Challenge
First global platform of indigenous and community lands
Even though indigenous people make up just 5% of the world’s population, their ancestral lands span 65% of the Earth’s surface, yet only 10% of those lands are within their legal control. A significant challenge indigenous people face when negotiating with governments and corporations is lack of access to recognized maps. Protecting indigenous land has potential not only to help the world’s estimated 5,000 indigenous communities, but also alert the international community to the significant environmental benefits that come with safeguarding indigenous territories; areas legally populated by indigenous populations see far lower decimation of trees and plant life that help to mitigate carbon emissions.
LandMark is co-led by Instituto del Bien Común (IBC), World Atlas of Indigenous Peoples' Territories (WAIPT), Liz Alden Wily, and the World Resources Institute (WRI), and became a finalist at the 2016 Classy Award.
13 non-profit organizations from 11 countries came together to launch LandMark in 2015. LandMark is the world’s first online and interactive global map which charts indigenous and community territory on a local and national level. More than just a map, LandMark also provides a platform for users to upload their own data, ask questions, and easily print charts to share with people living in areas with little internet access