Importance of ICBA

80% of the world's biodiversity is found on the lands of Indigenous Peoples.
10% of that global biodiversity located in Australia.
The majority of Australia's biodiversity exists on land, seas and in waters that is cared for by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, Country that we have deep connections to beyond just the physical.

As Indigenous peoples we think about biodiversity in a more holistic way than the mainstream.
The mainstream approach to biodiversity only focuses on plants and animals in the landscape. These approaches don't acknowledge or honour how our people live and move around the landscape. The people are missing, and we are critical to this. We're the ones who have been caring for Country for millennia, who have the deep spiritual and cultural connections along with ancient knowledge.
We want to emphasise that looking after Country from a cultural perspective has positive biodiversity outcomes. It's an opportunity to meld Traditional Knowledge systems with western science.

For a long time Indigenous Peoples have been viewed as, at best, partners and far too often just a footnote by mainstream organisations working in the environmental space. 
The time for this tokenism to end is now. We have the people, the experience and the deep connection and obligation to Country to ensure positive outcomes for everyone for the entire planet, not just our people.

ICBA is funded through a significant philanthropic investment aimed at supporting a national partnership with Indigenous organisations to establish Indigenous-led biodiversity methods at pilot sites around Australia, not just the Country covered by ICBA's founding members. 
Our investor recognises the importance of Indigenous people leading the way on biodiversity in Australia, and the need for integrity and empowerment at every step.
Our Country and people have been exploited for too long; the deficit model needs to be overcome and the mainstream paradigm flipped to appreciating that we should be the ones defining and measuring our success, including in biodiversity, and not just using Western measures.