Training on an intersectoral topic such as climate change and health is more challenging for participants because their academic and practical background knowledge might not cover both topics. The training will likely cover a lot of new information for each participant. Given the complexity of the topic, it is even more important to develop and utilise a wide range of methodological approaches to maintain energy levels and focus during the training.

11 grant agreements have been given to NGO and academic institutions in the three countries of the Selva Maya to implement research and pilot projects on One Health. The call for applications was launched early 2021 and based on an assessment grid the grant recipients were selected. Criteria included innovation, replicability, and interdisciplinarity. The grantees currently implementing their projects include WCS, ARCAS, BWRC, the Universidad del Valle Guatemala, CINVESTAV, BIOS A.C., etc. The 11 recipients are automatically AOHSM members and share their project results on the website. Through their AOHSM membership they have connected and created synergies with other grant recipient projects for upscaling and replicating. 

In multi-stakeholder partnerships (MSPs), stakeholders from the state, the private sector, civil society and  academia plan, coordinate and implement joint activities to tackle the challenges of sustainable development. They use an agreed steering structure that enables them to function strategically and operationally. Smoothly functioning decision-making mechanisms are, among other things, crucial to cooperate across  organisation. Yet, depending on the complexity of the issues involved, decision-making can be a challenging process. The AOHSM is based on the principle of collegial leadership, i.e. non-hierarchical and self-organised cooperation, proceeding on the basis of solution focussed action. The exchange amongst the AOHSM working groups is facilitated by rotating moderators. Currently, a governance structure for the AOHSM is being developed taking into consideration the opinions, ideas and experiences of key members of all working groups. 

Archireef leverages the latest technologies in 3D printing to create artificial habitats that are truly ocean-friendly. With the algorithm-based adaptiveness and 3D printer’s versatility, our reef tiles have been proven 4 times more effective in keeping the corals alive than conventional methods, securing 95% of coral survivorship.

Internationally, coral restoration and biodiversity are still lacking behind in terms of certification and uniform verification / measurement standards. To address this issue, we adopt eDNA - environmental DNA - to measure biodiversity, though in the long run, international standards would definitely increase our recognition and perceived reliability.

The EbA measure implemented in Tanta includes both green and gray infrastructure.

The green infrastructure, which is the ecosystems, was improved by promoting appropriate pasture and livestock management practices that contribute to the positive conservation status of the pastures. To this end, work was done to strengthen community organization, the participatory design of the livestock management strategy, and the bolstering of local knowledge.

In terms of gray infrastructure, the community prioritized the construction of a shed to reduce the exposure of livestock to climate hazards intensified by climate change, such as hail, and frost, simultaneously protecting them from strong winds and intense sunlight.

The construction of the shed began with the participatory design of the infrastructure, advised by a professional from the local university and validated in a community assembly. Meetings were then held with the livestock department (committee) and directors to plan out the work and the transfer of materials. Prior to the start of construction, the community made an offering to the mountain, a custom they still maintain.

The shed is now operational, the community reports a decrease in animal mortality, and maintenance is being carried out, especially on the roof, using local materials.

Under the "Strengthening community organization" component, the project worked with the Tanta community to develop a livestock management strategy, with the support of a specialist, to improve livestock management in the community’s farm territory. The objective was to fortify the community’s collective decision-making process in regards to the management of its natural resources, thus contributing to the recovery of grazing areas, which in turn ensures having the necessary level of food for livestock and improving both productivity and ecosystem services for water regulation.

The livestock management strategy has been the product of a participatory process facilitated by Instituto de Montaña and led by the authorities and the community's livestock department (committee). As part of this process, visual materials (maps and infographics) have been developed to graphically represent the proposed management plan and rotation of livestock among the different sectors of the communal farm. These visual materials are exhibited in the community premises so that the community members can follow up on the plan and the agreements and commitments made by all.

The actual construction was implemented through practical and educational workshops with the neighbors, the Public Services Department and partly with contracted workers. The workshops addressed the following measures: 1) green infrastructure and reforestation, 2) urban art and tactical urbanism, and 3) urban furniture. In this way, the park was transformed through joint efforts, while learning about the importance of nature-based solutions and easy measures to implement them in other public spaces or in gardens and other spaces of the community. 

In adition, educational workshops were conducted with a local school and a group of scouts to improve the financial education of young people and kids in the community. Another set of workshops was implemented with neighbors and members of an informal neighborhood, with a focus on first aid. 

The institutional capacity to support EbA technology transfer has been built through training and the joint development and implementation of the Long-Term Research Programme (LTRP) in partnership with local universities, for measuring the short- and long-term effects of EbA interventions. The activities included establishing monitoring sites, conducting research activities, collecting data, and publishing findings as technical reports, research papers, bachelor theses, master theses, Ph.D. theses, and peer-reviewed papers.

In Nepal, for example, the development of EbA interventions started with assessing local practices and determining whether these practices can be improved or upscaled before introducing new approaches. Based on these findings, the Chinese and South African experts designed possible interventions together with the local expert and advised on their implementation and monitoring against project indicators and targets.

The technology transfer also took place through inter-regional capacity-building, with the EbA experts, and the project coordinators regularly meeting through the steering committee, workshops, training, site visits, and conferences. 

To exchange EbA experience among different countries and beyond different activities, mediums of communication and platforms can be used. In the context of the EbA South project, workshops for knowledge sharing took place in Asia-Pacific, Africa, and Latin America. For instance, the “South-South Exchange Workshop: Ecosystems for Climate Change Adaptation and Sustainable Livelihoods Knowledge Sharing” was held in Beijing, China. This South-South exchange of knowledge culminated in an array of publications and tools now used by practitioners across the Global South to encourage nature-based solutions for adaptation through South-South cooperation.  A web-based platform web-based platform was also built to facilitate collaboration – it contains webinars, case studies, an ecosystem-based adaptation planning tool, and other knowledge products. Research programmes can also be established in partnership with local universities to further share and apply this knowledge.

These workshops and knowledge products provided great opportunities to share and exchange various experiences of the project with scientists and practitioners in the wider EbA community.. South-South cooperation allows effective EbA exchange among developing countries that have common challenges and solutions for conservation and livelihoods.