New international research initiative centres Afro-Brazilian (Quilombola) ancestral knowledge in environmental conservation
The TERAQ-G study aims to co-create policy rooted in community expertise — offering new pathways for tackling global development and conservation challenges.
Led by 51¸£ÀûÉç in close partnership with the Amazon Environmental Research Institute and Quilombola women, TERAQ-G – Transforming Evidence and Results into Quilombola Actions for Gender-Inclusive Conservation and Territorial Management, places Quilombola women at the centre of environmental governance and territorial planning in the Brazilian Amazon.
Building on the innovative work of BioTechQuilombo—which integrates remote sensing, eDNA, and AI with traditional ecological knowledge—TERAQ-G marks the next phase in this collaborative effort. While the earlier project focuses on biodiversity assessment and co-developing monitoring tools, TERAQ-G shifts attention to policy transformation and gender equity, empowering Quilombola women as key decision-makers in conservation.
TERAQ-G is part of a major UK government initiative to tackle global development challenges. It is funded by the through the International Science Partnerships Fund (ISPF), which supports research partnerships across the Global South.
Led in the UK by , Senior Lecturer in Physical Geography at 51¸£ÀûÉç, in close collaboration with Brazilian partner Dr Celso Silva Junior of IPAM Amazônia (Amazon Environmental Research Institute), and the Quilombolas researchers Maria A. F. Malcher (Federal Institute of Education, Science, and Technology of Pará), Maria Páscoa Sarmento de Sousa (Federal University of Pará), the project aims to generate inclusive, actionable policies grounded in lived experience, scientific rigour, and ancestral knowledge. TERAQ-G is being developed in close partnership with Quilombola communities—Afro-Brazilian peoples descended from escaped slaves—whose territories are critical for conserving Amazonian biodiversity.
Central to the project is the goal of amplifying the leadership and agency of Quilombola women in environmental policy and conservation planning.
For generations, Quilombola women have been the stewards of forests and rivers. TERAQ-G helps ensure their knowledge and leadership are not only recognised but placed at the forefront of national conservation strategies.
Co-produced Knowledge for Policy Impact
The 12-month project, which began on 1 April 2025, brings together academic research, community action, and policymaking through a strategy grounded in political ecology, decolonial theory, and participatory action research. It seeks to challenge conventional, top-down models of conservation and promote a just, inclusive approach to biodiversity governance.
Key activities include:
- Community-based workshops co-designed with Quilombola women, local NGOs, and public officials in the Amazonian states of Pará and Amazonas (including Tapajós and Marajó).
- Participatory production of policy briefs, videos, and educational materials to inform civil society and government stakeholders.
- Remote sensing and GIS mapping to support Quilombola territorial management in line with Brazil’s 2023 National Guidelines for Quilombola Territorial and Environmental Management Plans (PNGTAQ).
- Leadership training and capacity-building for Quilombola women to enhance their role in conservation dialogues and governance spaces.
These actions will produce policy-relevant evidence to support environmental governance models that centre gender justice, community autonomy, and socio-ecological resilience.
Strategic Partnerships in Brazil
TERAQ-G is co-delivered with leading Quilombola and environmental organisations, including:
- (Coordenação Nacional de Articulação das Comunidades Negras Rurais Quilombolas)
- (Associação das Comunidades Remanescentes de Quilombos do Pará)
- (Amazon Environmental Research Institute)
These partners play a vital role in ensuring reciprocal knowledge exchange, local ownership, and the long-term sustainability of project outcomes.
Advancing Global Goals
TERAQ-G supports the implementation of the UN Sustainable Development Goals by:
- Elevating Quilombola women as environmental leaders.
- Integrating traditional knowledge into climate adaptation strategies.
- Promoting inclusive, community-led conservation.
By embedding local realities and marginalised voices into every stage of the policy cycle, TERAQ-G offers a scalable model for inclusive and evidence-informed policymaking—one urgently needed across Official Development Assistance (ODA)-eligible contexts worldwide.