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The report examines the intersection of biodiversity conservation and peacebuilding in post-conflict Sierra Leone. It details the current network of protected areas, which covers only 4% of the land and none of the marine territory, and identifies significant threats including demographic pressure, industrial mining, and agricultural expansion. The authors argue that while conservation can foster peace by creating jobs and promoting transparent resource governance, poorly managed efforts—such as those involving disputed boundaries or inequitable benefit-sharing—can exacerbate local tensions. The report concludes with recommendations to strengthen legislative frameworks, improve stakeholder coordination, and involve local communities in decision-making.

The Freshwater Trout Aquaculture Dialogue (FTAD) has developed a comprehensive set of global standards for freshwater trout aquaculture, focusing on environmental and social responsibility. The standards cover six core principles: legal compliance, habitat and biodiversity conservation, water resource protection, fish health management, resource efficiency (specifically feed and energy), and social responsibility. Key requirements include prohibitions on transgenic trout and lethal predator control, strict limits on phosphorus discharge, and mandates for fair wages and the absence of child or forced labor. The standards apply to all freshwater trout production systems globally and require 100 percent compliance for certification. Implementation and third-party certification will be managed by the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC).

The document outlines a methodology for creating Biocultural Community Protocols (BCPs), which are community-defined instruments used to communicate local values, customary laws, and priorities to external actors. It provides a structured approach across four parts: understanding the toolkit and the role of the facilitator, documenting the community's biocultural foundations, implementing the protocol through dialogue and negotiation, and reflecting on outcomes to revise the protocol. The guide emphasizes endogenous development, legal empowerment, and participatory methods—such as community mapping, participatory video, and 'Forum Theatre'—to reduce power asymmetries between local communities and entities like governments, corporations, and NGOs.

The document is a practical guide for creating biocultural community protocols—instruments that document a community's customary laws, values, and decision-making processes to manage interactions with external actors. It emphasizes an endogenous development approach, where change is initiated and controlled from within the community. The toolkit provides a wide array of participatory tools for mapping resources, analyzing power dynamics, and engaging in legal advocacy. It outlines a four-part process: understanding the community and facilitator's role, documenting the community's foundations, implementing the protocol through engagement and negotiation, and continuously reflecting on and revising the instrument.

The National Environmental Compliance & Enforcement Report 2011-12 details the activities of South Africa's Environmental Management Inspectorate (EMI). Key trends include a 30% increase in registered EMIs, a significant rise in Section 24G administrative fines, and a focus on combating rhino poaching. The report provides detailed statistics on criminal dockets, convictions, and industrial inspections, while highlighting landmark court cases and capacity-building efforts for inspectors and prosecutors.

The Shrimp Aquaculture Dialogue (ShAD) has developed a comprehensive set of standards for shrimp farming, focusing on seven core principles: legal compliance, biodiversity conservation, community relations, responsible labor, shrimp health and welfare, broodstock management, and resource efficiency. The standards aim to reward the top 20% of producers by setting ambitious yet practical performance thresholds. Key requirements include the use of Biodiversity Environmental Impact Assessments (B-EIA) and participatory Social Impact Assessments (p-SIA), strict prohibitions on the use of transgenic shrimp and certain antibiotics, and mandates for the sustainable sourcing of feed ingredients. The standards apply to all scales of shrimp farming worldwide, specifically targeting species in the genus Liptopenaeus and Penaeus.

The paper examines the conflict between the AmaDiba community, the South African government, and Mineral Commodities Limited (MRC) over a proposed ilmenite mine. It highlights failures in community consultation, contradictions between the Department of Mineral Resources (DMR) and the Department of Water and Environmental Affairs (DWEA), and the misuse of black economic empowerment (BEE) legislation via the Xolobeni Empowerment Company (XolCo). The author argues for the adoption of the Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) protocol to ensure a 'social licence' for mining.

The Centre for Environmental Rights advocates for the alignment of mining environmental regulations with the National Environmental Management Act (NEMA), the use of Section 49 of the MPRDA to prohibit mining in critical biodiversity and hydrological areas, and the integration of GIS environmental data into the SAMRAD online application system to prevent mining rights from being granted in ecologically sensitive areas.

The Freshwater Trout Aquaculture Dialogue (FTAD) has developed a comprehensive set of draft standards to minimize the environmental and social impacts of freshwater trout farming globally. The standards are organized around six core principles: legal compliance, habitat and biodiversity conservation, water resource protection, fish health and welfare, resource efficiency, and social responsibility. Key environmental requirements include prohibitions on transgenic trout, strict limits on phosphorus discharge (6.5 kg/mt of fish), and the mandatory use of riparian buffer zones of at least 10 meters for new farms. Social standards align with ILO guidelines, prohibiting child and forced labor while requiring a basic needs wage for all employees. The document also specifies rigorous feed sourcing requirements, aiming for 100% certified marine ingredients within five years and a Fishmeal Forage Fish Dependency Ratio (FFDRm) of ≤ 1.5. Certification is site-specific and requires 100% compliance across all standards.

The Salmon Aquaculture Dialogue (SAD) has released a second draft of global standards for salmon farming, covering grow-out sites and smolt suppliers. The standards are organized into seven principles: legal compliance, biodiversity conservation, protection of wild populations, resource efficiency, disease and parasite management, social responsibility, and community engagement. Key requirements include strict limits on escapes, the use of area-based management for sea lice, restrictions on transgenic species, and the phase-out of open net-pen smolt production. The standards will be implemented by the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) through third-party certification.

The document examines the role of safeguards in REDD+ to prevent social and environmental harm and to generate 'multiple benefits' such as poverty alleviation and biodiversity conservation. It analyzes various international standards, reviews how countries integrate these into Readiness Preparation Proposals (R-PPs), and discusses the challenges of creating a cost-effective, transparent information-sharing system that respects national sovereignty while ensuring accountability.

The report analyzes rural development in Vietnam through a conceptual lens of co-governance and stakeholder agency. It examines the transition from a centrally planned economy to a market socialist system, highlighting how local actors—including farmers, ethnic minorities, and NGOs—negotiate, adapt, or bypass state policies to secure their livelihoods. Through case studies on flood management, tea production, national park conservation, forest allocation, and mangrove rehabilitation, the document demonstrates a persistent gap between top-down legislative frameworks and local realities. It concludes that while the state has introduced initiatives like the Grass roots Democracy Decree to increase participation, implementation remains often formalistic. The authors advocate for a shift toward 'epistemic resilience' and social learning to reconcile conflicting interests between economic development, environmental sustainability, and local livelihoods.

The document argues that carbon markets offer indigenous communities opportunities for economic development aligned with sustainable forest management, provided that governments ensure free, prior and informed consent and protect land and carbon rights. It highlights a global lack of effort to involve indigenous peoples in carbon market policy and notes a specific information void regarding First Nations in Canada.

A coalition of 13 NGOs argues that the Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Act (MPRDA) provides an inferior environmental regulatory regime compared to the National Environmental Management Act (NEMA). They call for the integration of mining under NEMA to ensure comprehensive environmental impact assessments, better public participation, and higher penalties for non-compliance. The submission also requests specific safeguards for environmentally sensitive areas and improved public access to mining application documents.

The Magaliesberg Protection Association (MPA) is pursuing a judicial review in the Mafikeng High Court to overturn the MEC's decision to allow the 'rectification' of the Kgaswane Country Lodge, a ± 50 bedroom hotel built illegally in a 'highly sensitive' area of the Magaliesberg Protected Environment. Despite an unsuccessful application for an interdict to stop construction, the MPA argues that the approval violates the area's Environmental Management Framework and sets a dangerous precedent for other illegal developments. The legal process has cost approximately R260,000 to date, with an estimated total cost of R400,000, funded by donations and guarantees from hiking and mountaineering clubs.

The document argues that protecting critical biodiversity and hydrological areas from mining is in the national interest and essential for climate change mitigation and adaptation. It proposes a list of areas for total prohibition and a set of procedural restrictions for other sensitive zones to improve decision-making and environmental oversight.

The report finds that Natura 2000 impact assessments in Estonia are generally of poor quality, with most EIA reports failing to meet EU requirements. A survey of experts reveals significant gaps in available baseline data, particularly regarding the 'favourable conservation status' of species and habitats, and a lack of specialized ecological expertise among licensed EIA practitioners.

The document outlines four decades of activism by Friends of the Earth International, highlighting specific successes in banning commercial whaling in Spain, prohibiting open-pit mining in Costa Rica, and establishing the first climate change law in the UK. It details diverse campaigns against coal power in Germany, oil pollution in Nigeria, and genetically modified organisms in Europe, while emphasizing the role of grassroots mobilization and legal action in achieving environmental protections and human rights.

This report highlights the achievements of Friends of the Earth International (FoEI) over four decades, detailing specific campaigns against extractive industries, pollution, and unsustainable development. It documents legal victories, such as the ban on open-pit mining in Costa Rica and the recognition of water as a human right in Uruguay, as well as grassroots successes in reforestation in Belgium and the protection of eucalyptus forests in Australia. The text emphasizes the role of international solidarity and legal action in challenging neoliberal globalization and protecting the rights of indigenous peoples and local communities.

The manual defines Conflict-Sensitive Conservation (CSC) as the programming and execution of conservation actions that account for the causes, actors, and impacts of conflict. It outlines a three-step organizational process: assessing institutional capacity, assigning human resources (such as a CSC Champion and Team), and adopting guiding principles. For field projects, it details a two-step operational process: conducting a conflict analysis using tools like conflict trees, conflict maps, and stakeholder profiles, and subsequently designing and monitoring CSC solutions. The guide emphasizes that conservation can either inadvertently fuel conflict—by restricting resource access or creating unequal benefit distribution—or support peace by addressing root causes of environmental degradation and fostering cooperation.