NEWS
Japanese TV Programme Features IPSI-10 and SEPLS in Ecuador
2026.05.08
On 3 May 2026, the Japanese science education programme “Tokoro-san no Megaten!” featured the Tenth Global Conference of the International Partnership for the Satoyama Initiative (IPSI-10), which was held in Ecuador on 3–5 March 2026.
Produced by Nippon Television (Nittere), an IPSI member organization, the programme introduced audiences to the concept of SEPLS and highlighted international efforts to promote landscapes and seascapes where people live and work in harmony with nature.
The programme is part of the long-running Kagaku no Sato segment of “Tokorosan no Me ga Ten!”, which explores traditional knowledge, rural landscapes and human relationships with nature in Japan and internationally.
The special Ecuador episodes follow presenter Kenichi Abe as he travels to Ecuador to participate in IPSI-10 and visit local communities practising traditional landscape management. The programme explores how local knowledge, sustainable agriculture and community-based practices contribute to biodiversity conservation and resilient livelihoods in mountain landscapes surrounding Chimborazo.
During the programme, viewers are introduced to the Satoyama Initiative, a global network that promotes the vision that societies and nature can positively support one another through sustainable practices. The episodes also feature exchanges between participants of IPSI-10 and local communities, as well as experiences with traditional food systems and everyday life in the Ecuadorian highlands.
IPSI-10 brought together IPSI members, researchers, policymakers, Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IPLCs), civil society organizations and other stakeholders from around the world to discuss collaborative approaches for biodiversity conservation and sustainable development through SEPLS.
The first episode featuring Ecuador aired on 3 May 2026, with two additional episodes scheduled to air on 9 and 10 May 2026.
A recording of the programme (in Japanese) can be accessed below.