Recommendations
| Project | Type | # | Outcome | Report | Year | FEC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Resilience and Management of Arctic Wetlands (RAW) | Key finding | While policy pertaining to Arctic wetlands is expansive, preliminary evidence points to three key challenges for effective policy: inconsistency and/or conflict between policies and goals addressed to different aspects of wetlands, the distribution of responsibility for policy implementation into agencies and departments with differing, sometimes contrasting missions, difficulties with good communications between responsible agencies and departments | Resilience and Management of Arctic Wetlands Phase 2 Report | 2021 | ||
| Resilience and Management of Arctic Wetlands (RAW) | Recommendation | 2 | Actively support efforts to maintain or strengthen natural ecosystem capacity for climate change mitigation, primarily through conservation and restoration measures in Arctic and Boreal wetlands. | Resilience and Management of Arctic Wetlands: Key Findings and Recommendations | 2021 | |
| Resilience and Management of Arctic Wetlands (RAW) | Recommendation | 18 | Inventory, harmonize and pool knowledge about financial models and frameworks being used to support restoration and conservation and investigate potential pan-Arctic or transboundary initiatives, with a particular focus on engagement by local and Indigenous Peoples. | Resilience and Management of Arctic Wetlands: Key Findings and Recommendations | 2021 | |
| 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.
Objective 3.2: CBMP is sustainable through relevancy.
| Circumpolar Biodiversity Monitoring Program Strategic Plan: 2021-2025 | 2021 | ||
| Arctic TEEB | Key finding | 4.1 | Valuing Arctic ecosystem services: Key Finding 4.1. The ecosystem services link is crucial when striving for sustainable management of complex social-ecological systems, and valuation in this context can provide powerful information for evaluating alternative management strategies. Cohesive, integrated and commonly accepted frameworks for assessment of the values of Arctic ecosystems are needed. | The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity (TEEB) for the Arctic: A Scoping Study Executive Summary | 2015 | |
| CBMP Terrestrial Biodiversity Monitoring | Key finding | In North America, population estimates are good; trends are generally of the best quality and most populations are increasing or stable. | A Global Audit of the Status and Trends of Arctic And Northern Hemisphere Goose Populations | 2018 | ||
| Key finding | 2 | Research efforts relevant to indigenous communities should establish partnerships with them and contribute to building their capacity, for example by hiring local residents, and providing training and equipment | Project Summary: Bering Sea Sub-Network II | 2015 | ||
| CBMP Freshwater Biodiversity Monitoring | Advice | Citizen Science
| State of the Arctic Freshwater Biodiversity: Key Findings and Advice for Monitoring | 2016 | ||
| CBMP Marine Biodiversity Monitoring | Advice | Benthos
| State of the Arctic Marine Biodiversity: Key Findings and Advice for Monitoring | 2017 | ||
| CBMP Terrestrial Biodiversity Monitoring | Advice | Vegetation : Monitoring of vegetation is inconsistent, with large gaps in geographical cover. Of the four FECs for monitoring vegetation, the START was able to report on all plants, species of concern, and invasive alien species. Food species were not included as data were too disparate.
| State of the Arctic Terrestrial Biodiversity: Key Findings and Advice for Monitoring | 2021 | ||
| Arctic Species Trend Index (ASTI) | Key finding | 2 | Tracking trends in Arctic marine vertebrates. 2.1 The trend for marine fish is very similar to the trend for all marine species, increasing from 1970 to about 1990 and then levelling off. This indicates that the ASTI is strongly influenced by fish trends. Overall, marine mammals also increased, while marine birds showed less change. 2.2 The three ocean regions, Pacific, Atlantic, and Arctic, differed significantly in average population trends with an overall decline in abundance in the Atlantic, a small average increase in the Arctic and a dramatic increase in the Pacific. These differences seem to be largely driven by variation in fish population abundance—there were no significant regional differences for birds or mammals. 2.3 Pelagic fish abundance appears to cycle on a time frame of about 10 years. These cycles showeda strong association with a large-scale climate oscillation. 2.4 The ASTI data set contains population trends for nine sea ice associated species. There were mixed trends among the 36 populations with just over half showing an overall decline. 2.5 The Bering Sea and Aleutian Island (BSAI) region of the Pacific Ocean is well studied, providing an opportunity to examine trends in more detail. Since 1970, BSAI marine fish and mammals showed overall increases, while marine birds declined. However, since the late 1980s, marine mammal abundance has declined while marine fish abundance has largely stabilized. | The Arctic Species Trend Index 2011: Key findings from an in-depth look at marine species and development of spatial analysis techniques | 2012 | |
| Inspiring Arctic Voices Through Youth | Facilitate long-term youth engagement opportunities and continuity or linkages between programs where it makes sense. | CAFF Arctic Youth Engagement Strategy: 2021-2026 | 2021 | |||
| CBird: Seabird Expert Group | 2.5 | Reduce anthropogenic influence reinforcing the negative consequences of climate change.2.5.1. Regulate fisheries in key feeding areas must be regulated (see 2.4.1.) as alteration in food availability and quality due to climate change and increasing sea-surface temperatures emphasize the importance of minimizing anthropogenic influence. | International Black-legged Kittiwake - Conservation Strategy and Action Plan | 2021 | ||
| CBird: Seabird Expert Group | Advice | Setting priorities Guidelines
| International Ivory Gull Conservation Strategy and Action Plan | 2008 | ||
| Mainstreaming Biodiversity in Arctic Mining | Advice | Difficulty establishing clear processes for engaging Indigenous Peoples and utilizing TK. A need exists to work together with Indigenous communities in a meaningful way that respects and utilizes TK along with science to inform decisions regarding biodiversity (e.g., key research questions informing biotic and abiotic monitoring decisions). There are existing examples of design, operations, and reclamation plans of some mines located in the Arctic region that have been influenced by TK and through consultations with local communities, but there is not a consistent or systematic way for gathering and utilizing TK and science so outcomes are useful, credible and benefit communities and the mining industry to the greatest extent possible. Government agencies could:
Mining industry could:
CAFF could:
| Mainstreaming Biodiversity in Arctic Mining Challenges and Proposed Solutions | 2019 | ||
| Arctic Migratory Birds Initiative (AMBI) | Action | 4 | Address environmental pollution issues 4.1 State of knowledge assessment for plastics in wildlife 4.2 Work with Arctic Council countries and Permanent Participants, PAME, and AMAP to begin to address knowledge gaps | AMBI Work Plan 2019-2025: Circumpolar Flyway | 2021 | |
| Arctic Biodiversity Assessment (ABA) | Recommendation | 1 | 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. | Arctic Biodiversity Assessment: Report for Policy Makers | 2013 | |
| Arctic Biodiversity Assessment (ABA) | Recommendation | 17 | Develop communication and outreach tools and methodologies to better convey the importance and value of Arctic biodiversity and the changes it is undergoing. | Arctic Biodiversity Assessment: Report for Policy Makers | 2013 | |
| Arctic Biodiversity Assessment (ABA) | Action | 13 | Increase and focus inventory, long-term monitoring and research efforts to address key gaps in scientific knowledge identified in this assessment to better facilitate the development and implementation of conservation and management strategies. Areas of particular concern identified through the ABA include components critical to ecosystem functions including important characteristics of invertebrates, microbes, parasites and pathogens. 13.1. Share research gaps and priorities identified in the ABA with the International Arctic Science Committee (IASC) third International Conference on Arctic Research Planning to inform their research priorities. 13.2. Complete the Arctic coastal biodiversity monitoring plan and begin implementation. 13.3. Address monitoring and research gaps in scientific knowledge identified as priorities in the ABA and Arctic Biodiversity Congress, including components critical to ecosystem functions including invertebrates, microbes, parasites and pathogens. 13.4. Report on changes in Arctic species, ecosystems, and the effects of stressors through state of Arctic biodiversity reports. a. Marine species and ecosystems b. Terrestrial species and ecosystems c. Freshwater species and ecosystems d. Coastal species and ecosystems. 13.5. Explore development of a Digital Elevation Model (DEM) for the Arctic. 13.6. Develop and update taxonomic lists where there is a gap a. Red List for Arctic Vascular Plants b. Moss check list. 13.7. Complete the circumpolar boreal vegetation map. 13.8. Prepare a circumpolar seabird monitoring plan. | Actions for Arctic Biodiversity, 2013-2021: Implementing the recommendations of the Arctic Biodiversity Assessment | 2015 | |
| Advice | Develop tools for data sharing so that data collected can be used by a wide range of people engaged in Arctic biodiversity science, policy and management. | Arctic Biodiversity Congress 2014, Co-Chairs Report | 2014 |
Arctic Council Working Group