This project involved a planning meeting, five case studies, and a synthesis meeting. There were several significant outcomes of this project. It established research networks and institutional networks in a region that did not previously have a strong research infrastructure in this field. It linked global change in a very effective way with issues of sustainable development. It offered training in methods and approaches for integrative research, coupling biophysical and human dimensions and creating a basis for the comparison of case studies (i.e., a case studies guide). It produced a scientific product in the format of a book and implemented a successful follow-up project.