Working with Indigenous People and local communities: 8 Lessons from GCBC Research

Research conducted in partnership with Indigenous People and local communities (IPLCs) is increasingly shown to develop stronger, more inclusive understanding of our shared environment. By grounding evidence in local realities and lived experience, such approaches improve the relevance, impact, and resilience of interventions.

At the same time, the relationship between researchers and IPLCs may be characterised by very distinct priorities, significant power imbalances, and different ways of interpreting the world. Recognising this complexity, GCBC invited grant recipients to share their reflections on conducting research with Indigenous Peoples and local communities, in particular highlighting the insights they were gaining in the process.

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Promoting Agroecological Productivity through Smallholder Management in Northern Tanzania

This case study describes the work of the forest and farm producer organisation MVIWAARUSHA in Tanzania and gives recommendations for its improvement. Enterprise development that supports agrobiodiversity, protects intact natural vegetation and develops agroforestry systems is being built through MVIWAARUSHA’s trainings in entrepreneurship.

These efforts are underpinned by inclusive finance mechanisms that reduce the risks of innovation and promote on-farm agro-biodiversity through farmer-led experimentation and seed system strengthening.

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Conserving Ikalahan Agrobiodiversity and Promoting Sustainable Agriculture in the Philippines

This case study documents local knowledge relevant to agrobiodiversity conservation, climate mitigation and prevention of biodiversity loss in Luzon, Philippines. The Indigenous Ikalahan’s biocultural heritage informs traditional practices of crop selection, fallow management, composting and soil fertility maintenance.

By integrating agroforestry and organic farming methods into commercial agriculture, the community aims to protect their ancestral lands while ensuring food security and economic viability. This illustrates how Indigenous communities can adapt to change without losing their ecological and cultural roots

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Global seaweed stock and Marine Protected Area assessments provide potential opportunities to protect wild seaweeds

This Applied Phycology article presents findings from the GlobalSeaweed SUPERSTAR project, led by the Scottish Association for Marine Science, assessing seaweed aquaculture and wild harvesting in relation to biodiversity protection and Marine Protected Areas.

Using global mapping and multi-dataset analysis across 82 countries, the study identifies 261 commercially used species, highlights major gaps in species identification and production reporting, and shows that nearly half of seaweed activities occur within 1 km of MPAs.

With relevance to Indonesia and Malaysia, findings inform strategies to protect wild stocks, strengthen coastal ecosystems, build capacity and improve livelihoods.

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CROSSROADS-SSA Biodiversity Toolkit

This Biodiversity Toolkit from CROSSROADS-SSA, led by the University of Aberdeen, working in Ethiopia, provides standardised field protocols to assess key ecosystem processes, including soil fauna activity, decomposition and nutrient cycling, pest pressure, pollination success and seed predation.

The toolkit strengthens capacity for participatory biodiversity assessment, enabling practitioners and communities to generate comparable data to inform sustainable land management and Nature-based Solutions.

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State of the World’s Seaweeds 2025

The State of the World’s Seaweeds 2025, presented by the Natural History Museum and the Scottish Association for Marine Science, provides a global assessment of seaweed biodiversity, production, trade and sustainability, synthesising ecological and socio-economic evidence to inform conservation and responsible industry growth.

It highlights trends in wild harvesting and aquaculture, pressures on coastal ecosystems, governance gaps, and opportunities to strengthen sustainable management and equitable value chains. The analysis supports improved data systems, policy coherence and investment in climate-resilient seaweed sectors.

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Addressing Research Gaps on the Impacts of Solid Waste and Wastewater on Water Resources in South Africa: Development and application of a method for assessing the effects of wastewater on wetland ecosystem services

This report provides a rapid assessment framework estimating the likelihood of wastewater effects across 15 ecosystem services and demonstrates application at nine wetland sites.

Outputs support prioritisation of management actions and inform national biodiversity assessment and policy on wastewater impacts under data‑limited conditions using probabilistic modelling.

This report has multiple appendices, which are available on request.

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Addressing Research Gaps on the Impacts of Solid Waste and Wastewater on Water Resources in South Africa: Catchment study and Ecological Modelling

This report compares dairy, urban, forestry and reference catchments using monitoring, biomonitoring and modelling to identify pollution sources and key drivers. Results show strong effects of wastewater treatment works, irrigation and flow conditions on water quality and biotic communities.

Ecological response models define thresholds for sensitive taxa and characterise river capacity to dilute or accumulate pollutants, supporting catchment-scale management and monitoring.

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Addressing Research Gaps on the Impacts of Solid Waste and Wastewater on Water Resources in South Africa: Overview and Guide to Reports

This report summarises national and catchment-scale research on pollution sources and ecological impacts, highlighting wastewater treatment, waste and emerging contaminants such as tyre wear particles and pharmaceuticals in South Africa.

Spatial analysis and modelling research projects identify pollution hotspots and link pressures to biodiversity and ecosystem service risks, supporting improved monitoring and integrated management responses.

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Business Unusual Report

This research report presents alternative, inclusive business models for farm and forest production that favour small scale producers and diverse food production systems. In these alternatives, producers mobilise their own flexible finance and engage in partnerships through their savings and credit cooperatives and businesses, supply chain partners and pioneering investors.

Together they are practising ‘business unusual’: adopting practices that support livelihoods, embrace complexity in the interests of biodiversity and climate.

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