Recommendations
| Project | Type | # | Outcome | Report | Year | FEC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CBMP Terrestrial Biodiversity Monitoring | Advice | Indigenous Knowledge: The CBMP Terrestrial Plan aims to utilize both Indigenous Knowledge and science. Despite efforts, Indigenous Knowledge has not been systematically included in the START. To obtain a full assessment of the status and trends, better understand relationships and changes, and fill key knowledge gaps, there must be improved engagement with Indigenous Knowledge holders, Indigenous governments, and Indigenous monitoring programs not only in development of assessments but in collaboratively building more comprehensive monitoring programs and initiatives.
| State of the Arctic Terrestrial Biodiversity: Key Findings and Advice for Monitoring | 2021 | ||
| Arctic Biodiversity Assessment (ABA) | Key finding | 6 | Long-term observations based on the best available traditional and scientific knowledge are required to identify changes in biodiversity, assess the implications of observed changes, and develop adaptation strategies. | Arctic Biodiversity Trends 2010 – Selected indicators of change | 2010 | |
| Inspiring Arctic Voices Through Youth | Goal | Arctic 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: 2021-2026 | 2021 | ||
| CBird: Seabird Expert Group | 2.2 | Reduce predation. 2.2.1 Remove introduced invasive species. 2.2.2. Perform risk analyses/assessments to identify and prioritize areas with introduced species. | International Black-legged Kittiwake - Conservation Strategy and Action Plan | 2021 | ||
| CBird: Seabird Expert Group | Habitat protection Objective: Protect key habitat to ensure continued viability of Ivory Gull populations that depend on them. Actions
| International Ivory Gull Conservation Strategy and Action Plan | 2008 | |||
| Mainstreaming Biodiversity in Arctic Mining | Advice | Establishment of mutually beneficial partnerships with communities impacted by mining operations. In order to operate effectively, the mining industry needs buy-in from impacted communities (i.e., Social License to Operate). This is especially important across much of the Arctic where Indigenous Peoples and/or local communities often depend on ecosystem services for food security, cultural and spiritual connections and other purposes. Because of differences in cultures and/or values, limited shared understanding and lack of trust, it can be difficult to meaningfully engage with Indigenous and/or local communities, develop positive relationships and work towards common goals. Although there are good examples of where the mining industry operating in the Arctic is working collaboratively with government agencies, communities and others to minimize their impacts on biodiversity, public perception of the mining industry in impacted communities is not always favourable. Mining industry could:
CAFF could:
| Mainstreaming Biodiversity in Arctic Mining Challenges and Proposed Solutions | 2019 | ||
| Actions for Arctic Biodiversity 2025-2035 | Action | 3 | 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. | Actions for Arctic Biodiversity 2025-2035 | 2025 | |
| Arctic Migratory Birds Initiative (AMBI) | Action | 1 | Understand the expansion of white geese populations in Arctic shorebird habitat 1.1 Understand impacts of populations of white geese on other bird species in western Canada 1.2 Understand trends in the populations of white geese in Alaska and their impacts on shorebird breeding habitats | AMBI Work Plan 2019-2025: Americas Flyway | 2021 | |
| Arctic Migratory Birds Initiative (AMBI) | Action | 5 | Address other threats to Arctic migratory birds along Central and East Asian Flyways and improve international cooperation 5.1 (All countries): Analyse and assess development aid funding structures in high-income-countries and explore opportunities to help identify how AMBI can empower communities to support conservation of important priority species’ habitats, and develop solutions to address illegal hunting where pressures exist. 5.2. (All countries): Initiate work on evaluation of the effect of contaminants and/or pathogens on Arctic-breeding migratory birds as factors possibly decreasing their survival and reproduction potential and estimate bio-transition along the flyway to the Arctic. 5.3. (All countries): Promote cooperation between EAAFP’s Spoon-billed Sandpiper Task Force and AMBI in addressing Spoon-billed Sandpiper conservation activities identified in this workplan. 5.4. (All countries): Create an intervention tool box to ensure resilience of Arctic-breeding migratory birds along Central and East Asian Flyways with the involvement of Arctic Council Observer countries as recommended by the draft AMBI crosswalk analysis under the PSI funded project. | AMBI Work Plan 2019-2025: Central and East Asian Flyways | 2021 | |
| Arctic Biodiversity Assessment (ABA) | Recommendation | 7 | Develop and implement mechanisms that best safeguard Arctic biodiversity under changing environmental conditions, such as loss of sea ice, glaciers and permafrost. a. Safeguard areas in the northern parts of the Arctic where high Arctic species have a relatively greater chance to survive for climatic or geographical reasons, such as certain islands and mountainous areas, which can act as a refuge for unique biodiversity. 7.1. Develop options for safeguarding potential marine and terrestrial refuge areas, including areas that will maintain multi-year ice (related to AMSA IID). b. Maintain functional connectivity within and between protected areas in order to protect ecosystem resilience and facilitate adaptation to climate change. 7.2. Assess options and recommend most effective methods to manage connectivity, in light of climate change, including identification of sub-populations, species and regions for which connectivity is most critical (including for increasing genetic resilience). 7.3. Identify management actions that will enhance resilience of species in adapting to rapid change. | Arctic Biodiversity Assessment: Report for Policy Makers | 2013 | |
| Arctic Biodiversity Assessment (ABA) | Action | 3 | Advance and advocate ecosystem-based management efforts in the Arctic as a framework for cooperation, planning and development. This includes an approach to development that proceeds cautiously, with sound short and long-term environmental risk assessment and management, using the best available scientific and traditional ecological knowledge, following the best environmental practices, considering cumulative effects and adhering to international standards. 3.1. Provide information (including traditional knowledge) to Arctic Council initiatives that include, or are developing, an ecosystem approach including the principles for incorporation of biodiversity (Action 4.3). 3.2. Ongoing activities based on the revised Terms of Reference of the Joint Ecosystem Approach Expert Group (marine), including preparation of reports on Status of Setting Ecological Objectives, Work on Integrated Ecosystem Assessments of Arctic LMEs, Status of Implementation of the Ecosystem Approach to Management in the Arctic, a scoping document on the use of information on identified areas of heightened ecological and cultural significance for assessment and management purposes within LMEs. 3.3. Follow-up to the Ecosystem-Based Management Expert Group work on advancing ecosystem based management in the work of the Arctic Council. 3.4. Prepare an implementation plan for the Arctic Marine Strategic Plan 2015-2025. 3.5. Continue to promote collaboration among Arctic states as they implement the Polar Code (AMSA IIB). | Actions for Arctic Biodiversity, 2013-2021: Implementing the recommendations of the Arctic Biodiversity Assessment | 2015 | |
| Key finding | The relationship between biodiversity and climate change is complex. While climate change has been identified as the key stressor of Arctic biodiversity, the degree to which it has a negative impact depends on complex relationships between climate change, other stressors, geography, economics, politics and management regimes. | Arctic Biodiversity Congress 2014, Co-Chairs Report | 2014 | |||
| Advice | Map biodiversity hot spots and biologically and ecologically sensitive areas at a scale appropriate for industry to use in their planning. | Arctic Biodiversity Congress 2014, Co-Chairs Report | 2014 | |||
| Arctic Biodiversity Assessment (ABA) | Key finding | 5 | Encourage equal partnership and participation at the outset and throughout research projects that affect Arctic Indigenous peoples. | Arctic Traditional Knowledge and Wisdom: Changes in the North American Arctic | 2017 | |
| Resilience and Management of Arctic Wetlands (RAW) | Key finding | There is relatively little comparative analysis of national-level policies that impact Arctic wetlands. | Resilience and Management of Arctic Wetlands Phase 2 Report | 2021 | ||
| Resilience and Management of Arctic Wetlands (RAW) | Recommendation | 1 | Encourage Arctic cooperation to amplify efforts to reduce fossil fuel emissions both inside and outside the Arctic. | Resilience and Management of Arctic Wetlands: Key Findings and Recommendations | 2021 | |
| Resilience and Management of Arctic Wetlands (RAW) | Recommendation | 17 | Encourage collaboration among Arctic States and with organizations representing Arctic Indigenous Peoples, to develop and refine approaches for reporting on the benefits of wetlands restoration to improvements in ecosystem services, in particular: livelihoods, food security, biodiversity, and climate change mitigation. | Resilience and Management of Arctic Wetlands: Key Findings and Recommendations | 2021 | |
| 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.
Objective 2.2: Evaluate the effectiveness of existing and new methods and technologies as a tool to support biodiversity monitoring and assessment.
Objective 2.3: Identify expert networks relevant for CBMP.
Objective 2.4: Increase access to Arctic biodiversity data.
Objective 2.5: Continue and strengthen cross-cutting activities among the CBMP Steering Groups.
Objective 2.6: Via expert networks, develop user manuals and test implementation of CBMP Arctic Biodiversity Monitoring Plans in the field.
| Circumpolar Biodiversity Monitoring Program Strategic Plan: 2021-2025 | 2021 | ||
| Arctic TEEB | Key finding | 3.8 | Governance: Key Finding 3.8. Taking an interdisciplinary approach that combines economic and sociocultural analyses to the benefits people receive from Arctic nature faces a number of challenges and concerns. However, it also offers a complementary approach for communicating to decision makers the importance of nature to people, and a toolkit for evaluating policy options and integrating stewardship into decisions. | The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity (TEEB) for the Arctic: A Scoping Study Executive Summary | 2015 | |
| CBMP Terrestrial Biodiversity Monitoring | Key finding | Most populations showed increasing or stable trends over the last 10 years, but our ability to truly judge these trends is highly variable among populations. | A Global Audit of the Status and Trends of Arctic And Northern Hemisphere Goose Populations | 2018 |
Arctic Council Working Group