Sometimes the most important thing you can do is listen

Priyanka Pandey is a Nepalese environmental advocate and advisor who previously served as an observer to the GEF’s Global Biodiversity Framework Fund. In a GEF Voices interview, she shared life lessons from her work fighting for and learning from people directly affected by environmental projects and policies.

What do you do for a living? What are you currently focused on?

I work in environmental policy and inclusive conservation. I currently work with WWF Nepal, helping make sure conservation work is fair and includes women, people with disabilities, and marginalized communities.

I also served as the gender representative for the Global Biodiversity Framework Fund, speaking for a women’s advocacy group.

My work is driven by a simple belief: the people most affected by environmental decisions, particularly women and Indigenous Peoples, must have a meaningful voice in shaping them.

How did you get into this line of work?

I started with a background in environmental science, followed by a master’s in natural resources management. Over time, I became increasingly interested in how environmental protection connects to people, rights, and decision-making. My work in climate funding, nature policy, and youth engagement has shaped how I understand conservation today.

What has kept me in this field is seeing how much nature protection depends on people, and how often the people who contribute the most are left out of the decisions that affect them.

Is there a GEF-funded project or program that is close to your heart?

I’m particularly drawn to initiatives under the Global Biodiversity Framework Fund that support Indigenous Peoples and local communities. Indigenous Peoples are among the world’s most important caretakers of nature, yet their knowledge, rights, and leadership are still not adequately recognized in many conservation efforts.

I believe the most meaningful conservation initiatives are those that see communities not simply as beneficiaries, but as decision-makers and leaders in protecting nature.

Has anyone you have met through your work made a lasting impact on you?

My colleague Edda Fernández Luiselli, whom I met through the Convention on Biological Diversity Women’s Caucus and also had the opportunity to serve together with as Global Biodiversity Framework Fund observers, has had a lasting influence on me. She taught me to look at environmental issues through the lens of rights, to value different perspectives, and, perhaps most importantly, to put my work and ideas out into the world rather than keep them to myself.

I’m grateful for the people in this field who make you think differently and encourage you to grow beyond what you thought you were capable of.

What life lessons has your job taught you?

Good intentions are not enough. Who participates, whose knowledge is recognized, and who gets to make decisions matter just as much as the outcomes we hope to achieve.

I’ve also learned that collaboration requires humility. You don’t always have to have the answers; sometimes the most important thing you can do is listen, make space for others, and amplify voices that are not being heard.

The state of the global environment is concerning. What gives you hope?

The people who refuse to give up: women, Indigenous communities, local conservation leaders, and young people who keep showing up, organizing, challenging existing systems, and imagining different ways of doing things.

Through my work with youth networks focused on nature, I’ve seen young people from many countries come together to shape environmental decisions. Their commitment reminds me that meaningful change is still possible. Hope, for me, comes from the people who keep doing the work even when progress feels slow.

Are you going to COP17 in Armenia?

Not this time, unfortunately. I’ll be cheering on everyone attending the UN biodiversity summit and hoping that the voices of women, Indigenous Peoples, and local communities remain at the center of the discussions and decisions. I hope COP17 will turn promises into meaningful action.

What advice would you give a young person interested in a career like yours?

Keep fighting for the things you believe in, but stay curious along the way. Listen to people whose experiences are different from yours, be willing to question what you think you know, and don’t wait until you feel completely ready to share your ideas or put yourself forward.

You don’t have to know everything to contribute something meaningful. Find the issues you care about, do the work, build relationships, and don’t underestimate the value of your voice.