Unsustainable exploitation has pushed indigenous communities to the brink. To reverse the degradation of nature, MANT proposes to restore ecosystem functions and make communities resilient to market and climate shocks. It has recently set up “The Peoples’ Science Centre’s (PSC)” with the aim to empower communities with science and their development indicators. The interventions will focus on marginalized and vulnerable groups who depend on ecosystem services for subsistence and survival. The proposed PSC will train local youth, farmers, and women’s groups to conserve local resources and adopt climate-smart agriculture (CSA) practices. The PSC will arm the community to mitigate risks against future crop failures and outbreaks of human, animal and crop diseases and ensure the health of soil, water, flora and fauna. MANT will empower local communities to develop a village-based and ecosystem-specific mitigation and adaptation plan to counter the challenges of climate change. The PSC will be a place for learning, idea exchange and application of practical measures to mitigate multiple emerging threats to local communities. MANT’s community media initiatives have created awareness of climate change, the environment, and public health, especially fevers like malaria. Translating ideas into action requires institutionalized dissemination backed with
hands-on local implementation.