Dr.rer.nat. Yolanda Lopez-Maldonado (Mexico) is an indigenous scholar and systems thinker in integrative science for sustainability, working on understanding the social dimensions of nature conservation. She has advanced degrees in Human Ecology and Geography (PhD, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München) and has been a Young Research Scholar at The International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis, Austria, and The Beijer Institute of Ecological Economics, The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, Sweden. She has received he highest recognition to Mexican researchers for scientific achievements, from the National Council of Science and Technology Mexico. She has collaborated and reached out major international academic and non-academic organizations, and consistently achieved high-level results and policy engagement at different levels in social issues and science fields including the UNPFII, IUCN, CBD and IPBES. Additionally, she has significant experience in the promotion and defense of the diversity of ideas, knowledge, values and forms of self-expression of Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities in regional, national and international. Overall, she strives for ensuring the respect to Indigenous Knowledge systems by securing that the different worldviews are represented in planning and decision making. She is currently Specialist for the Local and Indigenous Local Knowledge Systems (LINKS) Programme, UNESCO.