The Amazon Sacred Headwaters Alliance (ASHA) brings together Indigenous nations to protect 86 million acres of forests for its communities and to advocate for a regenerative bioeconomy.
More than 80% of the Amazon’s ecosystem is under threat from logging, mining, oil drilling, and land grabs for agriculture and illegal activities. These activities not only endanger the environment but also threaten the land rights of indigenous peoples. Oil and logging companies continue to pressure indigenous communities to give up their ancestral lands. In Peru, indigenous land rights are not officially recognized, and even in Ecuador, where some land is legally protected, it requires constant vigilance to prevent illegal exploitation.
Uyunkar Domingo Peas Nampichkai, a key founding member of the Alliance for the Amazonian Indigenous Peoples (ASHA), stresses the urgency of the situation: “To indigenous people, it is clear that if the forest is destroyed, humanity will be at a point of no return.”
Since its founding in 2017, the Alliance has grown to include 28 member organizations, 25 of which are indigenous groups from Ecuador and Peru. Together, they form the world’s largest indigenous-led conservation initiative, working collectively to protect the Amazon. This collaborative model brings together diverse perspectives and offers a replicable framework for global conservation, blending environmental protection with indigenous wisdom and unified action.
Uyunkar Domingo Peas Nampichkai, an Achuar leader from Ecuador, has decades of experience organizing indigenous alliances. He believes the best solutions come from combining the efforts of indigenous and non-indigenous communities for the benefit of all. Advocacy plays a key role in overcoming resistance from landholders and communities and in shifting government and public perspectives. This approach was critical in the 2023 referendum in Ecuador, where voters chose to “keep oil in the soil” in the Yasuni National Park, preventing an estimated 1.67 billion barrels of crude oil from being extracted.
The Alliance also focuses on reforestation and restoration, with strategic programs that include territorial monitoring and governance, food security, sustainable livelihoods, inter-cultural health and education, and renewable energy.
Uyunkar Domingo Peas Nampichkai, President of Amazon Sacred Headwaters Alliance
ASHA envisions transitioning the Amazon from an extractive economy to a regenerative bioeconomy. This vision is outlined in their “Bioregional Plan 2030,” which offers pathways to improve livelihoods, safeguard collective land rights, and strengthen indigenous territorial governance. The plan also aims to conserve biodiversity, enhance ecological resilience, and address key issues like education, health, transportation, food security, and clean energy access.
“This is where we believe the Earthshot Prize can help us lift off,” says Uyunkar Domingo Peas Nampichkai. Funding would support day-to-day operations and provide expert assistance, such as working with economists to improve value chains.
As part of its broader vision, the Alliance founded the La Escuela Viva de la Amazonia (EVA) or the Living School of the Amazon. EVA equips the next generation with the knowledge and leadership skills necessary to tackle the region’s challenges. Graduates receive certification in governance, human rights, and ancestral knowledge, with some of the first 30 graduates already serving in leadership roles at local and regional levels. Over 40 new scholarship students are currently enrolled in this year’s program.
