Evidence-based problem solving
CONANP has been forming an alliance with local universities, research centres, and NGOs, to ensure that problem solving and regulations, are guided by scientific studies and hard evidence.
Examples of key products or interventions, include:
1.“Forensic ecology” activities to understand the causes of mangrove salinization resulting from the construction of road infrastructure in the 1940s, and alternatives to reverse its effects in a practicable and cost-effective manner.
2. Scientific calculations of the capacity of local water bodies to support new tourist water-borne activities
3. Market research for new non-extractive productive activities.
Identify which academic actors can support key interventions
Effective contacts and history of collaboration (academia, civil society & government)
Effective inter-sectoral communication: not only between government and academic sectors, but also, and most importantly, being able to communicate research questions and results to local communities.
Financial resources to leverage support from the academic sector and NGOs.
The role of intermediaries between the academic sector and communities is of utmost importance for the success of this type of building block. This role can be most ably played by individual consultants and NGOs who have the capacity to effectively interpret and communicate the results of scientific knowledge to local people.
The intermediaries need to be able to facilitate the flow of traditional knowledge and local information back to the academic sector. It is very important to ensure that studies are properly carried out within the local context and with the maximum of relevant information available.
It is of enormous help for a governmental agency to be able to assign, to the collaborative activity behind this building block, skilled staff who can judge the relevancy and quality of the scientific knowledge being offered by the academic community. Not all scientific knowledge is of the same quality or practical relevance.