseca-73454b2/

Jessica Zartler, Volunteer Project Coordinator: Strategy, Research, Grants, Partnerships, Research & Documentation https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessicazartler/ -Co-author, “Exploring MycoFi: Mycelial Design Patterns for Web3 & Beyond” https://linktr.ee/MycoFi -Research & communications at https://block.science/ -Founding Steward of the Token Engineering Commons https://tecommons.org/ -Course Creator & Advisor Token Engineering Academy https://tokenengineering.net/