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The document argues that agricultural management is overly driven by food production, leading to a decline in the ecosystems it depends on. It advocates for an ecosystem-based approach to food security and introduces semantic meta-modelling as a tool to integrate various models and quantify trade-offs between crop yields and regulating services like water quality and climate regulation. Using a case study in the Basque Country, the authors demonstrate that informed farming practices, such as adjusting manure application and reducing tillage, can significantly reduce emissions and nitrate leaching without necessarily compromising winter wheat yields.

The document examines the relationship between environmental justice and the success of conservation strategies, specifically Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES). It argues that ignoring social dimensions—such as distributive equity, recognition of rights, and inclusive decision-making—increases the risk of project failure through social conflict and sabotage, whereas integrating these criteria improves ecological outcomes and long-term efficiency.

The document argues that biodiversity offsets are based on reductionist theories that fail to account for the uniqueness of ecosystems. It identifies multiple types of losses—ecological, normative, and moral—that occur when restoration is used to justify habitat destruction. The authors conclude that 'no net loss' is a false goal and advocate for a 'no more loss' approach combined with multi-criteria evaluation and increased social participation.

The document critiques the 'green growth' paradigm and the financialization of nature, specifically the creation of markets for ecosystem services. It argues that these mechanisms, such as biodiversity offsets and carbon credits, do not stop environmental degradation but instead provide corporations with a 'social license to destroy' by allowing them to compensate for damage in one area by protecting another. The report highlights the negative impacts on Indigenous territories, the failure of existing offset programs in the EU and Australia, and the risk of 'devaluation' when economic priorities shift, as seen in Costa Rica. It concludes that these financial tools are instruments for capital accumulation and cost reduction rather than genuine ecological protection.

The document critiques the 'Green Economy' and 'green growth' frameworks, asserting that they redefine nature as a collection of 'ecosystem services' to create new financial markets. It argues that these markets, particularly biodiversity and carbon offsets, serve as cost-cutting tools for corporations to bypass environmental regulations and maintain industrial production. The report highlights the risks to indigenous and traditional communities, including loss of territorial control and the imposition of opaque contracts. It provides examples of failed offsetting programs in the EU, Australia, Brazil, and Namibia, concluding that financialization is a 'false solution' that exacerbates ecological crises.

The IAI activities plan for 2015-2016 focuses on completing a tripartite institutional structure across Argentina, Brazil, and Uruguay, while advancing interdisciplinary research and capacity building. Key initiatives include a small grants call on ecosystem services in adaptation, professional development seminars in Colombia and Panama, and the development of four global environmental change seminars for 2016-2018. The institute also continues its engagement with IPBES and the UNFCCC SBSTA process.

The briefing outlines the 'From Farms to Regions' project, which used a participatory framework and the Envision geospatial modelling platform to develop climate adaptation strategies for southeastern Ontario. By engaging stakeholders and analysts, the project identified key drivers of change—climate change, markets, and governance—and created five future scenarios (Business-as-Usual, Targeting foreign markets, Promoting the bioeconomy, Moving towards greener agriculture, and Living locally). These scenarios were used to quantify impacts on land use and environmental indicators, leading to the identification of over 50 adaptation actions clustered into farm-level changes, new insurance mechanisms, ecosystem service support, information tools, and public education. The document concludes with a framework for monitoring the integration of these adaptation measures into cross-sectoral policy and planning.

The document outlines a framework for mainstreaming climate change adaptation by combining stakeholder engagement with quantitative spatial modelling. Using the 'Farms to Regions' (F2R) project in Eastern Ontario as a case study, it describes a process of identifying regional drivers, developing qualitative and quantitative scenarios (including a Business-As-Usual baseline), and simulating these futures using the Envision modelling platform. The guide emphasizes the use of integrated decision units (IDUs) to map impacts on farm income and environmental services, providing a toolkit for planners to evaluate trade-offs and develop robust adaptation strategies.

The CADWAGO final workshop in Sassari, Italy, brought together 35 researchers and practitioners to discuss systemic water governance and climate adaptation. The event featured project findings on governance praxis and co-learning, external perspectives on catchment management in the UK and disaster management in Australia, and a field visit to Arborea, Sardinia. A central highlight was 'La Rasgioni' (the water court), a traditional conflict resolution process used to facilitate dialogue between dairy farmers and institutional authorities regarding nitrate pollution. Participants concluded that effective water governance requires moving beyond traditional stakeholder participation toward conscious co-learning and systemic designs that reconcile conflicting interests.

The document examines the challenges facing the subaks of Bali—traditional farmers' organizations managing irrigation and water temples—following the 2012 UNESCO World Heritage Site inscription. It highlights a disconnect between the initial nomination vision and the actual implementation, which has been hindered by bureaucratic hurdles and the exclusion of key local stakeholders. The brief identifies critical threats to the landscape's viability, including the high cost of rituals, water scarcity, land conversion driven by high taxes, and a shift toward intensive farming. It argues that the existing democratic governance of the subaks, exemplified by the Forum Pekaseh Catur Angga Batukaru, provides a foundation for a successful farmer-led management system. The author recommends implementing the UNESCO-approved management plan, establishing a comprehensive regency-level management body, and meaningfully engaging subak leaders to ensure the long-term preservation of the living cultural landscape.

The document examines the struggle to implement a participatory management system for Bali's UNESCO World Heritage cultural landscape. It highlights that while the Subak (traditional farmer organisations) possess the democratic organisational capacity to manage the land, they face existential threats from high ritual costs, water scarcity, land conversion, and a lack of youth interest in farming. The brief argues that successful preservation requires moving away from top-down bureaucracy toward a model that actively integrates Subak leadership and addresses the economic viability of traditional organic farming.

The document examines the integration of ecosystem-based adaptation (EbA) and community-based adaptation (CbA) through the EU-funded EcoAdapt project. By utilizing the Model Forests approach in Bolivia, Argentina, and Chile, the project sought to develop long-term climate adaptation strategies for water resources. The integration aims to combine the protection of biodiversity and ecosystem services with the empowerment of local communities to identify their own needs. Key benefits identified include increased community ownership, a better understanding of socio-ecological interconnections, and a more holistic view of large-scale environmental processes. However, the project faced challenges such as waning community motivation, inclusive participation gaps—specifically with cattle ranchers in Bolivia—and instabilities within the public sector. The briefing concludes that successful up-scaling requires a socio-ecological systems approach, secure finance, supportive public policies, and the development of accessible tools for local actors.

The document argues that traditional techno-economic approaches to energy access are insufficient and proposes an ecosystem services lens to better understand how biomass use affects human welfare and the environment. It details three primary research methodologies: demand-side surveys, supply and value chain analysis, and economic modeling of consumer choice, with a particular focus on the charcoal sector in sub-Saharan Africa.

The Living Blue Planet Report 2015 documents a 49% decline in global marine vertebrate populations between 1970 and 2012. It highlights critical losses in key habitats, including over half of reef-building corals in tropical reefs over 30 years and nearly 20% of mangrove cover between 1980 and 2005. The report identifies overfishing, climate change, pollution, and extractive industries as primary drivers of this degradation. It emphasizes the socio-economic risks, noting that nearly 3 billion people rely on fish as a major protein source and that the ocean generates at least US$2.5 trillion in annual economic benefits. The document advocates for the 'One Planet Perspective' framework, which includes expanding Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) to 30% to potentially generate up to US$920 billion by 2050.

The WWF Nedbank Green Trust funds catalytic environmental projects in South Africa, offering up to R 3 million over three years for solutions that can scale to national impact. The Trust focuses on seven key areas: freshwater, marine, species of special concern, environmental leadership, outstanding places (Fynbos, Succulent Karoo, Grasslands, Maputaland Pondoland), community empowerment, and climate change. Applications are screened for innovation, transferability, and alignment with WWF-SA's strategic goals, with a strong preference for projects developed in partnership with WWF SA programme managers.

The document analyzes the governance of the Cubango-Okavango River Basin through OKACOM, highlighting how a strong institutional framework and political trust among Angola, Namibia, and Botswana have enabled 20 years of co-operation. It identifies challenges such as climate change, population growth, and asymmetrical economic benefits, recommending the adoption of economic water accounting and benefit-sharing mechanisms to sustain the basin's ecological integrity.

The document critiques the process of 'financialization of nature,' which it describes as the reduction of natural elements into exchangeable financial instruments. It argues that pricing biodiversity is a prerequisite for this process, leading to the creation of 'natural capital' and market-based mechanisms like biodiversity banks and green bonds. The author contends that these tools, particularly those based on 'offsetting,' allow corporations to continue destructive activities by purchasing credits, thereby bypassing genuine conservation and violating the rights of traditional land defenders. The paper advocates for community-based governance and food sovereignty as alternatives to neoliberal market logic.

The Responsible Alternative Fibers Assessment Methodology (RAFAM) is a risk-screening tool developed by WWF to identify environmental and social impacts of non-wood fiber crops. It employs a two-step process: an initial screening of 24 key issue areas followed by detailed additional guidance for any identified risks. The methodology covers site inventory, ecological integrity, environmental impacts, and social-political considerations, aiming to establish an aspirational benchmark for 'ideal' alternative fiber feedstocks that are renewable, legally sourced, and socially beneficial.

The report highlights the vulnerability of Colombia's road infrastructure to weather-related stressors, particularly floods and landslides, which are expected to increase in intensity and frequency due to climate change. It emphasizes the high risk to the Andean Region and the need for transportation planners to integrate climate risks, land-use changes, and institutional coordination into future investments to ensure sustainable economic development.

The report examines the intersections of climate change, agriculture, and development, focusing on how conceptual frameworks inform interventions in the agriculture sector. It highlights the tension between the need for increased agricultural productivity and the preservation of ecosystem services, which are defined as "the benefits people obtain from ecosystems". The work is part of a broader project investigating the application of climate compatible development (CCD) principles within agricultural research and advisory services in Africa.