Indigenous Governance Systems as Operational Infrastructure for Biodiversity Stewardship

Supporting uptake and use of the IPBES Business and Biodiversity Assessment Submitted April 2026

Author: Stephanie Zabriskie
ORCID: 0009-0000-9273-1529
Affiliation: Humanculture (Indigenous-led nonprofit organization)
Capacity: Founder and Executive Director

 Abstract

This fact sheet, developed by Humanculture, supports uptake and use of the 2026 IPBES Business and Biodiversity Assessment by clarifying how its identified knowledge gaps relate to Indigenous governance systems operating in practice. The assessment identifies constraints on business action, including limitations in data availability, accessibility, completeness of evidence, and the adoption and applicability of methods. This document demonstrates that these constraints do not arise from an absence of knowledge, but from a misalignment between business-oriented measurement frameworks and governance systems that already regulate biodiversity outcomes.

Drawing on operational examples from Maasai communities in Tanzania, Amazigh communities in Morocco, and Chorotega communities in Nicaragua, the fact sheet shows how resource access, use, and ecological conditions are governed through community-based authority structures. These systems perform continuous ecological observation, regulate resource use, and sustain continuity across changing conditions without reliance on external monitoring frameworks.

The document provides practical guidance for businesses, policymakers, and funders by outlining how engagement with Indigenous governance systems can align decision-making with existing systems of resource regulation. It emphasizes that effective action requires recognizing governance systems as operational infrastructure and treating measurement as one interface with those systems, rather than as the governing condition for biodiversity stewardship.

Download the full paper (PDF):

Indigenous Governance Systems as Operational Infrastructure for Biodiversity Stewardship IPBES