Community and Participatory Monitoring
Forest carbon in Amazonia: the unrecognized contribution of indigenous territories and protected natural areasBackgroundAmazonia stores an estimated 80–120 Pg of aboveground carbon, and changes in this stock have global climate implications. Indigenous territories (ITs) and protected natural areas (PNAs) together cover roughly one-third to one-half of the Amazon region, yet their specific contribution to maintaining forest carbon has often been overlooked in regional mitigation discussions. Quantifying their role is important for designing REDD+, climate finance, and land rights policies that reflect on-the-ground conservation performance. Open access copy available |
Enhancing climate change mitigation in protected areasBackgroundProtected areas (PAs) cover roughly 15–17% of the Earth’s land surface and contain a large share of remaining intact ecosystems, many of which store high densities of carbon. With global terrestrial ecosystems absorbing about 3 GtC yr⁻¹, understanding how much of this sink is associated with PAs is important for integrating biodiversity and climate strategies. However, evidence on PA effectiveness for carbon protection, across thousands of sites and multiple biomes, is dispersed and unevenly synthesized. Open access copy available |
Regulating Green Finance and Managing Environmental Risks in the Conditions of Global UncertaintyBackgroundThis paper examines how growing global uncertainty, driven by geopolitical tensions, economic fragmentation, climate risks, and declining international cooperation, increases the environmental, energy, and socio-economic risks confronting countries. In this context, green finance is a strategic tool to support sustainable development and strengthen resilience; however, the green finance landscape remains highly fragmented, with uneven regulatory frameworks, large disparities between developed and developing countries, and persistent volatility that limits effective environmental risk management. Open access copy available |
Current trends and future directions for integrating social values into mangrove restorationBackgroundDifferent communication styles, governance, and social issues create barriers to successful mangrove forest restoration projects, and may hinder the ability to scale up projects to meet global restoration goals. Incorporating social values and stakeholder preferences into restoration projects can help identify best management practices, promote successful outcomes, and prevent distrust and inequality between restoration practitioners and stakeholders with different needs and perceptions of mangrove forests. Open access copy available |
Indigenous territories and governance of forest restoration in the Xingu River (Brazil)BackgroundOpen access copy available |
Hope for Threatened Tropical Biodiversity: Lessons from the PhilippinesBackgroundOpen access copy available |
Automating violence? The anti-politics of ‘smart technology’ in biodiversity conservationBackgroundBiodiversity conservation initiatives, such as the UN's post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework (30x30), increasingly use smart technologies. Despite recognizing Indigenous and local rights for successful conservation, these initiatives often neglect customary rights and uses. Smart technologies, like AI, camera traps, and drones, enable new surveillance methods. State, private, and corporate actors, including big tech and BINGOs, actively adopt these tools to enhance data access and form smart governance networks. Open access copy available |
Indigenous knowledge and the shackles of wildernessBackgroundOpen access copy available |
Promises and potentials do not grow trees and crops. A review of institutional and policy research in agroforestry for the Southern African regionBACKGROUND:Agroforestry has been recognized for its potential to address land management challenges, improve food security, and support rural livelihoods, but its widespread adoption remains limited. Institutional and policy barriers, including weak coordination among sectors and inadequate incentives, hinder its integration into national and local frameworks. Strengthening policies, institutions, and research on the social and economic dimensions of agroforestry is essential for its successful implementation and long-term impact. Open access copy available |
What works in tropical forest conservation, and what does not: Effectiveness of four strategies in terms of environmental, social, and economic outcomesBackgroundOpen access copy available |
