A Preview of Our Work In 2026
We are tremendously excited to step into 2026 beside you, as well as the rainforest communities we work alongside in Brazil, Panama, Madagascar, Indonesia, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
During COP30, we witnessed the global movement led by Indigenous Peoples, Afro-descendants, and local communities grow in terms of resonance, importance, and worldwide action. We stand firmly with rainforest guardians and, after launching in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) at the end of 2025, Health In Harmony has grown to protect almost 4 million hectares of rainforest across tropical rainforest basins.
As we edge closer to crucial climate tipping points, we stand resolute in our goal of protecting 20 million hectares of climate-critical rainforest by 2030.
In 2026, we invite you to celebrate our 20th year as an organization. Stand beside us and demand that Earth's rainforest guardians receive direct finance to implement the climate- and biodiversity-critical solutions they design for humanity. Emphasize Indigenous People's self-determination and land rights. Emphasize the planetary health impact of silo-breaking, systems-oriented approaches to planetary health.
In Brazil, guided by the Indigenous Peoples who protect the Amazon basin, we now stand with eight territories/rainforest communities. We have taken on this work beside our Global Coalition partners Pawanka Fund, Woodwell Climate Research Center, If Not Us Then Who? (INUTW), WildMon, Savimbo, and Earth Finance, as well as our Brazilian affiliate Instituto Saúde Na Amazônia (SAMA-HIH), with the hope of expanding into 50 new territories by 2028. HIH commissioned Indigenous content creator collective “Sekamena” to make a film about the Xipaya Indigenous Peoples’ lived experience protecting the Amazon. Through ‘The Xipaya Woman - Strength and Resistance’ short film, Sekamena highlighted the importance of women’s leadership in sustaining the history, culture, and resistance of their 179,000-hectare territory. Executive producer of the film Mitã Xipaya said they are “sending a message of concern and love to the world.” Watch the mini-documentary here.
In Indonesia - partnering with Alam Sehat Lestari (ASRI) and the Ministry of Health (MoH) - we are set to launch the expansion of our planetary health model into four new sites in Papua in February 2026, aiming for a total of ten new locations administered through the MoH by the end of 2028. This is an impactful way to begin HIH and ASRI’s 20th Anniversary year: alongside the Indonesian government, implementing community-led solutions to break the silos of public health and ecosystem conservation. We look forward to leveraging the data from these new sites to influence policy on a global level and advocate for rapid, direct rainforest community support across Indonesia.
In Madagascar, with the Fashalamana Mirindra (HIH-FAMI) team, we are working alongside rainforest communities in the Ikongo and Manombo rainforests. Highlights include a critical watershed study by Duke University and HIH, recently featured in Environmental Challenges. The Black Soldier Fly farming project continues to thrive, as illustrated in this recent Mongabay article, as a fantastic climate and food solution by HIH-FAMI, HIH, and the Madagascar Biodiversity Center (MBC). We also continue to deepen our partnership with Doctors Without Borders (MSF) and Ny Tanintsika as we go into year three of our five-year joint planetary health project in the Ikongo district. HIH-FAMI continues to work besides 164 rainforest communities to create holistic solutions for the protection of Madagascar's vital forests.
In Panama, we continue to lift up narrative sovereignty – you can see this in action in the newly-launched Community Thriving Narratives program, created in partnership with INUTW. Our first round of narrative sovereignty support included funding filming equipment, audio/visual training, and mentoring for Panamanian Indigenous Peoples to share their stories about human rights and the climate emergency – on their own terms, in their own voices. Building off our work with four Indigenous communities (Alto Playón, Puerto Lara, Emberá Purú, and Arimae), we will continue our Community Thriving Narratives collaboration with Ulu Films, INUTW and the FSC-Indigenous Foundation into 2026.
We know that funding climate solutions at the source is an effective, truly impactful pathway to improve planetary health.
Most excitingly, we are announcing an expansion of our programming in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. We spent 2025 in development mode, and are entering 2026 working alongside rainforest communities in the territories of Asu’u and Tubeumoyi with our newest partner, Strong Roots Congo. Stay tuned for our official launch this spring.
This year marks 20 years of progress alongside you, our fantastic Inner Circle champions. Your support, for Dr. Kinari Webb and our whole team, has positively impacted biodiversity, climate critical rainforests, and human life. Above all, you have stood with rainforest communities and their solutions to protect Earth’s most vital ecosystems. With Health In Harmony, you have chosen Equity Over Extractivism.
In 2025, despite the global political headwinds, Health In Harmony and its partnerships grew rapidly, strengthening our roots. We formalized our advocacy program, recruiting youth climate activist Belai Djandam to be HIH’s first-ever Advocacy Program Coordinator, and we stood beside organizations like Tenure Facility and Rights and Resources Initiative to drive new global pledges such as the renewed $1.8 billion Forest Tenure Funders Group pledge. But there is still a long way to go.
Last year, we launched a rallying cry of Equity Over Extractivism and the critical urgency to fund climate solutions at the source, advocating for and securing direct financing to rainforest communities. This message carried us across global stages like Climate Week NYC,ChangeNOW, and COP30, guiding our advocacy at every turn.
In 2026, guided by a strong ethical code, we will launch more biodiversity monitoring, accompany IPs towards establishment of ethical carbon crediting systems, fine-tune our community thriving data sets, and resolutely champion Indigenous sovereignty.
Looking forward to our 20th Anniversary prompts us to reflect on how far we have come since Dr. Kinari Webb radically listened to rainforest communities alongside Dr. Hotlin Ompusunggu in West Kalimantan, Indonesia. Thanks to you, we are now working alongside 306,641 rainforest community members globally.
With you on our team, we know this growth is possible — you are crucial to the safeguarding of our planet for generations to come. In this climate-critical year, thank you for choosing to stand with rainforest communities.
P.S.: In case you missed it, a highlight of 2025 was Juma Xipaya and Richard Ladkani’s awesome ‘Yanuni’ film, featuring Health In Harmony!