Living Lakes Unites Young Leaders for Sustainability in Colombia
Fourth Sustainability Leadership Journey Promotes Global Cooperation for the Protection of Lakes and Climate
11/13/2025; Colombia is the host country of this year’s Sustainability Leadership Journey (SLJ), an international initiative within the Living Lakes Biodiversity and Climate Project (LLBCP) that promotes young leaders in the areas of lake management, sustainability, and environmental protection. Under the motto “Sacred Lakes,” the event brings together young leaders from more than 10 countries that are part of the LLBCP to share experiences, strengthen skills, and explore the ecological and cultural value of aquatic ecosystems.
Delegations from Latin America, Africa, Asia, and Europe will participate in this meeting and bring diverse perspectives on global sustainability challenges. Participants, aged between 18 and 35, include students, young professionals, activists, and community leaders from NGOs, academic institutions, and youth networks.
The event, organized by the Fundación Humedales (Colombia), combines applied learning, practical experiences, and intercultural South-South dialogue to strengthen global networks and promote transformative solutions from the Colombian Andes.
The six-day program includes training workshops, excursions, and dialogue forums in Villa de Leyva, the Muisca Observatory, Iguaque National Park, and the Fúquene Lagoon. The activities connect personal reflection and joint action with the aim of strengthening cooperation networks and promoting sustainable solutions inspired by the Andean region.
International experts such as Brigitte Baptiste (Colombia), Samuel Secaira and Andrea Paiz (Guatemala), Alejandro Juárez (Mexico), and Ajanta Dey (India) will participate in the training component, providing tools for communication, empathy, leadership, and emotion management. These sessions are intended to inspire conscious, cooperative, and people-centered leadership committed to the well-being of people and nature.
Previous SLJ events laid the foundation for a global community of young environmental leaders. The first event took place in Puno in 2022, followed by meetings in the Philippines in 2023 and South Africa in 2024, with a focus on equitable access to water and agroecology. The SLJ 2025 in Colombia will combine these global insights with local knowledge, creating a unique platform to promote new guardians of water and wetlands.
This international meeting promotes honest, cooperative, and transformative leadership and strengthens the next generation of stewards of our planet’s aquatic ecosystems.
More information about the program at: Flyer_4th-Sustainability-Leadership-Journey-Colombia_16-22-Nov-2025.pdf
About LLBCP (Living Lakes Biodiversity and Climate Project)
The “Living Lakes Biodiversity and Climate Project” (LLBCP) is coordinated by the international Living Lakes Network, the Global Nature Fund, and the Fundación Humedales, funded by the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection (BMUKN) through the International Climate Initiative (IKI), and supported by the Deutsche Postcode Lotterie, Kärcher, GF, and Groundlake.
The project strengthens the worldwide protection and restoration of lakes and wetlands. In ten countries, water and biodiversity protection measures are being implemented at a total of 13 lakes and wetlands in cooperation with the authorities and the local population together with twelve partner organizations – from Sri Lanka to South Africa, from Peru to the Philippines.
