CBIK aims to explore alternative development approaches for working directly with indigenous people and communities to enhance their livelihoods and maintain cultural and biological diversity through application of indigenous cosmovision, knowledge, and innovative technology in the environment of rapid change and uncertainty faced by local people in .

CBIK also works to promote local and regional inter-sectorial and intercultural dialogue and communication among rural communities, NGOs, academia and governmental agencies. For this purpose, it conducts interdisciplinary research, facilitation for participatory development, consultation for cultural identity, networking for information sharing, and capacity building for watershed governance and livelihood development.

At CBIK, we envision a future in Southwest China where:

To work toward our vision, our mission statement is as follows:

CBIK enables local groups to strengthen their evolving cultural traditions and generate innovative ways to improve their livelihoods and enhance biodiversity through interdisciplinary research, capacity building, and participatory approaches for nurturing intercultural dialogue among people of varying local and scientific cultures, languages and knowledge systems in .

In response to our newly articulated vision and mission, we have formulated four main goals for CBIK:

1) Improve the capabilities of local people for sustainable livelihoods and the well-being of human and non-human residents of mountain watersheds.

2) Generate environmentally sound and socioculturally adapted knowledge for managing and conserving natural and cultural resources.

3) Enhance the capacity of committed researchers and development workers for interdisciplinary research, facilitation, documentation and dissemination in partnership with indigenous people.