Yolanda Lopez-Maldonado

Yolanda Lopez-Maldonado (Mexico) considers herself a systems thinker in integrative science for sustainability with extensive experience in social-ecological systems, traditional ecological knowledge, community-based natural resource management, and social dimensions of conservation. By examining the interface of natural and social sciences, her work emphasises that societies are embedded parts of the biosphere dependent on their life-supporting ecosystems. Yolanda holds advanced degrees in Human Ecology (Cinvestav-IPN, Mexico) and Geography (PhD from Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München). She was a Young Research Scholar at the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis, Austria, and the Beijer Institute of Ecological Economics, Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, Sweden. Yolanda has significant experience representing the interests of indigenous peoples in regional, national and international fora, serving as a delegate of the UNPFII 2017 held in New York, and providing expert and technical guidance on Indigenous Peoples issues. She is currently a member of the IUCN WCPA Specialist Group on Cultural and Spiritual Values of Protected Areas, the Ramsar Culture Network, and sits on the Board of Directors of the Global Diversity Foundation.