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INTEGRATED PLANNING AND POLICY COHERENCE

USING SPATIAL DATA TO ACHIEVE POLICY COHERENCE: INTRODUCTION TO THE ELSA PROCESS

Level: Intermediate | Estimated completion time: 2 hours | Certificate upon completion

Skills: Applying spatial data for integrated decision-making, understanding and implementing the Essential Life Support Areas (ELSA) 10-step process, building and refining spatial data stacks, analyzing trade-offs and synergies across sectors, translating spatial analysis into policy recommendations and actionable plans, supporting monitoring and adaptive implementation of nature-based solutions

How do you translate competing policy goals for climate, biodiversity, and development into a single, actionable plan? This journey introduces the Essential Life Support Areas (ELSA) process, a powerful 10-step method for using spatial data to find where nature-based actions deliver the most impact. You'll explore the entire process, from running stakeholder "hackathons" and using the UN Biodiversity Lab to building a "Map of Hope" that turns fragmented data into a clear, unified strategy.

Task 1: Introduction to spatial data and tools for planning
Task 2: Introduction to the ELSA process
Task 3: Stakeholder engagement
Stop and check 1
Task 4: ELSA Step 1
Task 5: ELSA Step 2
Task 6: ELSA Step 3
Stop and check 2
Task 7: ELSA Step 4
Task 8: ELSA Step 5
Task 9: ELSA Step 6
Task 10: ELSA Step 7
Stop and check 3
Task 11: ELSA Step 8
Task 12: ESLA Step 9
Stop and check 4
Final test
Certificate of completion
REFERENCES

Additional Resources

Tool
UN Biodiversity Lab
This data portal houses nearly 1,000 spatial data layers at the intersection of nature, development and climate, including many layers related to prosperity.
READ MORE ➝
Handbook
Mapping Essential Life Support Areas to Achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (UNDP)
UNDP's handbook on using ELSA maps to integrate biodiversity, climate, and development goals.
READ MORE ➝
Case Study
UN Biodiversity Lab: How the UN Champions Digital Public Goods for the Planet (UNDP)
A case study on UNBL's role as a digital public good in supporting biodiversity planning.
READ MORE ➝
Blog
The Power of Maps to Inform Action for Nature and Development (UNDP)
This blogpost analyzes on how spatial data tools like UNBL support integrated decision-making
READ MORE ➝
Data Collection
Data Resources (UNEP)
A catalogue of environmental data, including spatial datasets for biodiversity planning.
READ MORE ➝

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