Integra employs a knowledge-driven, technologically empowered, participatory, and empirical approach to the challenges of managing the environment and natural resources in an economic development context.  We place solid analysis backed by evidence ahead of conventional wisdom.

Community-based Natural Resource Management

Natural resources management and economic development are recursive social problems without perfect solutions, We combine technological leverage and field experience to empower participation and support smart “real world” decisions, focusing on systems and processes for participatory, iterative approaches to problem solving. Framing the problem effectively harnesses the creativity of the stakeholders and invites them to enter into the process of discovery of credible, relevant and most importantly, sustainable approaches.

Biodiversity, Ecosystems, and Knowledge Management

Biodiversity, carbon sinks, and other ecosystem goods and services are the product of complex socioeconomic, biological and physical systems. Decisions involve trade-offs, and making good ones require knowledge management. Integra’s capabilities in ICT for development and participatory approaches to natural resource management combine with strong partner capabilities in eco-informatics and decision-support systems to produce a powerful resource to backstop clients in assessing, planning, and monitoring natural resource management options.

Sustainable Landscapes and Ecosystem Management

Effective solutions to complex situations require a multi-disciplinary approach.  Integra provides its clients with access to a wide range of services – from boots on the ground management natural resource management to geospatial remote sensing and social and environmental safeguards. Integra leadership provides the client with a coherent interdisciplinary team focused on the client’s goals.

Examples of Integra’s capabilities include:

• Sustainable landscapes and forest carbon mitigation.  Integra can provide REDD readiness assessments, capacity building for monitoring, reporting, and verification, and structure of equitable benefit-sharing arrangements for forest communities.
• Community-based natural resource management. Integra can provide technical support, leadership training, and facilitate consultative processes to produce co-management plans for joint administration of protected areas by national authorities and local stakeholders.
• Sustainable finance. Integra can assist in the design of trust funds and innovative financing mechanisms to promote viable conservation programs
• Ecological monitoring.  Integra can design a site-specific or system-wide ecological monitoring program for biodiversity, including the identification of specific ecological and socio-economic indicators for measuring change and risk and use of protected area management effectiveness tools.

Experienced Project Management

Integra’s senior management provides over 60 years of experience in environment and natural resource program and policy development and project management in more than 80 countries.  Integra brings solid capacity building, organizational development, project management, monitoring, and evaluation skills to its natural resource management efforts.

Our experienced staff and its interdisciplinary suite of talented partners provide Integra’s clients with fresh perspectives and innovative responses to the world’s emerging environment and natural resources challenges.