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The Arctic Resilience Interim Report 2013 provides a framework for understanding the interdependence of Arctic social and ecological systems. It identifies biophysical thresholds—such as sea-ice loss and permafrost degradation—and social thresholds that threaten the well-being of indigenous and non-indigenous peoples. The report emphasizes that resilience is not merely the ability to maintain a state but includes the capacity for adaptation and transformation. It highlights the critical role of traditional knowledge and the need for adaptive governance to manage the cumulative impacts of climate change, industrial development, and geopolitical shifts.

The document argues that traditional, linear agricultural extension systems in sub-Saharan Africa are failing due to a decline in extension workers and an inability to address climate change threats. It proposes a shift toward mobile ICT-based systems that allow for two-way communication between research institutions and farmers, integrating both scientific and traditional knowledge. A case study of the Lifelong Learning for Farmers (L3F) programme in Kabale, Uganda, demonstrates how SMS and voice-based services (using Freedom Fone software) can improve crop yields and market access. The briefing highlights that for these services to be sustainable and scalable, they must address literacy through voice services, build trust via local dialects, and establish viable business models or public-private partnerships to manage costs.

The report finds that Suriname lacks legal recognition for indigenous and tribal peoples as collectivities, leaving their traditional land and resource rights unprotected. This legal vacuum allows the state to issue extractive concessions and establish protected areas without the free, prior, and informed consent of local communities, often criminalizing traditional subsistence activities. While the Inter-American Court of Human Rights has issued landmark rulings, such as the Saramaka case, requiring the recognition of collective titles and juridical personality, the report concludes that the Surinamese government has failed to implement these mandates, maintaining a discriminatory legal environment that undermines both human rights and biodiversity conservation.

The document examines the systemic lack of legal recognition for Indigenous and Community Conserved Areas (TICCAs) in Chile. It argues that the Chilean state prioritizes individual property and extractivist economic models over communal indigenous land rights, often criminalizing social protests. While international instruments like ILO Convention 169 and the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples are ratified, their domestic implementation is described as precarious. The report highlights a tension between state-managed protected areas—which often exclude indigenous populations—and community-led initiatives like the Mapu Lahual and Quinquén projects. It concludes that deep legal reforms are necessary to transition from an exclusionary 'Yellowstone model' of conservation to one based on shared governance and the restitution of ancestral lands.

The report examines the tension between India's centralized conservation laws, such as the Wild Life (Protection) Act 1972, and the rights of forest-dependent communities. It highlights the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act 2006 (FRA) as a critical tool for securing community tenure and management rights. The document details various types of CCAs, including sacred groves and community-managed forests, while criticizing the 'ecodevelopment' model and the lack of legal recognition for marine and wetland conservation initiatives. It concludes with recommendations for legal reforms to prioritize site-specific, decentralized governance and the recognition of customary laws.

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 document examines how community protocols and FPIC processes empower indigenous and local communities to protect their land, resources, and traditional knowledge. Through various case studies in countries such as India, Peru, Ghana, and Cameroon, it argues that these tools are most effective when they are bottom-up processes designed and controlled by the communities themselves rather than imposed top-down by governments or corporations. The report highlights the role of the Nagoya Protocol and the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples in providing international legal support for these tools, while noting that national implementation often remains inadequate.

The document argues that African agriculture must transition to 'climate-smart' models to combat projected yield losses of up to 50% by 2020. Using Kenya as a case study, it highlights several low-cost innovations: greenhouse agriculture combined with drip irrigation to reduce water use; rainwater harvesting from rock outcrops; the adoption of drought-resistant cassava varieties; the use of alternative indigenous fodders like acacia pods and tubers for livestock; and the implementation of Plastic Tubular Digester (PTD) biogas technology to reduce deforestation and energy costs. The briefing emphasizes that scaling these innovations requires moving beyond pilot projects through 'bankable projects' that attract microfinance, promoting participatory action research via National Agricultural Research Systems (NARS), and leveraging farmers' groups for capacity building.

The briefing note introduces a simplified assessment framework, based on the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment and community insights from Bloodvein and Poplar River First Nations, to link boreal environmental products, services, and benefits to community health, livelihoods, and social relations. It highlights how local pressures, such as over-stressing immediate environments and climate-driven changes to ice roads and water filtration, impact community security. The framework is intended to inform natural resource development, northern strategies, and climate adaptation planning in Canada's North.

The report argues for a 'symbiosis' of indigenous wisdom and scientific data to build community resilience in Central America. It details the holistic worldview of indigenous peoples, who view climate change as a result of human imbalance with 'Mother Earth'. The study provides a synergy model linking biodiversity, DRR, and CC, and documents success stories where traditional knowledge—such as interpreting natural indicators or using ancestral seeds—effectively mitigated disaster impacts. It concludes that indigenous peoples must be treated as active stakeholders and decision-makers in public policy rather than mere objects of projects.

The document details WWF's progress in operationalizing its indigenous peoples' policy through the creation of focal point networks, the adoption of new social policies on poverty and human rights, and the establishment of the Social Development for Conservation (SD4C) team. It highlights specific country-level initiatives in regions such as the Amazon, Central Africa, and Southeast Asia, while noting that the implementation of an internal complaints resolution process remains a priority for 2011.

The document details a workshop held at the Stockholm Resilience Centre involving approximately 35 participants. It examines social learning across four primary domains: natural resource management, climate change adaptation, social learning platforms, and the intersection of education and society. The proceedings highlight the definitional complexity of 'social learning', the influence of power dynamics, and the challenges of measuring learning outcomes in time-bound participatory projects. Key discussions emphasize the need for multi-level learning to build adaptive capacity in social-ecological systems and the role of 'shadow spaces' in facilitating international governance.

The report assesses the integration of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) in Manitoba's First Nations schools, highlighting a disconnect between federal funding bodies and the UN DESD framework. While there is strong local interest and provincial leadership from Manitoba Education, the lack of federal policy and funding from Indian and Northern Affairs Canada (INAC) results in sporadic implementation. The report recommends a federal strategy for ESD in First Nations schools, using Manitoba as a pilot province.

The document outlines a framework for climate adaptation information needs, categorised by the type of policy response. Responsive planning requires basic climatology, impact assessments, and logistics data to manage immediate disasters. Proactive planning necessitates long-term science-based projections, GIS-based risk maps, and population dynamics to reduce future risks. Robust planning demands inter-agency coordination, the integration of traditional and scientific knowledge, and the use of worst-case scenarios to inform legislation. The author emphasizes a multi-stakeholder approach involving governments, local communities, NGOs, and meteorological services to ensure effective resource allocation and resilience.

The briefing emphasizes that climate adaptation is a governance challenge requiring the active participation of vulnerable populations and civil society to avoid top-down failures. It advocates for community-based adaptation, the integration of traditional and scientific knowledge, and the necessity of developed countries fulfilling their historic responsibility to support developing nations. The author highlights the need for transparent, centralized government processes that align diverse sectors—such as agriculture and environment—to build resilience and protect livelihoods.

The document argues that traditional knowledge (TK) is often viewed as a commodity in Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS) agreements, which can erode the biocultural relationships and spiritual values of indigenous and local communities (ILCs). To counter this, the authors propose a 'TK Commons'—a system where non-commercial users (such as researchers and students) access knowledge via licenses based on the community's 'biospiritual virtues'. This framework emphasizes reciprocity, non-appropriation, and the continuous growth of a knowledge community rather than individual ownership. The report details a potential online licensing system to manage these interactions, ensure enduring recognition of source communities, and facilitate the flow of new research back to the ILCs.

The document examines the risks of 'TRIPS-plus' intellectual property standards being imposed on SADC countries through EPAs, using the CARIFORUM EPA as a model. It highlights concerns regarding digital copyright, geographical indications, and stringent enforcement mechanisms that may hinder development and public access to knowledge.

The document reports that pastoral communities in Ethiopia's Borana and Somali zones are facing unprecedented climate variability, including increasing temperatures and drought frequency, which are rendering traditional coping strategies ineffective. It identifies significant barriers to adaptation, such as land degradation, resource conflicts, and limited access to information and financial services. The brief recommends that the Ethiopian government protect pastoral land, improve weather information sharing, and enhance social safety nets. It advises civil society to integrate climate projections into programming and leverage traditional knowledge, while urging international donors to provide funding flexibility for climate emergencies.

The paper examines the tension between EU efforts to include high intellectual property rights (IPR) standards in Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) and the developmental needs of SADC countries. While the SADC interim EPAs currently focus on goods, the author warns that 'TRIPS-plus' provisions—standards exceeding the WTO's TRIPS Agreement—could negatively impact food security, public health, and access to educational materials. The document argues that SADC nations must develop integrated policy frameworks and institutional capacity to manage IPRs and protect genetic resources and traditional knowledge before entering such negotiations.

The document serves as a resource for Saskatchewan's First Nations to navigate environmental assessments (EA), detailing the roles of government, proponents, and communities. It outlines the legal framework of the 'duty to consult' and provides practical strategies for participation, including funding sources and the preparation of Statements of Concern.