Recommendations

Project Type # Outcome Report Year FEC
Resilience and Management of Arctic Wetlands (RAW)Key finding1.2.2Arctic Indigenous Wetlands Use: Indigenous Peoples have significant ties to wetland protected areas in the Arctic and acknowledging and fostering these relationships in partnership with management authorities can strengthen outcomes.Arctic Wetlands and Indigenous Peoples Study: An assessment of Indigenous engagement in wetland protected areas2021
Resilience and Management of Arctic Wetlands (RAW)Advice6Approaching Engagement: Much can be learned from each Arctic State, their protected areas, their management authorities, and their Indigenous communities. a) Approach Indigenous participation as an opportunity, b) Seek to build partnerships with Indigenous governments, organizations, and communities, c) Engage Indigenous leadership and communities at the beginning of the process, d) Welcome elders, recruit youthArctic Wetlands and Indigenous Peoples Study: An assessment of Indigenous engagement in wetland protected areas2021
Resilience and Management of Arctic Wetlands (RAW)Key finding1.2.4Arctic Indigenous Participation in Wetlands Conservation: Engaging Indigenous leadership and communities in participatory processes can strengthen conservation strategies and contribute to forwarding conservation objectives and goals.Arctic Wetlands and Indigenous Peoples Study: An assessment of Indigenous engagement in wetland protected areas2021
Resilience and Management of Arctic Wetlands (RAW)Advice1Documenting Indigenous Resource Use: Improving documentation of Indigenous resource use may allow management authorities to make decisions that respect and accommodate Indigenous resource use by ensuring that subsistence activities are not unnecessarily impeded by management actionsArctic Wetlands and Indigenous Peoples Study: An assessment of Indigenous engagement in wetland protected areas2021
Resilience and Management of Arctic Wetlands (RAW)Advice3

Broadening Research Priorities: Pursuing critical knowledge gaps may bridge both Indigenous and conservation priorities.

a) Conduct Research on Indigenous Knowledge of Wetland Ecosystems,

b) Examine the Intersection of Wetland Biodiversity and Arctic Food Security,

c) Prioritize Species of Conservation and Subsistence Interest.

Arctic Wetlands and Indigenous Peoples Study: An assessment of Indigenous engagement in wetland protected areas2021
Resilience and Management of Arctic Wetlands (RAW)Key finding1.2.1Arctic Indigenous Peoples and Wetland Protected Areas: Formal Indigenous representation in managementprocesses occurs in over one-fourth of the surveyed sites.Arctic Wetlands and Indigenous Peoples Study: An assessment of Indigenous engagement in wetland protected areas2021
Resilience and Management of Arctic Wetlands (RAW)Advice5Connecting Beyond Wetlands: Exploring the interactions between inland and coastal wetlands broadens focus. Examining the opportunities between CAFF projects such as RMAWI, the Salmon Peoples of the Arctic, the Seabird Working Group, and the Arctic Migratory Bird Initiative may further facilitate research on Indigenous relationships with Arctic biodiversity, particularly as they relate to subsistence activities.Arctic Wetlands and Indigenous Peoples Study: An assessment of Indigenous engagement in wetland protected areas2021
Resilience and Management of Arctic Wetlands (RAW)Key finding1.2.3Arctic Indigenous Peoples and Wetlands Management: Most management and conservation plans, as well as other official information on wetland protected areas, fail to document Indigenous resource use in a systematic or functional way and as a result, do not provide a complete picture of resource use and management within the areas.Arctic Wetlands and Indigenous Peoples Study: An assessment of Indigenous engagement in wetland protected areas2021
Resilience and Management of Arctic Wetlands (RAW)Key finding1.2.5

Suggestions for Wetlands Planning, Research, and Management.

  1. Document Indigenous wetland resource use to allow management authorities to make decisions that respect and accommodate Indigenous resource use by ensuring that subsistence activities are not unnecessarily impeded by management actions. Information may be collected on subsistence species, types of subsistence practices, levels of reliance, and legal access.
  2. Develop protected area participation plans to specify cooperative objectives, participating entities, and terms of evaluation so that management authorities can continue to engage Indigenous Peoples when experiencing turn-over.
  3. Broaden wetland research priorities to further the goals of biodiversity conservation and Arctic food security by (1) conducting research with Indigenous knowledge holders on wetland ecosystems, (2) examining the intersection of wetland biodiversity and Arctic food security, and (3) prioritizing species of both conservation and subsistence interest.
  4. Support community-based wetlands monitoring to help researchers and managers partner with Indigenous knowledge holders, identify ecosystem services, monitor for rapid environmental change, support year round sampling, support collection of current and historic observational information, and reinforce results from scientific studies.
  5. Connect beyond wetlands so as to explore the interactions between and beyond inland and coastal wetlands and examine opportunities between CAFF projects such as RMAWI, the Salmon Peoples of the Arctic, the Seabird Working Group, and the Arctic Migratory Bird Initiative to further facilitate research on Indigenous relationships with Arctic biodiversity.
  6. Foster engagement in wetlands management productively by (1) approaching Indigenous participation as an opportunity, (2) seeking to build partnerships with Indigenous governments, organizations, and communities, (3) engaging Indigenous leadership and communities at the beginning of the process, and (4) welcoming elders to participate while actively recruiting Indigenous youth to contribute to management and conservation decisions.
Arctic Wetlands and Indigenous Peoples Study: An assessment of Indigenous engagement in wetland protected areas2021
Inspiring Arctic Voices Through YouthFacilitate long-term youth engagement opportunities and continuity or linkages between programs where it makes sense.CAFF Arctic Youth Engagement Strategy: 2021-20262021
Inspiring Arctic Voices Through YouthGoalYouth are engaged in the work of CAFF and in Arctic biodiversity conservation to their full potential.CAFF Arctic Youth Engagement Strategy: 2021-20262021
Inspiring Arctic Voices Through YouthGoalArctic youth are given access to diverse learning and leadership opportunities in which their perspectives are valued and respected, and their skills and effectiveness are expanded.CAFF Arctic Youth Engagement Strategy: 2021-20262021
Inspiring Arctic Voices Through YouthGoalArctic youth are engaged in conservation, raising public awareness, and promoting Arctic biodiversity in their own home countries and in collaboration with other Arctic nations.CAFF Arctic Youth Engagement Strategy: 2021-20262021
Inspiring Arctic Voices Through YouthIncrease numbers of youth engaged and actively participating and strive for diverse representation of youth from all Arctic nations, and beyond.CAFF Arctic Youth Engagement Strategy: 2021-20262021
Inspiring Arctic Voices Through YouthFoster collaborations such as exchanges, meetings, or training with important Indigenous constituencies through the permanent participants and their associated youth programs.CAFF Arctic Youth Engagement Strategy: 2021-20262021
Inspiring Arctic Voices Through YouthGoalYouth voices and perspectives are empowered to advance the goals of CAFF in the conservation of Arctic biodiversity, international collaboration, and raising public awareness of Arctic issues.CAFF Arctic Youth Engagement Strategy: 2021-20262021
Inspiring Arctic Voices Through YouthGoalOpportunities for youth engagement and increasing levels of leadership continue to expand.CAFF Arctic Youth Engagement Strategy: 2021-20262021
Inspiring Arctic Voices Through Youth

Increase opportunities for youth to engage meaningfully with the work of CAFF, including but not limited to:

  • Education and training
  • Cultural exchanges
  • Professional growth development
  • Involvement in projects, decision-making, policy, and diplomacy.
  • Youth roles in professional convenings such as the Arctic Biodiversity Congress.
  • Mentoring opportunities
CAFF Arctic Youth Engagement Strategy: 2021-20262021
Circumpolar Biodiversity Monitoring Program (CBMP)3

The CBMP is sustainable and its organizational structure facilitates achievement of its goals.

Objective 3.1: Program coordination and organization is sustainable.

  • Activity 1: Improve capacity related to CBMP core functions and implementation through cost sharing methods.
  • Activity 2: Ensure that each Steering Group continues to have a designated Coordinator to help with coordination and key deliverables.
  • Activity 3: Sustain Steering Group structure including coordination or other needed support for each group, and ensure clear and timely scheduling of meetings, agendas, notes, etc.
  • Activity 4: Align future production of Steering Group workplans in a similar format to facilitate integration efforts.
  • Activity 5: Each CBMP Steering Group will continue to produce annual progress reports and workplans to help track progress and define future tasks.
  • Activity 6: Facilitate that CBMP Steering Groups and Expert networks have the necessary participation as needed to implement CAFF Board-approved workplans.
  • Activity 7: Evaluation of the CBMP Strategic Plan is a standing item on the CAFF Board meeting agendas.

Objective 3.2: CBMP is sustainable through relevancy.

  • Activity 1: Conduct an evaluation, including a qualitative and where possible a quantitative evaluation on CBMP after further input from the CAFF Board.
Circumpolar Biodiversity Monitoring Program Strategic Plan: 2021-20252021
Circumpolar Biodiversity Monitoring Program (CBMP)2

The CBMP is an adaptive, integrated monitoring program that provides timely information about status, trends, and changes in Arctic biodiversity and ecosystems.

Objective 2.1: Integrate lessons learned and advice for monitoring outlined in the SABRs into next steps of CBMP.

  • Activity 1: After completion of major products such as SABRs, CBMP will initiate a scoping process to evaluate and prioritize FECs as indicators of change. This process will use lessons learned and SABR key findings and advice and result in a revised monitoring plan or long-term implementation plan.
  • Activity 2: Review and consider lessons learned, when developing work plans.

Objective 2.2: Evaluate the effectiveness of existing and new methods and technologies as a tool to support biodiversity monitoring and assessment.

  • Activity 1: Continue to improve and update Arctic Biodiversity Monitoring Plans based upon the SABR advice and lessons learned.
  • Activity 2: Explore the use of remote sensing and e-DNA in CBMP activities.
  • Activity 3: Consider impacts of stressors and drivers, including cumulative impacts, within reviews of the Arctic Biodiversity Monitoring Plans.•Activity 4: Consider how to understand the impact and effect of extreme events (e.g., wildfires, invasive species, extreme weather events etc.) on biodiversity, within revisions of Arctic Biodiversity Monitoring Plans.

Objective 2.3: Identify expert networks relevant for CBMP.

  • Activity 1: Invite relevant networks to participate in the CBMP, including regional, Indigenous, and citizen science networks, e.g., eBird, iNaturalist.
  • Activity 2: Enhance engagement of experts from Observer states and organisations.

Objective 2.4: Increase access to Arctic biodiversity data.

  • Activity 1: Further develop interoperability of the ABDS with national and global data centres to facilitate access to existing and new data.
  • Activity 2: Continue to work with Steering Groups, Expert Networks, and partners (such as the Arctic Spatial Data Infrastructure) to improve and consider issues of data access, visualization, metadata, comparison, and standardization.
  • Activity 3: Develop a data management manual describing the flow of data from the field to CAFF assessments, including the harmonization of data across sites and scales.
  • Activity 4: Increase the awareness of the ABDS amongst target audiences and other partners, including industry and other sectors.

Objective 2.5: Continue and strengthen cross-cutting activities among the CBMP Steering Groups.

  • Activity 1: Hold bi-monthly telephone meetings between CBMP Co-leads and CBMP Steering Group Co-Chairs align and coordinate activities between CBMP Steering Groups. In-person meetings will also be held in conjunction with CAFF Board meetings when possible.
  • Activity 2: Consider how to develop more targeted and integrated reporting
  • Activity 3: Initiate steps to integrate work between the four groups.
  • Activity 4: Design and develop a plan to include modelling and predictive science within CBMP, to be aligned with the 2023 CAFF Action Plan for Biodiversity.
  • Activity 5: Conduct a landscape analysis of existing synergies within CBMP and other CAFF initiatives, as well as Arctic Council working groups, including the Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Program (AMAP) and the Protection of the Arctic Marine Environment (PAME), to be aligned with the 2023 Action Plan for Biodiversity.

Objective 2.6: Via expert networks, develop user manuals and test implementation of CBMP Arctic Biodiversity Monitoring Plans in the field.

  • Activity 1: CBMP Terrestrial and Freshwater Groups will, together with the CAFF Secretariat and the CBMP Co-leads, continue to work on best practices for field trials on selected FECs and, as resources allow, produce site-specific user manuals at selected stations.
  • Activity 2: CBMP Marine and Coastal Group will together with the CBMP co-leads consider how to replicate Activity 1 and/or implement these approaches into the Marine and Coastal Monitoring Plans.
  • Activity 3: The CAFF Secretariat will, through the CAFF webpage and the ABDS, publish recommended methods and link to internationally agreed-upon standardized monitoring methods to implement CBMP monitoring at monitoring stations.
Circumpolar Biodiversity Monitoring Program Strategic Plan: 2021-20252021
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