Ecosystem-based adaptation (EbA) offers a valuable yet under-utilized approach for climate change adaptation and mitigation, complementing traditional actions such as infrastructure development. EbA uses biodiversity and ecosystem services as part of an overall strategy to help communities adapt to climate change at local, national, regional or global levels. As part of nature-based solutions, appropriately designed EbA initiatives can also contribute to climate change mitigation by reducing emissions from ecosystem loss and degradation, and enhancing carbon sequestration. Since historical times, human communities have had to adapt to changing climate and several of them have maintained their own practices over centuries. Many cultures across the world have already enhanced their adaptive capacities to respond to climate change challenges using their own traditional knowledge and cultural practices.

It is time to examine what we have learned from various cultures and reevaluate the principles of ecosystem-based adaptation based on such experiences. For example, the importance of the roles of the community and their level of governance has been underlined as essential for effective EbA. The workshop provided an opportunity to discuss the principles through presentations of a few projects with the aim of gaining insight through discussion with conference attendees, which helped to further inform ecosystem-based climate change adaptation and mitigation.

Key Themes:

Factors of Success in Community Conservation, Wildlife & Fisheries, Climate & Environmental Changes

Presenters:

Liette Vasseur (Brock University)

Darwin Horning (University of Northern British Columbia)

Pam McElwee (Rutgers University)

Presented Material:

An intergenerational panel (consisting of a member from the Statutory Māori Advisory Committee, the Manahautū (General Manager Māori) and a Youth member of the Māori Policy and Operations Unit at the Environmental Protection Authority) discussed the influence of Māori (the indigenous peoples of Aotearoa, New Zealand) on the policies and practices of the New Zealand Environmental Protection Authority, a Crown agent, in its decision-making. In particular, the panel highlights how incorporating Māori perspectives, Mātauranga Māori (Māori traditional knowledge) and the direct involvement of Māori through a statutory Māori Advisory Committee, Ngā Kaihautū Tikanga Taiao, has managed to affect policy, practice and standards of evidence in a mutually beneficial way.

The journey has not been an easy one and has taken over 20 years through changing political and Māori priorities, but it has nevertheless managed to continue to move forward and evolve.

This session was an opportunity for learning and an exchange of experiences and knowledge, to build partnerships and to help shape the future of how government organisations meaningfully engage with indigenous peoples.

Key Themes:

Indigenous Issues, Governance, Rights & Conflict, Engagement, Education & Empowerment, Climate & Environmental Changes

Presenters:

Doug Jones (Te Mana Rauhī Taiao – Environmental Protection Authority)

Te Taiawatea Moko-Mead (Te Mana Rauhī Taiao – Environmental Protection Authority)

Presented Material:

This workshop centered around the fact that fish conservation and resource sustainability are at a crossroads in the current century, and that it is therefore necessary to engage broad societal participation. The session engaged with academia, fishers, NGOs, governmental agencies and others, as Fishers’ Ecological Knowledge (FEK) application is universal to different social sectors. From this basis, the workshop developed a cross-sectoral network of experts who can identify FEK related goals for the next IUCN strategy cycle and work together to build public and political awareness for these goals and to achieve them. Thus, the workshop promoted interactive participation and therefore represents an important opportunity to integrate experiences and knowledge from the marine and freshwater sectors and from a range of different partners.

The goal of this workshop was to:

a) contribute to promoting and consolidating international experiences that show successful examples on FEK application benefits for fish and fisheries conservation;

b) inspire people to follow successful examples where FEK has benefited fish resources conservation and management;

c) consider FEK as a challenge and an opportunity for contributing to developing better conservation practices; and

d) help embed FEK in fisheries conservation and resources management by initiating the development of “how to” guidelines and film.

Key Themes:

Livelihoods, Factors of Success in Community Conservation, Climate & Environmental Changes, Wildlife & Fisheries

Presenters:

Winston Cowie (Environment Agency Abu Dhabi)

Mohsin Al Ameri (Assistant Scientist, Fisheries. Environment Agency Abu Dhabi)

Shaelene Kamakaʻala (Community Based Fisheries Area Coordinator, Hawaii)

Christiana Louwa (El Molo Forum)

Kevin Chang (Executive Director, Kua’āina Ulu ‘Auamo, Hawaii)

Video & Presentations:

Lawaiʻa pono means to fish righteously, in ways that honor the time-tested values and sustainable practices of our kūpuna (ancestors).  Mālama ʻāina (to care for that which feeds; biocultural resources) is a challenge shared by island nations and indigenous and local communities worldwide. Traditional natural resource management practices in Hawai’i drew upon the place-based knowledge, observations, and experiences of community members and local experts known as “konohiki.” Hawaiians once used these konohiki systems and traditions to ensure an abundance of resources from the mountains to the sea.

Through short film presentations and discussions, this session touched on some of the experiences of communities from around Hawaiʻi who work with state and federal government, conservation partners, researchers and landowners, to implement community-based management solutions for their places.  Presenters shared insight about the role of Community-Based biocultural management in Hawaiʻi in the nearshore environment and the place-based fishing practices and stewardship efforts they have implemented to pass on traditional fishing knowledge and values to perpetuate the practice of “lawaiʻa pono.”  Representatives shared how the collective efforts of grassroots communities empowers community conservation, enhances community health and well-being, and ensures a future of healthy abundant resources for generations to come.

Key Themes:

Indigenous Issues, Livelihoods, Governance, Rights & Conflict, Climate & Environmental Changes

Films presented:

THE HOAʻĀINA OF HĀʻENA – In 2015, a group of lineal families on the north coast of Kauaʻi successfully worked with the State of Hawaiʻi to establish Hawaiʻi’s first Community-based Subsistence Fishing Area (CBSFA). This short film tells the inspirational story of a rural Hawaiian community’s journey to perpetuate the traditional and customary practices of their ancestors and the collective effort it took to make it happen.

HANAI KO’A: CULTURE KEEPERS – A short produce by the Office of Hawaiian Affairs on the ʻōpelu fishing families of Hoʻokena, Hawaiʻi.

Presenters:

Kevin Chang (Kua ʻĀina Ulu ʻAuamo (KUA))

Mehana Vaughan (University of Hawaiʻi)

Shaelene Kamaka’ala (State of Hawaii Division of Aquatic Resources Community-based Fisheries Planner; Kahana Kilo Kai; E Alu Pu Council (O’ahu Island))

Charles Young (Kama’aina United to Protect the ‘Aina (KUPA); Kai Kuleana Network, West Hawai’i Fisheries Council; E Alu Pu Council (Hawai’i Island))

Solomon Kaho’ohalahala (Maunalei Ahupuaʻa Community Mauka-Makai Managed Area (Maunalei Ahupuaʻa CMMMA), E Alu Pu Council (Lana’i island))

Successful biodiversity conservation is a complex endeavor, hinging on women and men sustainably managing lands and natural resources. For 30 years, Conservation International (CI) has delivered successful conservation outcomes by empowering rural Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities to responsibly and sustainably care for nature. Through partner communities, work is done with men and women at all scales to strengthen their voices to advocate for conservation and the myriad benefits for humanity. CI and partners aims to foster effective, locally-led governance of biodiversity and equitable access to and sharing of nature’s benefits.

At the community level, conflict is a significant threat to men, women and children who rely on natural resources for their very survival. Environmental degradation has been directly used as a weapon of war, ecosystems have been physically destroyed or polluted, natural assets have been liquidated by local and displaced populations attempting to survive socio-economic disruption, and environmental management, oversight and enforcement structures have collapsed. These impacts from conflict pose significant risks to the communities’ health, livelihoods and security.

This workshop for community leaders and members contributed to the development of skills in conflict analysis and consensus-building. It’s aim was to increase awareness of multiple dimensions of conflict in natural resource management, and help community members build basic skills in mapping root causes of conflict through case study exercises focused on forest communities in Bolivia and Peru. The workshop included an overview presentation on existing approaches to environmental peacebuilding initiatives for communities, followed by a skills building session on conflict analysis.

Key Themes:

Governance, Rights, & Conflict, Engagement, Education & Empowerment, Climate & Environmental Changes

Presented Material:

Presenters:

Janet Edmond (Conservation International), Lydia Cardona (Conservation International)

Something special happened in Canada in 2015; the parks community, representing 200 thought-leaders and decision makers from all coasts and geo-political regions throughout the country, met to determine shared goals and priority actions resulting in distinct practices and individual responsibilities. Invited by the Canadian Parks Council (CPC) and the Canadian Parks and Recreation Association (CPRA), governments and leaders from municipal, provincial, territorial and Indigenous perspectives, joined forces with academics, youth, non-government organizations, and industry to see, learn, speak and hear how we interact with each other, with species, and with the land.  What surfaced, through honest dialogue and a view to share and conserve the powerful benefits of Nature, was a united commitment to establish connected Canadian park lands and waters that support healthy Nature and healthy people.

As a unique national response to the IUCN’s #NatureForAll global movement, Parks for All: An Action Plan for Canada’s Parks Community, published in 2018, has helped to support a “new normal” for conservation action in Canada. Grounded in four strategic priorities — collaborate, connect, conserve and lead — the action plan identifies specific actions individuals and organizations can undertake to better our collective future where communities thrive without depleting the environment.

This represents a significant paradigm shift articulated in Parks for All, and will reinforce, by example, a very specific Canadian initiative that has put the paradigm shift into practice.  The Pathway to Canada Target 1 is the process through which Canada is working to achieve the terrestrial goal associated with Aichi Target 11 — a commitment to protect at least 17% of Canada’s land and inland waters.  Experts representing local perspectives and national interests involved in Parks for All and the Pathway to Canada Target 1 shared insight into the following questions: 1) what are the principles associated with the paradigm shift; 2) what conditions in Canada enabled an openness to work differently across governments and sectors for better conservation outcomes; and, 3) how can the Canadian model of unrepressed collaboration be extended to other community development initiatives that aim to sustain livelihoods, conserve local environments, while loving Nature.

Key Themes:

Factors of Success in Community Conservation, Climate and Environmental Changes, Engagement, Education & Empowerment, Governance, Rights & Conflict

Presenters:

Dawn Carr (Canadian Parks Council), Scott Jones (Government of Alberta)

With a focus on initiatives which are contributing to the enhancement of local landscape/seascape resilience, sustainable use of natural resources, respect of traditional knowledge and culture, and the preservation of threatened biota – while also achieving notable socio-economic benefits, the resources available on this page provide a glimpse into effective ways communities around the world are facing and responding to environmental challenges.

Perspectives from locations such as South Africa, Taiwan, Myanmar, and Canada’s northern territories provide insight into the variety of ways communities value and feel connected to nature. This helps us gain a greater understanding of the needs of communities undertaking conservation projects, how to best support these needs, and how lessons learned at one site can be applied to others.

Key themes:

Places & Spaces, Wildlife & Fisheries, Climate & Environmental Changes

Click titles to explore sections below:

Communities are tackling complex environmental, social and economic challenges through conservation and livelihood efforts in an era of multi-level, cross-sectoral governance approaches and layers of policy and jurisdictions. How do local people navigate this context to engage in community-based conservation that fosters viable livelihoods, healthy environments, and strong communities? How can policy better support local community-based initiatives?

These, among many other difficult questions relating to conservation and environmental policy are discussed through presentations which tie together topics such as social cohesion and comparative systems of management. The information shared here provides insight into processes and outcomes impacting why and how the world and people change, and how the concept of success can be quantified – so that progress in reaching local biological and socio-economic goals can be consistently measured over the long-term.

Key Themes:

Factors of Success in Community Conservation, Engagement, Education & Empowerment, Wildlife & Fisheries

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Conservation practices have largely evolved from ‘fence and fine’ strategies to participatory approaches. It is now widely accepted that conservation initiatives should deliver both socioeconomic benefits and biodiversity protection – while being tailored to local needs as to foster more meaningful community involvement. As the collection of case studies found on this page demonstrate, it is not the way wellbeing is categorized that is most important, but for conservation initiatives to be successful, how the dimensions of wellbeing are interpreted and incorporated in the process of conservation planning has proved to be integral to the project’s success.

There is increasing attention on the efforts of Indigenous Peoples and local communities who implement local-level, ecosystem-based approaches to resource management and sustainability. This is especially true when those communities implement what can be described as a biocultural approach to natural resource management—one the builds from and explicitly includes local knowledges, values, and perspectives. However, developing indicators to assess the local outcomes of sustainability management actions, and linking them to broader national and international policy targets, remains a key challenge. This can become problematic if diverging local, national, and international needs and values lead to misdirection of resources and implementation of programs inappropriate to local contexts. Collaboration between local, national, and international indicator initiatives is essential to synergize cross-scale planning and enhance evidence-informed implementation for sustainability.

The studies included in this section provide insight into the potential advantages of promoting participation in local monitoring networks, increasing awareness of the balance between social and ecological wellbeing, and finding meaningful ways to resolve conflicting values, perceptions and concerns of stakeholders.

Key Themes:

Engagement, Education & Empowerment, Climate & Environmental Changes, Wildlife & Fisheries

Click titles to expand sections below:

Small-scale fisheries make vital contributions to conservation, health, livelihoods, and the cultural identities of people across the globe. Despite these social and ecological complexities, fisheries are often treated as a resource to be managed for the purpose of efficiency and economic profit. Increasingly, local communities are resisting prevailing approaches that treat fish as a commodity by engaging in efforts to (re)envision “fish as food.” This session presented a series of place-based experiences that demonstrate ways of using food systems as an organizing concept to protect small-scale fisheries, build sustainable communities and impact fisheries policy by exploring the food-related values that surround fisheries in local communities; the strategies communities are using to support enhanced access to local fish as a part of community-based food systems; and the interactions among food security, livelihoods, and conservation goals in particular settings.

Insights were shared from L’sitkuk (Bear River First Nation, Nova Scotia), Lockeport and Sandy Point, Nova Scotia, Kakisa and Deline, Northwest Territories, and two Indigenous communities from Lake Huron and Lake Superior. Ultimately, the session aimed to foster community capacity through sharing experiences, while offering new insights into community conservation and livelihoods.

Key Themes:

Livelihoods, Wildlife & Fisheries, Climate & Environmental Changes

Presenters:

Kristen Lowitt (Mount Allison University), Charles Levkoe (Lakehead University), Sherry Pictou (Mount Saint Vincent University), Andrew Spring (Wilfrid Laurier University), Colleen Turlo (Ecology Action Centre), Satya Ramen (Ecology Action Centre), Chief Dean Sayers (Batchewana First Nation), Patty Williams (Food Action Research Centre, Mount Saint Vincent University)

Videos & Presentations: