Indigenous Desert Alliance named sole Australian Earthshot Prize finalists for 2026

Consensus Summary

The Indigenous Desert Alliance (IDA), a coalition of about 70 Indigenous ranger teams across Australia’s deserts, has been named the sole Australian finalist for Prince William’s Earthshot Prize 2026. Both THEWEST and ABC confirm the alliance was chosen from a highly competitive field—THEWEST reports nearly 700 nominations, while ABC cites over 7,000 submissions from 169 countries. The IDA’s Right Way Desert Fire program, which integrates traditional Indigenous knowledge with modern fire management, has earned global recognition for its role in reducing bushfire risks, restoring biodiversity, and protecting vast tracts of land. Winners of the five $1.9 million prizes will be announced in Mumbai in November, with Prince William and a panel of judges making the final decisions.

The IDA’s selection reflects its decades-long commitment to land stewardship, blending cultural practices with scientific approaches to create a mosaic of vegetation through controlled burns. ABC notes the alliance has managed 145 million hectares of land in the past four years—an area four times the size of Germany—while engaging 1,300 Indigenous participants and training 885 rangers. Founded over a decade ago, the IDA marked its 10th anniversary in 2024 with a conference at Uluru, underscoring its deep roots in Indigenous knowledge systems passed down for tens of thousands of years. The Earthshot Prize, launched in 2020 by Prince William, aims to highlight innovative solutions to climate change, with the first awards ceremony held in London in 2021.

Samantha Murray, the IDA’s CEO and a Yilka, Wongutha, and Nyoongar woman, described the nomination as a 'massive scale' recognition that amplifies the voices of desert rangers. In interviews with both outlets, she emphasized the urgency of climate change and the need for sustained funding to support Indigenous-led conservation. Murray highlighted the alliance’s role in 'caring for Country,' ensuring decisions about the desert remain in Indigenous hands. Prince William’s praise for the finalists, shared by THEWEST, underscores the prize’s mission to inspire global action through proven environmental solutions. Earthshot Prize CEO Jason Knauf, quoted by ABC, called the IDA’s scale 'unseen in the previous six years,' noting its protection of 2.7 million square kilometers.

While both articles agree on the IDA’s achievements, they differ in emphasis. ABC provides deeper context on the alliance’s operational scale, including its 10th anniversary and specific figures like ranger training and land management, while THEWEST focuses more on the prize’s broader impact and Prince William’s optimism. ABC also details the IDA’s competition within the 'protect and restore nature' category, where it faces Bhutan and the Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative, whereas THEWEST does not specify category rivals. Additionally, ABC notes Australia’s past success with the Indigenous Women Rangers Network winning in 2022, a detail absent from THEWEST’s coverage.

The articles leave little unresolved about the IDA’s nomination but highlight ongoing challenges, including climate change’s growing impact on desert ecosystems and the need for long-term funding. Murray told ABC that winning funds would expand fire protection work and support intergenerational knowledge transfer, while Knauf stressed the global potential to replicate the IDA’s model. Both outlets agree the announcement in Mumbai will be pivotal, with Prince William’s involvement ensuring high-profile recognition. The IDA’s story, however, extends beyond the prize: it serves as a case study in how Indigenous leadership can address environmental crises, a theme both sources underscore as critical to global conservation efforts.