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This executive summary describes an economic valuation of ecosystem services within the proposed Pimachiowin Aki World Heritage site, conducted by the International Institute for Sustainable Development to support a UNESCO application. The assessment aims to demonstrate that the site's natural state provides higher value than current economic activity suggests, focusing on services such as carbon sequestration, air and water filtration, and recreation.

This research paper examines the gap between the availability of climate change impact assessment tools and their actual integration into water management decision-making processes in California. The authors propose using a '3S' standard (Sensitivity, Significance, and Stakeholder support) to identify and engage with the most critical decision-making processes to move climate research into policy application.

This report, prepared by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) for Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC), develops a conceptual methodology called the 'Impact Pathway approach' to value changes in agri-environmental indicators. The report tests this methodology on five specific indicators: Risk of Water Erosion, Risk of Water Contamination by Phosphorus, GHG Emissions, Energy Use Efficiency, and Wildlife Habitat Availability. It identifies critical data gaps, particularly in transport modelling for water-related indicators, and explores linkages between these valuations and integrated economic-environmental modelling and social indicators.

This research paper, written for Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada by the International Institute for Sustainable Development, examines the conceptual and methodological frameworks for full cost accounting (FCA) in agriculture. It defines FCA as the process of valuing environmental and social costs and benefits external to the market, aiming to provide policy makers and farmers with better information for decision-making. The document details various valuation methods—including market-based, circumstantial, and survey-based approaches—and discusses ecosystem frameworks like those from the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment. It applies these theories to case studies in the UK, Japan, and other regions to illustrate how agricultural externalities, such as water pollution and biodiversity loss, can be quantified.

The 'Regional Research Call – Africa START' document outlines a funding initiative managed by the Climate and Development Knowledge Network (CDKN) to support research on 'Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security' across Africa. The program focuses on the sustainability of ecosystem services, aiming to provide policy-relevant research, build regional research capacity, and facilitate knowledge sharing. The call is co-financed by the US National Science Foundation and the Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS) programme.

This document is an affidavit by David Carlyle Le Maitre, a principal researcher at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), submitted to the Water Tribunal. It provides expert testimony on the identification and importance of Strategic Water Source Areas (SWSAs) in South Africa, specifically addressing the impact of the proposed Yzermyn underground coal mine on the Enkangala Drakensberg surface water SWSA.

This guide provides a framework for integrating biodiversity and ecosystem services into the mining life cycle in South Africa. It details the application of the mitigation hierarchy—avoidance, minimisation, rehabilitation, and offsetting—across various stages of mining, from reconnaissance to decommissioning and closure. The document emphasizes the role of Environmental Management Programmes (EMPs) and the necessity of robust financial provision for environmental remediation, particularly when operating in biodiversity priority areas.

This responding statement, submitted by the Centre for Environmental Rights on behalf of eight appellants, challenges the Department of Mineral Resources' (DMR) approval of the Environmental Management Programme (EMPR) for Atha-Africa Ventures (Pty) Ltd's proposed Yzermyn mine. The appellants argue that the approved EMPR authorizes an environmentally destructive discard dump, ignores extensive government conservation policies for the area, and contains woefully inadequate financial provisions for rehabilitation.

Expert affidavit by Susan Brownlie regarding the proposed expansion of the Tormin Mine by Mineral Sands Resources (Pty) Ltd. The document argues that the expansion poses significant, potentially irreversible risks to a Critical Biodiversity Area (CBA) and an important ecological corridor, asserting that proposed mitigation measures—specifically rehabilitation and 'search and rescue' of species—are inadequate and scientifically unsupported for the Namaqualand Strandveld vegetation type.

This guide outlines the criteria and risk assessments for mining activities within high-importance biodiversity priority areas. It establishes a rigorous set of filters and a risk-averse approach to determine if mining is an optimal land use compared to the preservation of critical ecosystems and water resources.

This fact sheet from the Climate Policy Initiative argues that protecting the Amazon is essential for Brazil's economic growth and demonstrates that anti-deforestation policies are effective without harming agricultural production.

This annex outlines the role of the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) in the Belmont Forum Collaborative Research Action (CRA) on Transdisciplinary Research for Pathways to Sustainability. While the IAI is not providing financial support for this phase, it is offering in-kind contributions through network facilitation, capacity building, and coordination with its 19 member Parties in the Americas.

This Letter of Agreement establishes a flexible framework for collaboration between the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) and the Brazilian Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (BPBES). The primary focus of the agreement is to create synergies between the BPBES Voluntary Young Researcher Program (VYRP) and the IAI Science, Technology and Policy (STeP) Fellowship program to bridge the gap between scientific research and policy-making regarding global environmental change.

This fact sheet outlines a research project led by the Universidad del Valle de Guatemala to examine the costs, benefits, and environmental impacts of certification seals, fair trade programs, and organic production for small coffee producers in Central America facing climate change.

This fact sheet describes research supported by the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) on the ecosystem services provided by phytoplankton, specifically their role in oxygen production and carbon sequestration, and the efforts of the Antares Network to monitor these processes across Latin America.

This research paper describes the BEST-P initiative, a project supported by the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) that examines the relationship between territorial arrangement plans and ecosystem services in three South American ecosystems. The project, involving 23 researchers from nine institutions across five countries, aims to integrate the concept of ecosystem services into land use planning to balance conservation with agricultural productivity.

This report by the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research examines the challenges of managing scientific information on climate change and biodiversity conservation in the Andean region. It argues that a gap exists between scientific data and political decision-making, proposing the implementation of National Environmental Information Systems and the integration of traditional local knowledge to improve climate adaptation and sustainable development.

The Science Diplomacy Center (SDC) is a regional initiative launched by the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) to strengthen the interface between science and policy in the Americas. The Center aims to provide government officials and experts with the tools and knowledge necessary to address transboundary global change challenges, such as climate change and biodiversity loss, through multinational collaboration and capacity building.

The Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) activity plan for July 2015 to June 2016 details institutional restructuring, research initiatives focused on ecosystem services and adaptation, and a series of capacity-building seminars across Latin America and the Caribbean.

The IAI Directorate Report for July 2014 - May 2015 details the institute's efforts to integrate science and policy, manage collaborative research networks, and expand capacity building across the Americas. Key activities include the 'Lima 2014 Declaration on Biodiversity and Climate Change', the establishment of the Science-Policy Advisory Committee (SPAC), and the management of the CRN3 and SGP-CRA research programs.