Activities

State of the Environment and Spatial Planning

This programme supports the assessment of the environment and promotes improved governance of human activities impacting the environment

In progress Programme

Communication and Outreach

Through a variety of products, tools and activities, GRID-Arendal meets new communication challenges by clearly and openly communicating ...

In progress Programme

Africa

This programme promotes the need to value and protect Africa’s natural resource base

In progress Programme

Ecosystems, Economies and Sustainable Development

Developing ways to capture the fundamental role of healthy ecosystems for social and economic development.

In progress Programme

Blue Carbon

This programme advances innovative nature-based coastal and marine climate solutions.

In progress Programme

Environmental Crime

Environmental crime is a global threat to the security, economy, environment and sustainable development.

In progress Programme

Polar and Mountain Environments

The polar and high mountains are the planet’s barometers, telling us a great deal about the present and future effects of climate change. 

In progress Programme

Ocean Governance and Geological Resources

This programme encourages innovative thinking about how marine resources are used and managed in Africa and the Pacific.

In progress Programme

Sustainable Consumption and Production

In progress Global

Support to the Tehran Convention Process

The Caspian Sea is the largest enclosed water body on Earth with a unique ecosystem with some 400 endemic species, threatened by a decline..

In progress Coastal Habitats

Teaterplassen 3 AS

GRID-Arendal's office is in an environmentally friendly building centrally located in the idyllic Tyholmen area Arendal

In progress Comms & Outreach (General)

Nomadic Herders

Reindeer herders are facing lost pastures and land fragmentation caused by industrial development and other land-use changes.

In progress Polar

IW:LEARN

The goal of the project is to strengthen knowledge management capacity and promote scaled-up learning of disseminated experiences...

In progress Global

European Marine Observation and Data Network - EMODnet

Making European data available to support the Maritime Spatial Planning and the Blue Economy

In progress Marine

Norwegian Blue Forests Network (NBFN)

The network’s goal is to advance the blue forest approach in addressing climate change and meeting the SDGs

In progress Coastal Habitats

FishGuard

Combatting Criminal Fisheries in the SIDS (CrimFish) Pirate fishing (fisheries theft or poaching) by nationals of one country in another...

In progress Marine

Marine Litter in the Arctic

Marine litter is everywhere: it is abundant even in the remote Arctic. Moreover, the Arctic Ocean may act as a sink for debris drifting ...

In progress Polar

SDG Architect - healthy marine ecosystems

Building on the "Ocean and Us" publication, the Ecosystem Services related Blue Solutions and GEF Blue Forests work, the Architect will...

In progress

Protected Area Solutions

This IUCN-led project is a four-year collaboration that addresses Aichi Target 11.

In progress Terrestrial

Wastewater management and sanitation provision in Africa

The project seeks to develop and disseminate knowledge towards enhancing wastewater management and sanitation services delivery in Africa.

In progress Terrestrial

Blue Carbon in West Africa

This activity will develop a strategic blue carbon assessment for the West African region.

In progress Marine

Vital Graphics

In order to inform environmental and development policy-making processes, UNEP keeps under review the state of the world environment.

In progress Global

University of the Arctic

The University of the Arctic is a cooperative network of more than 170 universities, colleges, research institutes and other organizations.

In progress Polar

West Africa - Continuing extend continental shelves

This initiative builds on a 2014 joint submission to the UN to extend continental shelves beyond the current limit of 200 nautical miles.

In progress Global

Oceanic Blue Carbon

Responding to the call from the UN Environment and the Global Environment Facility for innovative actions to help address climate change...

In progress Coastal Habitats

Himalayan Climate Change Adaptation Programme - HICAP

HICAP is producing knowledge on how climate change affects natural resources, ecosystem services, and the communities that depend on them.

In progress Mountains

GEO-6

Every couple of years UN Environment takes the global environmental temperature.

In progress Global

Seafloor habitats

Maps of seafloor habitats are important predictors of biodiversity and a key input into marine spatial planning

In progress Marine

Waste Management in Mountain Regions

The project highlights both the challenges and the solutions for sound waste management in mountain regions.

In progress Mountains

Grønn Dag

Grønn Dag er et arrangement som setter fokus på miljø og bærekraftig husholdninger

In progress Comms & Outreach (General)

Mountain Outlook Series

A series of policy assessments for different global mountain regions is being produced by GRID-Arendal and UN Environment.

In progress Mountains

Addressing Marine Litter - A Systemic Approach

The impacts of marine plastic pollution range from ecological to socioeconomic, and cost the world at least US$8 billion dollars per year.

In progress Marine

Blue Forests Project

The Blue Forests Project is a global initiative focused on harnessing the values associated with coastal carbon and ecosystem services...

In progress Coastal Habitats

Supporting the Global Peatlands Initiative

A Rapid Response Assessment to support the Global Peatlands Initiative.

In progress Global

Climate Leaders Training

This programme focuses on leadership issues related to natural resources, strengthen leadership and management competencies and mind-set

In progress Global

Permafrost in coastal Arctic regions

We are coordinating the development of a Rapid Response Assessment to assess critical research gaps related to Arctic coastal permafrost.

In progress Polar

Blue Finance

This project will continue to assist with the communication needs and expert advice needed by Blue Solutions.

In progress Coastal Habitats

GRID-Arendal eBook Library

As part of its awareness programme, GRID-Arendal has prepared this collection of feature-rich eBook versions of selected publication...

In progress Comms & Outreach (General)

The Mami Wata Project

The Mami Wata project applies and develops capacity on Integrated Ocean Management in countries of the African Atlantic coast.

In progress Coastal Habitats

Blue Carbon Portal

This site provides a home for the international blue carbon community. It serves as a platform to share experiences and information...

In progress

Nunataryuk H2020

Nunataryuk is a Horizon 2020 project which investigates the impact of permafrost thaw in Arctic coastal areas .

In progress Polar

Environmental Crime Waste Traffic

With raising global consumption patterns the amounts of waste increases, and scrupulous waste management is threatened with the illegal...

In progress Global

Peace building and Law of the Sea in the Pacific Ocean

This project works with 14 Pacific Islands Countries to finalise extended continental shelf boundaries.

In progress Marine

Pacific Marine Atlases (MACBIO)

This project is providing maps and data to support marine spatial planning in the Pacific

In progress Marine

Mapping and communication

Developing innovative tools to communicate using maps

In progress Marine

Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (ABNJ)

Develop and pilot tools and approaches for area based planning in Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (ABNJ).

In progress Marine

Rapid Response Assessments

In response to increasing urgency in the need for targeted and acute information on the environment, UNEP has initiated a special report...

In progress Global

Gap Analysis

Gap analysis of existing data and information on rangelands and pastoralism

In progress Global

World Ocean Assessment outreach

In progress

Marine Debris Action Planner (MDAP)

The Marine Debris Action Planner (MDAP) is a project funded by Innovation Norway in which GRID-Arendal and SALT are developing a service...

In progress Marine

H2020 ECOPOTENTIAL

The project delivers products of Earth Observation data to understand and monitor changes to ecosystems.

In progress Mountains

University Course in Marine Management

Delivery of lectures to Master student at University in Agder

In progress Marine

Illegal Mining

Illegal mining is identified as one of the rapidly rising threat to the environment, to revenues from natural resources, to state security..

In progress Global

H2020 - ResponSEAble - Ocean Literacy

ResponSEAble - Protecting the ocean: our collective responsibility, our common interest - Supporting the development of cost-effective ocean

In progress Marine

Polar View

The objective of the Polaris program is to respond to the evolving demands for space-based monitoring of the Polar Regions

Completed Polar

UNEP IEA Guidelines

The practice of integrated environmental assessment (IEA) has evolved significantly since the last set of guidance which was developed by UN

Completed Global

Abu Dhabi Blue Carbon Demonstration Project

Improving the understanding of carbon sequestration and other ecosystem services that coastal and marine ecosystems provide in Abu Dhabi.

Completed Coastal Habitats

Many Strong Voices (MSV)

GRID-Arendal and the University College London coordinate Many Strong Voices that brings together people from the Arctic and Small Island...

Completed Global

Limpopo River Basin

The project will produce an Atlas of the Limpopo River Basin’s Changing Environment, with a particular focus on drought and floods

Completed Terrestrial

UNEP Regional Seas

Support is being provided to the Tehran Convention Secretariat to contributes to peace and security in the Caspian region.

Completed Marine

Blue Solutions

The Blue Solutions Initiative develops capacity and supports knowledge exchange on successful approaches to marine and coastal management.

Completed Marine

Responsible Resource Extraction

Meeting the environmental, social and governance challenges of non-renewable resource extraction.

Completed Terrestrial

Environmental Assessment Guidelines - a writing marathon

GRID-Arendal is managing the development of updated Integrated Enviromental Assessment guidelines for UN Environment

Completed Global

COMO

Completed

UNEP National Air Quality Monitoring

UNEP and GRID-Arendal are entering into this SSFA with the overall objective of co-operating on providing assistance with the deployment...

Completed

Internasjonale Dager

Since 2006, GRID-Arendal has taken part in the annual celebration of Internasjonale Dager, a week-long event in late October...

Completed Comms & Outreach (General)

Pan-European Biodiversity Platform

Completed Global

Marine and coastal satellite services to track environmental crime activities (MASTREC)

The MASTREC project focuses on the detection of trafficking of illegal rosewood from Madagascar and illegal charcoal from Somalia/Kenya.

Completed Global

Environmental Crime Waste Traffic - iPhone app

Phone app developed specifically for custom officers and the police to help track down Environmental Crime Waste Trafficking

Completed Global

H2020 BlueBRIDGE

Using cloud computing to analyse marine protected areas

Completed Global

The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity of our Oceans (TEEB-Oceans)

Our work in this area responds to the growing demand from decision makers to better manage human activities and their impact on marine biodiversity and ecosystems.

Completed

UNEA-2

Most of the world agrees on what needs to be done: We need to deal with climate change. We have to stop wildlife poaching.

Completed Comms & Outreach (General)

Mountains & SDGs

Mountains cover 25 percent of the world’s land surface, and directly support 12 percent of the world’s population living within mountain...

Completed Mountains

Transboundary WRM - Lake Victoria

The project will produce an Atlas of Lake Victoria’s Changing Environment, including training for local experts to create similar atlases

Completed Terrestrial

Organized environmental crime in EECCA

Completed Global

Green & Blue Economy

GRID-Arendal’s Green Economy Programme supports UN Environment to meet policy, modelling, capacity building and reporting goals for its Green Economy work.

Completed Global

Marine litter predictive mapping

This pilot project develops a shoreline map to define coastal areas with different likelihood of accumulating beach litter.

Completed Marine

Mercury - Losing Generations

Ideas in development Marine

TEEB4OC Development Project

UNEP has decided to re-boot the process of submitting a GEF Proposal related to TEEB4OC. This development project will focus on the step...

Ideas in development Global

Masters in HOME

GRID-Arendal is developing a Masters Programme in Holistic Ocean Management (HOME) with Agder University in Norway and NMMU in South Africa.

Ideas in development Marine

Blue Guardians

The Blue Guardians program is an international partnership to enhance climate resiliency for Small Island Developing States with a focus...

Ideas in development Global