This report examines how Indigenous and local knowledge (ILK) can be better integrated into the increasingly digital processes of marine spatial planning (MSP) across the North Atlantic. It is based on a workshop held in Tórshavn, Faroe Islands, in September 2025 and contains case studies from different contexts provided by the participants.
Through cases from Norway, Iceland, the Faroe Islands, Shetland, Greenland and England, the report delves into the realities of planning practice across the North Atlantic. It explores how the design of MSP processes shapes opportunities for Indigenous and local knowledge integration. And looks at how responsibilities for knowledge integration are assigned as well as how the complexity of defining who is local affects whose knowledge is recognised and incorporated.
The reports key messages center around three themes, all aimed at supporting a more just and equitable integration of Indigenous and local knowledge into MSP processes:
- From output-focused to process-oriented planning
MSP should be reframed as a continuous, purpose-driven process with structures for inclusive and iterative engagement embedded throughout. - Strengthening institutional capacity
Planning authorities need clearer guidance, stronger reflexivity around how digital tools and data shape planning outcomes and greater collaboration across the region. - Identifying local actors while embracing change and continuity
Improved ILK integration requires continuous efforts to understand who is local, balance local and national interests and monitor change over time.
