COMET-LA proposes to create a participatory 'learning arena' that involves CSOs (Civil Society Organizations), research organizations, policymakers and other stakeholders to analyze the situation of community-based management of natural resources and to identify practices and lessons of interest. COMET-LA will analyze the community-based management of three social-ecological systems in 3 Latin American countries (Colombia, Mexico and Argentina. Each case will focus more specifically on one environmental challenge: biodiversity and water, forest and land use and coastal and marine areas management. To develop COMET-LA, in every country a research organization and a local civil society organization will work together to the European partners. A broader range of stakeholders will also be involved in the learning arena. The learning arena will be organized around three different layers:

In the first level, a scientific partnership of experts in the analyzed topics will be created between EU and LA researchers. In the second level, a CSO partnership between a global CSO and the local CSOs will be organized and together with the members of the first layer, they will shape the scientific local partnership. Finally, the third level will be the global partnership including stakeholders and policymakers at regional, national and global levels and also the members of the Advisory Board. The second and third layers of the partnership will be open to any stakeholders (local and global) with interest in the areas, the countries and the topics. Some of them have already stated their interest, but members can enter or leave the partnership during COMET-LA lifetime.