Documentation and dissemination of results

Review phase

Map of the Coastal Resilience Organization

Integrated vulnerability assessment (VA)

We developed a spatially explicit vulnerability analysis that included both national and local indicators. These indicators were designed to capture the social, economic and ecological vulnerabilities and the interplay between them. The framework used to organize the indicators captured exposure, adaptive capacity, and sensitivity of three key social components (critical infrastructure and facilities; livelihoods -i.e. natural resource dependence and critical industry facilities such as fish processing plants and hotels- and social sensitivity -number of people and houses) as well of critical coastal habitats (mangroves, seagrass and reefs) providing risk reduction services (e.g. coastal protection and provisioning). Layering the ecological vulnerability assessment with the socioeconomic vulnerability assessment highlighted areas of overlap where adaptation and disaster risk reduction interventions were most needed, and where nature could play a role in reducing climate and disaster risk. The national level assessment framework was then adapted for site scale application to produce a community vulnerability assessment.

• Community understanding the importance and the benefits of a successful implementation. • Community acceptance, participation and ownership. • Government involvement and participation. • Partnerships with the Grenada Red Cross and NGO Grenada Fund for Conservation (mobilizing communities, empowering stakeholders, ensuring the development of an action plan for climate adaptation). • Access to information on socio-economic and ecological characteristics.

• The critical role that partnerships and community engagement play during all stages of the Project. • The importance of engaging relevant government agencies and others early on to ensure: a) that the analysis is grounded in local context and needs; b) that information and data collected are accurate and current and can be effectively utilized by government agencies.

Climate change impact visualisation

Participatory 3D Modelling helps visualise vulnerabilities

The Nature Conservancy

Visualizing potential impacts is a powerful tool to help communities understand their vulnerabilities and consider future scenarios and tradeoffs. This is important to motivate changes that need to be made to reduce a community’s risks and support decision making around climate and disaster risk management. Computer based maps are not always the most effective means of communication. At the national scale we developed a suite of visualization tools for technical persons that included web-based maps and electronic and hard copy maps. At the local scale we worked with local partners Grenada Fund for Conservation and Grenada Red Cross to engage communities through household surveys and Participatory 3D Mapping (P3DM). These tools allowed us to integrate the knowledge and perspectives of nearly 400 community members, generate site level vulnerability assessments and visualization tools. To help facilitate community input and visioning, we also partnered with a land-use planning firm. Using the design firm’s strong graphic facilitation skills, a visual representation of a number of climate change impacts and associated potential actions that would contribute to Grenville Bay’s climate resilient Grenville bay was generated.

• Community understanding the importance and the benefits of a successful implementation. • Community acceptance, participation and ownership. • Government involvement and participation. • Partnerships with the Grenada Red Cross and NGO Grenada Fund for Conservation (mobilizing communities, empowering stakeholders, ensuring the development of an action plan for climate adaptation). • Access to data on climate change impact (via local knowledge and/or quantitative model predictions).

• The site level process described above was critical for the development of several targeted locally relevant proposals. • Applying a participatory process empowered community participation critical for the selection of locally relevant options that best align with a community’s vision of desired current and future outcomes. • Partnering with a variety of groups (engineers, land use planners, and local NGO’s like the RC and GFC) greatly facilitated the integration of diverse knowledge and consideration of a suite of options that will help communities and decision makers chose an informed path forward. Building capacity and working at pilot sites with communities takes a significant commitment of time and resources. • Participatory 3D mapping is a powerful tool for gathering community knowledge and stimulating discussion, and it also requires trained facilitators and community mobilization to implement.

Planning phase

Inception phase

TNC´s gateway to the projects - search for "At the Water’s Edge"

The Coastal Resilience Network

Volunteer engagement

Volunteers of ARCAS

Volunteers from all over the world help us in implementing the conservation activities of our program: look for sea turtle nests to protect the eggs from poachers, maintenance of the hatchery, support in our environmental education program, analysing research data that we are constantly generating, and helping in the rehabilitation of species we received at the center.

Volunteers are trained by professional experts
Being transparent regarding to incomes, data and results
Volunteers are made aware of the importance of their on-going support for the programs’ successes
Given the lack of government resources, without them we would not have the financial resources and manpower necessary to meet the challenges that we face

Our experience demonstrates that volunteers enjoy working and feeling responsible for producing project results. They like to experience new challenges and feel part of the team. However, many volunteers have little or no experience working in developing countries, and must be well-orientated and managed so that they contribute to the project goals, are aware of local cultural norms, and follow the ARCAS methodology. A successful volunteer/intern/ecotour program requires constant management, planning and communication.

ARCAS´ guidelines for volunteers

ARCAS´ website

Collaborative data and information gathering

Stakeholders gathering information on the use of marine ecosystems

Collaborative data and information gathering was used to: identify and acquire secondary information; document local knowledge of resources and space-use; develop an appropriate habitat classification scheme; conduct marine habitat mapping field surveys; validate information produced; and ascertain the technological capacity and information preferences of stakeholders. Furthermore, participatory research demonstrates the relevance of information provided by stakeholders, strengthens capacity and provides ownership of the information produced.

The preliminary appraisal was essential to understand stakeholders’ capacity for participation and develop appropriate methods.
Periodic validation meetings allowed for the production of accurate information based on local knowledge. This also demonstrated to stakeholders the legitimacy of their knowledge thereby promoting ownership of the information.
Public access to information served to empower stakeholders, build capacity and cultivated a cross-scale alliance.

PGIS resulted in the production of comprehensive and accessible information tailored to the needs of the Grenada Bank stakeholders. Collaborative data and information gathering served to: identify existing information; build stakeholder capacity in the understanding of the marine environment and related human uses; provide credibility to local knowledge; increase confidence and ownership in the information produced; and underscore the role stakeholders can and should play in marine governance. Communication and information exchange are important aspects of this building block and should not be underestimated. Providing access to all data, maps, and information via a public access website supported transparency and inclusiveness and served to strengthen the capacity and ownership of information by stakeholders.

Planning phase

Inception phase

Baldwin, K and H.A. Oxenford. 2014. A participatory approach to marine habitat …

Value-added lionfish products

Women in coastal communities are trained in creating lionfish jewelry.

Supporting women from fishing communities to create, market and sell jewelry made from previously discarded lionfish parts adds value to fishers’ lionfish catch. It also meets several needs simultaneously: poverty alleviation in fishing communities, gender equality as women learn skills and are supported to earn independently, and further awareness raising about invasive lionfish, thus contributing to the conservation of Belize’s marine ecosystem.

Other potential lionfish value-added product markets include lionfish burgers, frozen fillets for sale through supermarkets and animal feed. Further benefit to fishing communities could be achieved through establishing lionfish processing plants within the communities themselves, increasing the availability of skilled employment opportunities and providing new skills for local community members.

Jewelry training workshops for women from coastal fishing communities
Business management and marketing support to lionfish jewelers
Access to jewelry making kits and resources
Access to discarded lionfish products such as spines and fins
Access to markets to sell finished products

Lionfish jewelry-making skills can be easily acquired and there is demand for the product. Belizean fishers' lionfish catch increases 13-40% in value when fins and spines are sold. Establishing the market-price for fins and spines is critical to ensure that this benefit is achieved. For that reason, jewelers should not be subsidized after initial training workshops. Jewelers from regions that do not have established markets for lionfish meat struggle to access lionfish parts; this can be overcome with a network of jewelers. A network also fosters knowledge-sharing, accessing diverse sales points, developing brand and business plan, and ultimately accessing international markets. Through targeting women from coastal fishing communities, household incomes are diversified and women are empowered. Further, lionfish jewelry can enhance lionfish outreach and jewelers themselves become advocates for the cause, driving behavior change towards increased lionfish exploitation.

Subnational

Belioness - Belize Lionfish Jewelry

Kaj Expressions

Strategic planning with Belioness (blog)

Synthesis – Communicating Ecosystem Services Information

Synthesis ensures that the outputs of your ecosystem services analysis directly inform on-the-ground planning and policies. Here we illustrate how different scenarios of human uses in the coastal zone affect livelihoods and the benefit that people derive from nature. This includes identifying where particular ecosystem service incentives and government policies could be implemented to support a sustainable plan for the future. The goal is to maximize economic opportunities and minimize environmental degradation. The Belize Coastal Zone Management Authority & Institute used a variety of mediums to communicate results, including reports, executive summaries, peer-reviewed papers, presentations and interactive maps all tailored to intended audiences.

Obtaining and appropriately using data to complement results generated from scenarios assessment is critical.

The selection and quantification of metrics that resonate with decision makers can be the most difficult step.
Synthesis is most successful when it translates information about ecosystem service outcomes into helpful, specific recommendations for management and policies through clear conclusions and captivating stories.

Subnational

Embedding ecosystem services in coastal planning leads to better outcomes for people and nature

Belize moves to finalize Integrated Coastal Zone Management Plan

Map portal for Belize's Integrated Coastal Zone Management Plan

Regional knowledge transfer

The catalog fills an important information gap in coastal development to reduce impacts from climate change and extreme weather events. After the core team completed the catalog, they expanded and engaged new partners. The catalog and the process was presented in a variety of settings and sectors such as urban development seminars and congresses, the national Chamber of Construction, architects and engineers’ associations and at risk-reduction meetings. As a result, there are many more actors interested in learning about the practices, as well as with the knowledge and tools needed to implement them. Other vulnerable coastal states and countries are interested in the approach. The core partnership is planning training sessions in the state where they are located, and training will soon be conducted in other cities in México to further disseminate the practices.

Partners have a good standing and enjoy recognition with other relevant organizations, which eases the acceptance of both catalog and approach.

It is important to identify what stakeholders’ need, and it is critical to develop a concise product to fill that need.

Subnational

Local Site Implementing Teams

Campaign Manager leads a community discussion

Jason Houston/Rare

The community engagement and behavior adoption campaigns were co-developed and implemented by teams based in the communities. They were usually composed of staff from the local government unit and local community leaders, like fisher leaders or organizers. They were the ones that received the training and provided with the tools and resources. They adapted the strategies to suit their own context, came up with execution ideas, and rolled out the activities.

Official designation by the local chief executive (mayor) • Representation from stakeholders other than the local government • Credibility and standing in the community

Best to have a team of at least three, so that the work does not become overwhelming, and so diverse talents and interests are available to the team. The ideal mix has someone who is well-embedded in government, who can secure approvals and budgets, someone who is creative and able to use basic tools for design, and someone who is well-accepted by the community who knows how to engage and facilitate. They should all know how to mobilize volunteers, and have some basic skills in project management.

Inception phase

Promotion of Best Management Practices

Members of the Farmer Interest Groups are trained how to implement the Best Management Practices by the extension center. The training is partly theoretical and partly practical, and farmers involved in the development phase open their farm to Farmer Interest Group members so they gather first-hand experience. The extension center promotes Best Management Practices by disseminating information further through the extension officer’s daily advisory service. At the same time experiences and lessons learnt are fed back to the extension center to improve the Best Management Practices.

Best Management Practices ready for dissemination
Existing Farmer Interest Groups to receive and disseminate the information

Involving farmers who had already implemented the Best Management Practices and including practical experiences at farms increased the participation and information uptake on the trainees` side. The Best Management Practices were not written up by an external expert, but are based on experiences and trials at local farms. This increased the acceptance and willingness of farmers to implement the recommendations.