Recommendations

Address individual and cumulative effects of stressors and drivers of Arctic biodiversity loss.

1.1 Enhance climate change mitigation and adaptation through ecosystem-based approaches and nature-based solutions to minimize the impact of climate change on Arctic biodiversity.

1.2 Contribute to reducing the threats of pollution to Arctic biodiversity.

1.3 Provide scientific knowledge and Indigenous Knowledge to support management actions to enable recovery and conservation of species and ecosystems.

1.4 Support efforts to minimize the threat of invasive alien/non-native species to Arctic biodiversity.

1.5 Contribute to area-based conservation measures including Indigenous-led and managed, protected, or conserved areas, and restoration of degraded Arctic ecosystems.

1.6 Promote appropriate measures to reduce human disturbances.

Advance enabling conditions to support implementation of actions.

3.1 Strengthen opportunities to inform and interact with international and national processes.

3.2 Strengthen Arctic Council and CAFF networks to better address biodiversity conservation and ensure engagement of key partners.

3.3 Mobilize people, funding and infrastructure to support implementation.

3.4 Improve communication on the importance of Arctic biodiversity and sustainable management, including challenges, needs and successes.

3.5 Support the participation of Indigenous Peoples and the Permanent Participants, to enable continued Indigenous-led conservation and management of Arctic biodiversity.

3.6 Support mainstreaming biodiversity, including in sectors driving biodiversity loss and/or of importance in the Arctic.

Promote sustainable use of Arctic biodiversity.

2.1 Enhance science and Indigenous Knowledge and monitoring to support sustainable management of species and ecosystems.

2.2 Contribute to sustainable management of species and ecosystems, using an ecosystem approach.

2.3 Protect and respect the rights of Indigenous Peoples including the rights to use, manage, and conserve their lands and waters.

Establish a monitoring and evaluation framework for implementation of the actions for Arctic biodiversity.

4.1 Develop indicators to monitor implementation of the Actions for Arctic Biodiversity, assess and evaluate effectiveness of implementation, and report in relevant fora.

Reduce stressors on migratory species range-wide, including habitat degradation and overharvesting on wintering and staging areas and along flyways and other migration routes.

a. Pursue or strengthen formal migratory bird cooperation agreements and other specific actions on a flyway level between Arctic and non-Arctic states with first priority given to the East Asian flyway.

b. Collaborate with relevant international commissions, conventions, networks and other organizations sharing an interest in the conservation of Arctic migratory species to identify and implement appropriate conservation actions.

c. Develop and implement joint management and recovery plans for threatened species with relevant non-Arctic states and entities. d. Identify and advance the conservation of key wintering and staging habitats for migratory birds, particularly wetlands.

CHALLENGE There is no consistent approach to working with Traditional Knowledge and Wisdom.

POTENTIAL ACTIONS AND OPPORTUNITIES Create best practices through demonstration projects and on-the-ground work, including an evaluation of past projects and analysis of what worked and what didn’t.

Advance the protection of large areas of ecologically important marine, terrestrial and freshwater habitats, taking into account ecological resilience in a changing climate.

a. Build upon existing and on-going domestic and international processes to complete the identification of ecologically and biologically important marine areas and implement appropriate measures for their conservation.

b. Build upon existing networks of terrestrial protected areas, filling geographic gaps, including underrepresented areas, rare or unique habitats, particularly productive areas such as large river deltas, biodiversity hotspots, and areas with large aggregations of animals such as bird breeding colonies, seal whelping areas and caribou calving grounds.

c. Promote the active involvement of Indigenous peoples in the management and sustainable use ofprotected areas.

Actively support international efforts addressing climate change, both reducing stressors and implementing adaptation measures, as an urgent matter. Of specific importance are efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and to reduce emissions of black carbon, methane and tropospheric ozone precursors.

1.1. Addressing short-lived climate forcers.

a. Negotiate an Arctic Council Framework for Enhanced Action on Black Carbon and Methane.

b. Implement existing Arctic Council recommendations on short-lived climate forcers.

c. Hold a workshop on the reduction of black carbon emissions from residential woodcombustion in the Arctic that identifies voluntary actions to reduce emissions.

d. Diesel black carbon reduction in the Russian Arctic.

e. Prepare scientific assessments on black carbon and tropospheric ozone and on methane.

f. Follow-up projects on reducing black carbon, including: the transport and dieselgenerator sectors; the Arctic Case Studies Platform; and convening a conference on best practices on contaminant reduction in Indigenous communities.

1.2. Mainstream biodiversity into the climate change agenda, including adaptation and mitigation, through outreach.

Develop communication and outreach tools and methodologies to better convey the importance and value of Arctic biodiversity and the changes it is undergoing.

17.1. Implement CAFF’s communications strategy and update as needed.

17.2. Develop tools to raise awareness of Arctic biodiversity, and the multiple challenges it faces, for example Through the Lens photography competition, and create publications, articles, films, social media, media campaigns and educational kits.

17.3. Provide status and trend information to international fora and national agencies to promote the importance of Arctic biodiversity and to facilitate reporting through multilateral environmental agreements and other international processesa. Reframe the results of the ABA as a regional biodiversity outlook for the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and as a contribution to the biodiversity and ecosystem services regional reports for the Americas and Europe and Central Asia being prepared for Intergovernmental Panel on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services.

b. Report to the CBD on progress of the Arctic region towards achievement of the Aichi Biodiversity Targets.

17.4. Develop educational materials based on the ABA (in several languages).

a. Pilot: educational toolkit on Arctic ecology for children ages 9-11.

17.5 Develop and implement outreach products to communicate the outcomes of this plan