ECHO Program for Youth to conserve Biodiversity (India)

Conserving biodiversity is essential for a healthy planet and their future. It is a foundation of the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda, with goals like Life on Land (SDG 15) and Life below Water (SDG 14) directly addressing conservation. However, all 17 SDGs hinge on thriving biodiversity.

The Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF), also known as the “Biodiversity Plan,” is a global agreement that commits 196 countries to take urgent action to halt and reverse biodiversity loss by 2030 for the benefit of people and planet. Achieving this goal requires a “whole of society” approach, with collective action to address direct drivers of biodiversity loss (the exploitation of natural resources, climate change, pollution, and invasive species) as well as indirect drivers (demographic, sociocultural, or economic factors, governance, conflict, and so on).

Theme

• Reviving Nature: Youth-led Solutions for Biodiversity Conservation
  • Biodiversity is the foundation of life on Earth, providing clean air, water, food, and essential resources that support their well-being, livelihoods, and economies. Yet, biodiversity is on the decline. Wildlife populations have plummeted by 73% since 1970 (WWF Living Planet Report, 2024). Habitat loss, pollution, climate change, and unsustainable practices are pushing ecosystems towards critical tipping points.

Focus Areas

• ECHO 2025 invites Young innovators from around the country to join the ranks of ECHO Fellows and develop innovative solutions for conserving native biodiversity through the following three avenues:
  • Habitat Conservation: Develop innovative solutions to protect, restore, and sustainably manage habitats, such as wetlands, grasslands, forests, and urban green spaces, supporting native wildlife and safeguarding critical ecosystem services while also addressing challenges like climate change and the threat of invasive alien species.
  • Species Conservation: Design initiatives such as species recovery programmes, strategies for protected areas, and capacity-building initiatives to protect threatened native species and habitats.
  • Community-Based Conservation: Engage and empower communities through a biocultural approach, which intertwines local cultural values and traditional knowledge with science, to restore and enhance traditional stewardship practices.
• Biodiversity Provides Essential Ecosystem Services Such as:
  • Pollination
  • Seed dispersal
  • Water purification
  • Nutrient cycling
  • Soil stability and fertility
  • Climate regulation

Funding Information

• On the recommendation of the panel of judges, three projects will be awarded a seed innovation grant as mentioned below:
  • First Position- INR 1.5 Lakh (One Lakh Fifty Thousand)
  • Second Position – INR 1 Lakh (One Lakh)
  • Third Position- INR 75,000 (Seventy Five Thousand)

About Program

• Screening
  • In the first phase, they’ll shortlist 25 Youth Projects who will get to test their project ideas with WWF-India. Get ready to show them what you’ve got!
• Bootcamp
  • They’ll host an exciting bootcamp to help ECHO Fellows fine-tune their final project plans and get set for action!
• Incubation & Testing
  • ECHO Fellows will have 4-5 months’ time to test their ideas in the real world and see how they stack up!
• Innovative Summit
  • WWF-India will host a summit where all the 25 ECHO Fellows will pitch their ideas and share the results of their pilot tests.

Eligibility Criteria

• You are eligible to take part in the ECHO Innovation Challenge if you:
  • Ages of 18 and 28
  • Have an innovative project idea that aligns with the theme
  • Are an individual youth or a member of a youth-led group

Selection Criteria

• 25 innovative projects will be shortlisted for incubation and testing based on the following criteria:
  • The project directly addresses the challenge theme.
  • It has clear objectives, outcomes, and measurable impact (environmental, economic, and social).
  • It integrates all key parameters: innovation, scalability, feasibility, and impact.
  • Youth applicants demonstrate passion, ambition, and a strong commitment to transforming their project idea into real impact.
  • Commitment to transform the idea into impact within the ECHO time frame.

For more information, visit WWF.