In recognition of the profound value traditional knowledge holds in achieving sustainability, the Earthna Prize initiative announced four Prize winners during the second edition of the Earthna Summit. The initiative is aimed at showcasing and supporting projects, actors, and systems focused on the preservation, integration, adaptation, and adoption of ancestral knowledge and cultural heritage in tackling environmental challenges.
The Earthna Center for a Sustainable Future (Earthna), established by the Qatar Foundation to promote a coordinated approach to environmental, social, and economic sustainability for future prosperity, launched the Earthna Prize on Earth Day in 2024. The USD 1 million shared Prize “aims to inspire a wider community to champion environmental stewardship and contribute to a more resilient and environmentally conscious world.” It supports work in areas of water resource management, food security, sustainable urbanism, and land stewardship.
Selected from 12 finalists, shortlisted from 400 applications from more than 100 countries, the winners of the inaugural 2025 Earthna Prize are:
- Farmer Tantoh Foundation – a water conservation initiative benefitting over 250,000 people in Cameroon;
- Seeds of Change Initiative by Blooming World International – a Kenyan initiative training youth and women on good agricultural practices through reviving Indigenous vegetable cultivation;
- Thriving Fisheries, Thriving Oceans by Blue Ventures – a global initiative supporting coastal communities by rebuilding traditional fisheries in locally managed marine areas; and
- Fundación ‘Sumaj Kawsay by Wuasikamas Ëconeêrã, which integrates Indigenous knowledge with initiatives that reduce negative climate impacts on biodiversity in Indigenous Colombian communities.
The Arabic word ‘Earthna’ (رثناإ) captures the essence of sustainability, a prosperous future for humankind, and harmony with the planet. The Earthna Center for a Sustainable Future serves as a platform to support the efforts by hot and arid countries, such as Qatar, to catalyze action on climate change and sustainability.
The Earthna Summits seek to inject sustainability into all facets of urban life while combining modern thinking with traditional knowledge. They facilitate engagement and collaboration between Qatar’s technical experts, academia, government and non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and international organizations.
The 2025 Earthna Summit took place in Doha, Qatar, from 22-23 April 2025. It was held on the theme, ‘Building Our Legacy: Sustainability, Innovation and Traditional Knowledge.’
The Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB) is providing daily coverage of the 2025 Earthna Summit, as well as a summary report of the meeting. [ENB Coverage of Earthna Summit 2025] [Earthna Press Release]