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The document outlines a Wetland Rapid Assessment (RVA) methodology designed for the Upper Chindwin River Basin. It provides a structured approach to collecting basic site data, mapping vegetation, and assessing ecosystem services using the RAWES toolkit. The manual includes criteria for identifying wetlands of international importance based on Ramsar standards and a detailed framework for evaluating threats, such as pollution, invasive species, and climate change. It also specifies protocols for surveying wildlife, specifically mammals and birds, to inform Conservation Action Plans (CAPs).

The document outlines the Project Finance for Permanence (PFP) model, a holistic approach designed to secure policy changes and full funding for large-scale conservation goals over a long-term timeframe. It details a five-phase development process—identification, assessment, readiness, design, and implementation—and emphasizes the necessity of a shared vision, a robust financial model, and independent fund administration. The guide provides specific case studies from Brazil (ARPA for Life), Colombia (Heritage Colombia), and Peru (Peru’s Natural Legacy), illustrating how transition funds and sustainable financing mechanisms are used to move from donor dependency to national financial sustainability.

The document outlines the Project Finance for Permanence (PFP) model, a holistic approach to securing long-term ecological, social, political, organizational, and financial sustainability for conservation areas. It details a five-phase process—identification, evaluation, preparation, design, and implementation—and emphasizes the need for a shared vision, a robust financial model, and independent fund management. The guide provides specific case studies from the Amazon Sustainable Landscapes Program, including ARPA for Life in Brazil, Herencia Colombia, and Patrimonio Natural del Perú, illustrating how these frameworks are applied to protect millions of hectares of biodiversity.

The report finds that nature-based infrastructure (NBI) is significantly more cost-effective than traditional grey infrastructure, potentially saving USD 248 billion annually if it replaced 11.4% of global infrastructure needs. NBI also generates 28% more value than grey alternatives, contributing an additional USD 489 billion in annual value through ecosystem services. The study highlights that traditional valuations often overlook these benefits, leading to a default reliance on grey infrastructure and missed opportunities to address climate and biodiversity crises.

The manual details a seven-step methodology for Rapid Village Assessments (RVAs) in the Upper Chindwin River region to support the 'Community-based integrated catchment management for conserving the Upper Chindwin River' project. The process involves collecting contextual data, village profiles, sketch mapping, and assessing ecosystem services using the RAWES toolkit. It also includes identifying threats based on Ramsar typologies and conducting rapid surveys for reptiles and birds. The ultimate goal is to short-list priority wetlands for community management and feed data into Community Action Plans (CAP) for sustainable agricultural, mining, and water management practices.

The Chindwin River Basin in northwest Myanmar is a highly biodiverse region facing habitat loss and species decline due to economic development and climate change. The document argues that conservation success depends on community buy-in and recommends a community-based natural resource management approach. It evaluates three conservation models—National Parks, Ramsar Wetlands, and Biosphere Reserves—noting that Biosphere Reserves are the most inclusive. While Myanmar has legal frameworks like the Conservation of Biodiversity and Protected Areas Law of 2018, implementation is hindered by poor governance, lack of funding, and a failure to recognize customary land rights. The brief recommends enhancing coordination between government levels, prioritizing biodiversity for livelihood enhancement, and formally recognizing customary resource rights.

The report argues that community lands, managed by Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IPLCs), are critical for climate mitigation due to their ability to sequester carbon and maintain biodiversity. Despite managing approximately half of the world's land, only 10% is legally recognized. The document provides evidence that secure land tenure leads to lower deforestation rates compared to state-managed lands and is a cost-effective mitigation strategy. However, these lands face increasing threats from illegal mining, drug trafficking, and land grabbing, while land defenders face rising violence. The report concludes that international climate finance significantly underserves IPLCs and calls for governments to prioritize legal land titling and the protection of environmental defenders.

The document argues that community lands, which cover approximately half of the world's land, are critical for carbon sequestration and biodiversity. It highlights that secure land tenure for IPLCs leads to lower deforestation rates and more effective climate mitigation than state-managed areas, often at a lower cost. However, the report notes that most community land lacks legal recognition, IPLCs receive less than 1% of official development assistance for climate change, and land defenders face increasing violence. It recommends securing land rights, improving law enforcement, and directing international climate funds toward IPLC-led management.

The mid-term evaluation of the GEF6-PdP project indicates a satisfactory overall performance, with significant achievements in operationalizing the wider Patrimonio Natural del Perú (PdP) Initiative and strengthening institutional capacities within SERNANP. The project has successfully signed a Single Close Agreement (MoU) and identified seven key financial mechanisms to diversify revenue streams. However, the evaluation highlights critical gaps in inter-sectoral coordination, the lack of a formal participation strategy for local and indigenous communities, and delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. While institutional ownership is high, the project's sustainability is threatened by political instability and a lack of a national sustainable financing policy. The evaluation recommends prioritizing the update of SERNANP's Strategic Plan and developing a more robust, participatory methodology for stakeholder engagement.

The ARIES for SEEA Explorer is an AI-powered, open-source tool that enables rapid, standardized, and customizable natural capital accounting globally. By utilizing machine reasoning and a semantic web of data, it allows National Statistical Offices (NSOs) and other users to generate ecosystem accounts for any terrestrial area, reducing technical barriers for data-scarce countries while allowing for local customization. The tool supports monitoring for the SDGs, the Paris Climate Agreement, and the post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework.

The study evaluates seven LULC products—CORINE, S2GLC, LUCAS, a LUCAS-based Landsat map, SIOSE, SIGPAC, and a custom Landsat/CORINE map—for the El Mijares watershed. It finds that no single product provides all necessary LULC details, with raster maps showing only 45.5% overall spatial consistency. While CORINE offers the longest time-series, the authors suggest that extending a Landsat/CORINE approach to the full Landsat series is the most suitable for long-term watershed analysis.

The report analyzes the regulatory framework for forest compensation in Brazil, finding that most state laws are outdated and prioritize raw material supply over ecosystem services. It recommends updating legislation to align with the 2012 Forest Code, adopting 'no net loss of habitat' principles, and improving the transparency and governance of restoration funds and monitoring systems.

The document advocates for the use of Other Effective area-based Conservation Measures (OECMs) in Africa to bridge the gap between biodiversity protection and community livelihoods. It highlights that while traditional protected areas often displaced local populations, OECMs allow for diverse governance—including community and private partnerships—that can deliver both conservation and economic gains. Through case studies in South Africa and Kenya, the briefing demonstrates how these models can generate income via tourism, sustainable ranching, and ecosystem services. It concludes that African governments should collectively advocate for community-centred conservation in the post-2020 global biodiversity framework, provided that rights-based approaches, innovative financing, and context-specific research are prioritised to avoid elite capture and ensure equitable benefit distribution.

The document introduces the Sustainable Asset Valuation (SAVi) methodology, a simulation-based tool designed to calculate environmental, social, governance, and climate risks, as well as externalities in infrastructure projects. It details the three-pronged modelling approach—system dynamics, project finance, and spatially explicit models—to provide a more comprehensive cost-benefit analysis than traditional financial valuations. The report provides sector-specific examples (energy, buildings, roads, wastewater, irrigation, and natural infrastructure) and outlines how these modules can be integrated into Indonesia's Vision 2045 (IV2045) system dynamics model to bridge top-down national strategy with bottom-up project implementation.

The report argues that GDP is an insufficient measure of national well-being because it ignores the depletion of assets and favors short-term gains. It advocates for 'comprehensive wealth' measurement, which tracks five capital types: produced, financial, natural, human, and social capital. The document reviews global initiatives from organizations like the World Bank, UNEP, and OECD, noting that while human and produced capital have generally grown, natural capital is declining globally, particularly in developing countries. It concludes that comprehensive wealth accounts are essential for building resilience to climate change and achieving the UN 2030 Agenda's Sustainable Development Goals, specifically SDG 17.

The study identifies saline lakes as critical aquatic resources that support a high number of threatened species but remain underrepresented in policy and research. Based on a survey of 47 international experts, the research finds that lake size and remoteness are the primary determinants of the provision of multiple ecosystem services. The author argues that the climate crisis and resource exploitation are exacerbating the natural variability of these lakes, necessitating protective strategies and adaptive management to prevent complete degradation.

The research paper explores the concept of a restoration economy in Africa, focusing on the South African 'Working for Wetlands' programme. It identifies key enablers for success, such as linking restoration to poverty relief and vocational training, while noting constraints like bureaucratic rigidity and over-reliance on public funding. The author argues that for Africa to 'build back better' post-COVID-19, ecological restoration must be integrated into development planning and funded by the production sectors (mining, agriculture, forestry) that impact ecosystems, moving toward a circular economy model.

The STeP Fellowship Program, managed by the IAI, focuses on bridging the gap between science and policy in Latin America and the Caribbean. Between July 2020 and June 2021, the program conducted 20 virtual training sessions and established a joint inter-American group of 20 fellows with Mitacs Canada and AAAS. Current cohorts focus on sustainable agriculture in Argentina and sustainable cities in Mexico, with plans to expand into biodiversity and disaster risk mitigation. The program also seeks strategic partnerships, including negotiations with Chile's National Congress and the US Embassy in Peru.

The document details a participatory process to define a subnational bioeconomy for Valle del Cauca, Colombia, focusing on the agricultural, agro-industrial, and nature tourism sectors. It proposes a transition toward 'bioresource' and 'bioecology' visions that balance economic growth with environmental sustainability and social inclusion. The resulting roadmap emphasizes the need for a multi-actor governance scheme, targeted financial incentives for circularity, and critical infrastructure improvements in rural transport and basic services to enable the processing of biological resources.

The document argues that while nature-based solutions (NbS) are increasingly integrated into global climate and biodiversity policies, there is a critical lack of research and reflection on their social and economic sustainability. It highlights risks such as 'green gentrification,' where market-driven NbS prioritize high-income groups and displace vulnerable populations. The authors note a significant geographic imbalance in NbS research, which is dominated by high-income countries despite the high vulnerability of Small Island Developing States and lower-income countries. Financially, NbS receive a small fraction of total climate finance, with challenges including the difficulty of comparing NbS costs to 'grey' infrastructure and a lack of private sector incentives for adaptation. Finally, the document addresses the complexities of 'scaling-up' NbS, noting that misinterpreting spatial, temporal, and institutional scales can lead to suboptimal outcomes for human-environmental systems.