Dissemination and Communication of Information for Behavioural Change

Volunteers are strongly involved in communication processes to seek changes in society, thereby fulfilling four functions: informing, persuading, entertaining and educating.

 

Communication work is crucial for society to find out about and value natural resources, in order to increase environmental education and awareness and to contribute to a better conservation of natural areas.

The program is part of the #NatureForAll movement, which enables them to have access to effective communication tools.

 

Content and means of distribution must be adapted to different audiences (rural, urban, business, academic and research).

Capacity building of the implementing NGOs

Participating in the IUCN Shared Resources, Joint Programme's capacity-building for civil society on business engagement helped the NGOs increase their chances of success, but also to connect with other NGOs at the event. The training included advocacy, building trust with the company, designing a good business engagement approach and engaging with a company in a convivial way while staying true to principles. Through this training, IUCN provided their existing contact with a key person in the company to the implementing NGOs, which further reinforced their engagement. 

SRJS sought to create a learning space that gathered civil society to share knowledge for increased business engagement impact, while considering their contexts and needs. Beninese NGOs involved in the training were also willing to know more about how to effectively influence business, as well as sharing expertise with other NGOs in their landscape. 

- It is necessary to design an appropriate business engagement strategy because one type of strategy does not fit all situations. 

-It is important for an NGO to approach a business in a convivial way while holding on to its positions. 

-Trust-building between business and CSOs is paramount to achieving sustainability goals. 

-NGOs must work together and learn from each other to increase impact. 

Regulatory measures

 The government of Bangladesh manages its artisanal hilsa fishery through a number of different regulatory measures, most of which focus on protecting juvenile fish:

  1. Hilsa fishing is banned throughout the country during the perceived peak breeding season (22 days in October), with the aim of minimising disturbance to spawning and recruitment. Enforcement is focused on areas known to be important spawning grounds.
  2. There is an eight-month nationwide ban on capture, possession, selling and transport of juvenile hilsa (fry less than 25 cm long) between November and July to maximise recruitment of juveniles to the fishery. Enforcement is focused on 7,000 square kilometres of coastal, estuarine and riverine areas. 
  3. There is a year-round ban on use and production of monofilament gillnets, again for the protection of juvenile hilsa. 
  4. Six hilsa sanctuaries have been designated to protect major hilsa nursery grounds. These sanctuaries range from 20-100 km sections of river. All fishing is banned for at least 2 months in these areas during their peak periods of juvenile presence.

A ‘mobile court’ team operates at the subdistrict level to enforce these regulations, with support from the police and other agencies.

Effective monitoring and enforcement of fisheries regulations relies on human, physical and financial resources, but these are limited in Bangladesh. In lieu of proper monitoring and enforcement, the provision of compensation enables and incentivises fishers to comply with these regulations by offsetting or reducing the socioeconomic cost.

The regulations must be grounded in robust ecological and biological research if they are to have a positive impact on hilsa stocks. The geographical placement and seasonal timings of regulations designed to protect hilsa have been adapted over time in response to new scientific evidence.

Identification of various agencies for implementation

Institutional arrangements and identification for implementation of policies plays a vital role in acheiving abjectives. With a huge playing field of stakeholders and actors to be chosen from, proper assessment and identification of agencies whose deliverables capabilities cannt be questioned in a much desired task. Keeping this in mind, various agencies from different level of governance and organisations have been identified agaisnt each of the 12 deliverable Targets Set.

Concerted efforts and willingness for effective implementation at all levels of governance.

  1. Proper identification of agencies and stake holders who are directly concerned with the policy.
  2. A thorough reviews by experts and professionals by only those who are involved in the implementation.

 

Involvement of interdisciplinary working groups/ different stakeholders

Biodiversity and its resources are the backbone of any rural economics, whose population is directly dependent on it. Urban economics too has a plethora of activities with direct linkages to biological resources. In other words, each and every activity is in a way or another, related to the usage and management of it. Identification of each and every stakeholder doesn't seem a feasible option as all are a party to it.  It was therefore implied that those related to policy decisions and governance would be the apt group for consultative processes and thus was followed.

             The key feature in preparing this document and for effective implementation is the involvement of interdisciplinary working groups/different stakeholders - Government Agencies, Experts, NGOs, traditional institutions, educational and research institutes and local communities concerned with biodiversity

Identification of all the stakeholders concerned with biodiversity conservation

Capacity building of stakeholders and associated government departments help in formulation of an authenticate policy development and subsequent implementations.

Food compensation

During seasonal fishing bans, the government distributes sacks of rice to a proportion (around 248,674) of affected households across 15 districts. The scheme was introduced in 2004, with the primary goal of reducing food insecurity and vulnerability, but it also provides an incentive for compliance with fishing regulations, by compensating for income foregone during fishing bans. Based on research led by the International Institute for Environment and Development in partnership with the Bangladesh government's Department of Fisheries, Bangladesh Centre for Advanced Studies, Bangladesh Fisheries Research Institute and Bangladesh Agricultural University, the scheme has been expanded and redesigned to enhance its effectiveness as an economic incentive. Coverage of affected households has increased by more than seven times since the scheme began, and families now receive 40kg of rice per month for four months, as opposed to the initial 10kg for one to three months. Instances of rice misallocation have also been reduced through the introduction of ID cards for fishers.

In order to incentivise compliance, compensation must be deemed appropriate and sufficient to offset or reduce the income foregone by abiding by seasonal fishing restrictions. It must be therefore be underpinned by rigorous socioeconomic research.

 

Success of the incentives also relies on social acceptability, and so activities to raise awareness and understanding of the need for sustainable fishing practices and the importance of compliance with the fishing restrictions are essential.

The food compensation may have had some negative unintended consequences, including impacts on local rice prices, labour markets, and microfinance markets. Incentive schemes should always investigate and try to mitigate these unintended consequences.

 

There is also evidence that disproportionate benefits have been accrued by landowners, rather than the most vulnerable, landless fishing households with lowest income levels. This issue highlights the necessity for inclusive incentive schemes to use systematic and positive bias in favour of those most in need.

 

Similarly, local power structures have limited the impact of providing food compensation to fishing households. Reliance of fishers on middlemen for credit limits their ability to stop fishing during seasonal closures, because they are still bound to repay their debts.

Eco-tourism as a Tool for Conservation

Eco-tourism can be an effective tool for generating income for conservation and rasing the profile of conservation programmes in protected areas. Developing eco-tourism attractions such as hiking trails and interpretive programmes in protected areas allows people to access places which would be otherwise inaccessible. It allows people a chance to appreciate the environment and become supporters of conservation. It also provides conservation programmes with a new source of sustainable funding.

Facilities for eco-tourism ventures, such as trails and interpretive signage or tours.

National or local strategies for eco-tourism promotion and assistance.

Active participation from protected area managers to support eco-tourism in their parks.

 

Close working relationships between protected areas managers and local or national tourism authorities is important to ensure eco-tourism activities are appropriate, ethical and safe.

 

 

Ecosystem Approach to Protected Area Management

Taking an ecosystem approach when managing protected areas is crucial. The cloud forest on St Helena is a threatened habitat that supports numerous endemic species of plants, animals and fungi. Rather than working at a species level, it is important to consider habitats as functioning ecosystems, to manage them holistically, and to integrate the management of land, water and living resources.

Good knowledge of all aspects of the ecosystem, including land, water and living resources.

Adopting a protected area management plan that integrates all aspects of the ecosystem.

Political will to carry out an ecosystem approach for protected area management.

 

Managers of protected areas may be reluctant to adopt an ecosystem approach if they feel that they don't have a good understanding of all aspects of an ecosystem. In these cases it may be more useful to adopt the principle of ecosystem approach with a view to working towards it over time.

 

 

To create a model of integrated development of the scenic and the urban areas and raise local communities’ living standards

In order to reduce the pressures on the environmental capacity of Changbai Mountain Scenic Area, a total of RMB6 billion has been invested since 2010 to build 32 new scenic sites and 10 squares at and near Er’dao Baihe Town, a town neighbouring the northern part of Changbai Mountain Scenic Area.  In 2019, Er’dao Baihe Town was rated as an AAAA Scenic Area, one of the national exemplary areas for integrated tourism, and accredited as an international Cittaslow town by Cittaslow International.  Er’dao Baihe Town has become an open and free-of-charge scenic area and aims to offer high standard services for tourism, leisure and recreation.  While providing high-quality and well-managed leisure space for local residents, it also help stimulate the development of accommodation and catering businesses in Changbai Mountain’s neighbouring communities.  A new development model of sharing and co-building that serves tourists and brings happiness to local residents is hence achieved.  

1. Thorough data analysis was conducted on recent years’ tourism in Changbai Mountain and the ecological carrying capacity of Changbai Scenic Area is hence determined based on science.

 2. A scientific and sound tourism plan was formulated based on statistics.  3. Secured sufficient funding ensured the implementation of the planned projects.

 Special attention should be given to localisation during the urbanisation process of the scenic area.  Native ecology should still be the underpinning foundation and preserved as most as possible.  The emphasis should be put on maintaining and highlighting local distinctive features instead of the sheer scale of urban development.  It should be avoided that the authenticity of local landscapes or characteristics are destroyed only to copy a model of other places or cities.  

Science popularization and education

Using the websites, WeChat Public Account, Newspapers, Popular Science Books, Popular Science Videos, Documentaries, News Coverage, Warning Signs, Field Education Sites, AR Hanma Exhibition Room, Ecological and Cultural Museum, Pamphlets, Summer Camps, Eco-Forums, Publicity campaigns in schools and communities, Eco-education and field studies base, etc., publicity and education are carried out to the public. This makes the public understand the importance of protecting moose population and improve the public awareness of ecological protection.

Professional and easy to understand publicity materials

A popular way of publicity

Application of new media

Application of new technology

Prepare different publicity materials for different target groups and adopt different publicity methods so that they can understand and accept the ideas you want to express.