Associação Sociocultural Yawanawá (ASCY), Wildlife Works and Forest Trends have co-developed a methodology to generate third-party Biodiversity Stewardship Units. The BDSU methodology presents an approach to measure biodiversity intactness of an area based on measures of species richness. Measurements are then used to develop a score for biodiversity intactness. This and the size of the forest together determine the number of Biodiversity Stewardship Units (BDSUs) a project can issue. Communities can then sell BDSUs to earn revenue for conserving biodiversity and the important ecosystem services they provide.
Only Indigenous Peoples and Forest Communities qualify for use of the methodology in the first instance, but consultations are allowed to determine how local, regional and/or national governments can participate.
The BDSU methodology is currently undergoing peer review before the formal launch of its first pilot project by the Yawanawá people in Rio Gregório, Brazil.
