Under natural resource ecosystems shared across communities and nations, the distribution among stakeholders of risks and vulnerability to climate change is likely to be uneven on account of the nature of their stakes in the ecosystems, the degree of their dependence and the extent of degradation of the natural resources. Striving for a common adaptation strategy that safeguards the shared forest ecosystems and balances the interests of the multiple stakeholders would require a framework that encourages sharing and redistribution of ecosystem benefits and sharing of the potential climate risks and impacts on forests and stakeholders, taking into account the vulnerabilities of both ecosystems and people. This paper uses the experiences gained under the Tropical Forests and Climate Change Adaptation project of the Center for International
Forest Research across three continents to propose a priority-setting process with active participation of multiple
stakeholders in tropical ecosystems in developing countries perceived in their judgement to be crucial for adaptation
to climate change. By attributing values to forest ecosystem goods and services for all stakeholders, prioritisation
represents a common position by multiple stakeholders linking their interests and practices for a common purpose.