Hindou OUMAROU IBRAHIM
Planetary Health Awards 2026 “Awareness” category

Indigenous peoples are directly confronted with changes in their environment, but they also possess essential knowledge for understanding these changes and developing appropriate responses.

A member of the Mbororo pastoralist community in Chad, Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim has worked for over 15 years to defend the rights of Indigenous peoples and promote recognition of their traditional ecological knowledge in responses to climate change.

As Founder of the Association of Indigenous Women and Peoples of Chad, she combines international advocacy with practical action on the ground. Her work includes participatory mapping projects focused on natural resources, which draw on the knowledge of local communities to improve understanding of environmental change.

From the Sahel to the international stage, Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim has worked to secure recognition of the role of Indigenous peoples in climate change adaptation strategies and in protecting the ecosystems on which their communities depend.

“My mission is simple: make our knowledge heard, protect our rights and ensure our people is not left behind. (…) This award is a responsibility to go further, for my people, for Indigenous people, for our planet, and for the generations to come.”
Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim, laureate in “Awareness” category