Maria Isabel Ruiz

Environmental activist leading Colombia's Amazon protection through indigenous alliances

Maria Isabel Ruiz is a Colombian environmental leader whose work has been pivotal in protecting 2.5 million hectares of Amazon rainforest. As director of Guardianes del Amazonas, she brokered historic agreements between 23 indigenous tribes and the Colombian government in 2016, creating the world's largest community-managed conservation area. Her 2018 initiative Carbon Credits for Communities enabled indigenous groups to earn $12 million annually through sustainable forest management. Ruiz's 2020 report 《Amazonas Vivos》 revealed illegal mining networks responsible for 40% of deforestation, leading to 150+ criminal prosecutions. She pioneered the use of AI-powered drones for forest monitoring, reducing illegal logging by 65% in protected areas. Her TEDx talk "Our forests are our future" has inspired youth climate movements in Peru and Ecuador. In 2021, she co-founded the Sudamérica Verde Network, training 5,000+ young environmental defenders across 7 countries. Her work was featured in the Netflix series 《The Last Forest》.