Recommendations

Project	Type	#	Outcome	Report	Year
Resilience and Management of Arctic Wetlands (RAW)	Key finding		Comprehensive information on Arctic wetlands ecosystems is currently lacking but needed to adequately identify the location and type of wetlands with high levels of accuracy. Recent developments in the use of geospatial data and artificial intelligence provide the basis for substantial improvements in mapping of the extent and condition of Arctic wetlands, opening up valuable opportunities for pan-Arctic collaboration to improve wetlands inventories and keep them up-to-date.	Resilience and Management of Arctic Wetlands Phase 2 Report	2021
Resilience and Management of Arctic Wetlands (RAW)	Recommendation	13	Develop a tool for translating between existing national and international wetland classifications systems, identify where there is presently no way to translate between systems and explore potential benefits of developing unified Arctic and Boreal wetland classification systems.	Resilience and Management of Arctic Wetlands: Key Findings and Recommendations	2021
Resilience and Management of Arctic Wetlands (RAW)	Recommendation	8	Ensure that national conservation or development plans that impact wetlands meaningfully engage Arctic communities, Indigenous Peoples, and stakeholders to consider the broader landscape impacts of changes to wetlands, including developments that may affect wetlands within river basins.	Resilience and Management of Arctic Wetlands: Key Findings and Recommendations	2021
Resilience and Management of Arctic Wetlands (RAW)	Recommendation	3	Initiate collaboration between Arctic states, Indigenous Peoples organisations and relevant stakeholders to harmonize how climate and biodiversity benefits reached through wetland management and restoration efforts are reported to international conventions on climate mitigation and biodiversity.	Resilience and Management of Arctic Wetlands: Key Findings and Recommendations	2021
Resilience and Management of Arctic Wetlands (RAW)	Key finding	11	Coordinated transboundary management of wetlands is needed, but different national systems for wetland classification challenge such efforts. There are crucial differences between wetland classification systems. A uniform system for comparing and harmonizing existing Arctic wetland classifications would help to better plan wetland actions that span borders, traditions, and cultures. New developments should consider the value and legacy associated with existing national classification systems and Indigenous Knowledge and Local Knowledge of wetland areas. Development of new classification systems, maps and databases should ensure that legacy data remains useful, allow for conversion between systems and link to Indigenous Knowledge and use of wetlands.	Resilience and Management of Arctic Wetlands: Key Findings and Recommendations	2021
Resilience and Management of Arctic Wetlands (RAW)	Advice	5	Connecting 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 areas	2021
Resilience and Management of Arctic Wetlands (RAW)	Key finding	6	Indigenous Peoples’ knowledge and stewardship is important for successful management of Arctic wetlands. Participation and leadership by Indigenous Peoples is needed for decision-making and management of Arctic wetlands. Indigenous Peoples’ hold extensive and unique knowledge regarding the wetlands in their homelands. Inmany places, long-term indigenous stewardship has partly shaped present-day wetland biodiversity and functioning, maintaining traditional land-use practices that acts to preserve wetland resilience.	Resilience and Management of Arctic Wetlands: Key Findings and Recommendations	2021
Resilience and Management of Arctic Wetlands (RAW)	Key finding	1.2.5	Suggestions for Wetlands Planning, Research, and Management. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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 areas	2021
Resilience and Management of Arctic Wetlands (RAW)	Key finding	1	Arctic wetlands provide important ecosystem services to Arctic and global communities, including cooling the global climate. They provide clean water and buffer floods and droughts, support fisheries and hunting, support biodiversity, and act as long-term sinks for atmospheric carbon. Wetlands are an integral part of many Indigenous Peoples’ lives; they provide and sustain food security, including grazing for traditional reindeer herding. Recognition of wetlands’ importance, including in the Arctic, is growing as their role in sustaining a wide range of ecosystem services becomes better understood.	Resilience and Management of Arctic Wetlands: Key Findings and Recommendations	2021
Resilience and Management of Arctic Wetlands (RAW)	Recommendation	20	Integrate wetland monitoring with CAFF CBMP monitoring where possible, with the CBMP Terrestrial, Coastal and Freshwater monitoring plans.	Resilience and Management of Arctic Wetlands: Key Findings and Recommendations	2021