Partnerships have been very key in getting stakeholder buy-in as well as ownership on the project. The proposition in the partnerships aimed to decentralize the ownership of the eco-points, spur collections rates and develop a seamless sustainable plastic waste value chain. 

During the last 12 months, 3R established various partnerships with different stakeholders. One of the partnerships was with an NGO, ParCo, whereby they established two eco-points, to receive and buy plastic waste from the local community waste pickers. 

We recognized the need to build leadership for effective MPA management from within, and ownership and leadership of the approaches co-developed.

We convened a group of 18 regional and global experts to train the most engaged MPA practitioners across 3 nations as peer trainers in evidence-based (adaptive) management. The expert team first broke down adaptive management into 3 core components: marine monitoring, data summarization and management, and strategic decision making. We then invited applications from MPA staff and engaged community members in 3 national MPA systems (Kenya, Tanzania, and Seychelles) to become peer trainers in one of the areas, as we recognized that no one staff could likely train in all three.

We received 60 applications and invited 30 MPA members to participate in the peer trainer training in Seychelles in August 2019.  We developed a 5-day training course. We did 2-days of joint sessions, then each group had 3-days in their individual core areas. The final day was testing in the core concepts.  Of the 30 practitioners who participated, 11 passed as peer trainers or assistant peer trainers.

These peer trainers are now working in their respective nations to continue improving MPA management.

To ensuire the solution worked, we monitored nesting and hatchling dispersal for three consecutive seasons following beach rehabilitation, and determined that there were no impacts to nesting sea turtles or emerging hatchlings.

The core differentiator of MEET ecotourism products is that they are based in and feature Mediterranean protected areas. This is integrated with local communities and local service providers, thereby creating a unique niche-market product in the Mediterranean that supports conservation. Building off what differentiates its products to others on the market, MEET is building a strong brand with embedded market value  for both inbound and outbound tour operators, as well as, destination management organisations.

The foundation of any SeaSketch project is geospatial information (maps) displayed as map services. There are no minimum data requirements. You can begin working with whatever you've got. Maps may be published as Esri REST Services (e.g., with ArcGIS Server or ArcGIS online) and open source mapping services (e.g., WMS, WMTS) and then imported into SeaSketch. Example maps include administrative boundaries (e.g., EEZ, territorial sea, existing MPAs), seafloor habitats, bathymetry, human uses, etc.

The maps you choose to include as Data Layers in SeaSketch depend on the goals of your process. If you are planning for marine protected areas, shipping lanes and aquaculture sites, you may want navigational charts, habitat maps, the distribution of fishing activities and other layers that may be used to guide users in the design of their plans. Protected areas are only meaningful if they effectively protect certain habitats, shipping lanes minimize collision and maximize efficiency, aquaculture sites are located in certain depth zones, etc. On a case-by-case basis, you will need to evaluate what data need to be viewed as maps, and what subset of these data need to be analysed.

SeaSketch is designed to be used primarily for collaborative planning. We've focused on Marine Spatial Planning, but the software can be used for terrestrial planning as well. Furthermore, the software is intended to help generate ocean zoning solutions. If these zones are to have a meaningful impact, such as conservation or benefits to the blue economy, there needs to be buy-in to the planning process by the host government institutions. If zones developed in SeaSketch are not legally adopted, they are less likely to have the desired effect. 

In most cases, SeaSketch is used to support large-scale planning efforts where governments have mandated the establishment of a marine spatial plan and where broad stakeholder involvement is essential. In these cases, SeaSketch must be licensed by a lead agency or partner. SeaSketch may be used to visualize geospatial data as map services, collect to information via surveys, sketch and discuss plans. If plans are to be evaluated using analytics, geoprocessing services and reports must be developed in our lab. Note that a free license is available for educational institutions to use SeaSketch for strictly educational purposes.

In January 2022, we will release the next version of SeaSketch which will be entirely free and open source. Just as with the current version, many of the features within SeaSketch may be configured with minimal knowledge of or experience with GIS. The analytics and reports will be run on lambda and encoded using programming languages such as Javascript. Owners of projects may, therefore, set up their own SeaSketch project – from beginning to end – without intervention from our lab. It should be noted, however, that the geoprocessing and reporting framework, though free and open source, will require significant programming experience.

Partnerships with KMFRI and other relevant county departments have enabled the proposal development by the association to be review regularly and more effectively in order to submit a clear and non-ambiguous proposal to the World Bank and other funders. Handholding by partner agencies such as KMFRI, WWF, National Bank, Base Titanium, etc. has been essential in enhancing the knowledge on tendering, procurement of construction material, furniture and equipment.

A key component of the Soqotra Heritage Project is the ability to access information about the heritage of Soqotra to allow for decision-making. This was realized by incorporating all documented tangible and intangible heritage in the Soqotra Heritage Database implemented through the Arches Project. Although maintained externally, and although internet connections on Soqotra prevent access to such resources in any meaningful way, the local team have access to all information through the Arches Collector App which can be used to visualize information, and also to collect and add information in the field.

Updates can be verified and enabled at regular meetings at the Arab Regional Centre for World Heritage until a sustainable internet provision is enabled on Soqotra.

This has allowed stakeholders on Soqotra to access information for planning purposes, and to raise awareness with stakeholders about the importance of considering heritage components in development activities.

The network is an opportunity to explore the Dolomites’ cultural richness in connection to its Outstanding Universal Value, though a series of multilingual (including minorities) museums located in mountain communities and cultural itineraries made to explore the Dolomites and its people and history. As museum play a key role in the life of local communities and they support the recording of local history and experiences through time, these places are also fundamental for communicating the values of the Dolomites through several natural and cultural perspectives.

Museums and cultural itineraries play a key role in raising awareness on the life of local communities and the experience lived by these territories from prehistory, through the two world wars until today, through events that have deeply shaped the cultural and social communities of this areas. The network of museums is a key platform for the direct interaction with local communities and for these communities to share their knowledge about the Dolomites and the historical events that have shaped its landscapes.

Last but not least, the offer a chance for people with physical disabilities to explore the Dolomites in an accessible way