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Community-based mangrove management

Mangrove ecology training for community volunteers

NAREI

Community-based mangrove management seeks to address unsustainable human use of mangroves in Guyana by engaging with local communities living adjacent to mangrove areas and facilitating their participation in management and livelihood activities aimed at providing an alternative source of income for community members dependent on mangroves for their livelihoods. Communities were trained in alternative livelihoods such as beekeeping and provided with basic equipment to establish beekeeping in mangrove forested areas. Members were also trained in tourism and bird watching as another livelihood option as they conduct tours in the mangrove forest. Men and women are engaged at all levels of the restoration from planning to implementation and monitoring. Where seedling planting is used as an intervention and community seedling nurseries area established, families work together to collect seeds and grow health seedlings for planting. Volunteer groups, i.e. Village Mangrove Action Committees are established in restoration areas or vulnerable areas and their members trained in the importance of mangroves. These volunteers, 80% women, become the voice of the project in their villages by conducting awareness sessions in schools etc.

The willingness of community members living near or adjacent to mangrove forest or a potential restoration site to participate in restoration or protection activities is critical to success. The needs and aspirations of community members must be taken into consideration and initiatives that would enable them to earn a livelihood from sustainable management of the forest should be implemented. Education on the importance of the forest as coastal protection is also critical.

The participation of the local community in mangrove restoration and protection initiatives is one of the most important factors in the success and long-term sustainability of the program. Though there has been immense community participation at selected locations, one of the greatest challenges remains the commitment and participation of local communities. The Project is challenged to motivate residents at other intervention sites to participate in mangrove protection and awareness and to become involved in the monitoring of their coastal resources. The will to change old habits and action of dumping and illegal grazing still remains of great concern.

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Equitable inclusion of women in Marine Protected Area management

In co-governance of MPAs, defining who participates from the community will either limit or enable long-term success. Women and men have varying roles, priorities, needs and knowledge surrounding coastal resource management and will, therefore, contribute different ideas to and gain different benefits from MPA management. People of all genders, regardless of whether they derive direct income from fishing or not, should be equally included in capacity building and management opportunities for MPAs to fully capture community needs and priorities and foster widespread community support.

The existence of a community that intends to monitor and enforce fishing restrictions of an MPA is integral to success. Women and men in their varying roles can help to spread information about and enforce policies and will help reach a broader community. Additionally, support from donor organizations that value the inclusion of women and understand the local gender dynamics can help foster a shift of gender stereotypes and ensure women and men are included equally.

Some communities in the Philippines have had MPAs since the 1970's, and many of these were established with only male fishermen. This means that there are long-held stereotypes and local traditions that keep women from participating. In the case of Caticugan, these stereotypes created major barriers to women’s formal participation in MPA management, which limited their income and empowerment opportunities. Conversely, women in Maite and Bino-ongan were present and oftentimes led initiatives and management of MPAs, leading to new income-generating opportunities and effective preservation of ecosystem resources. As MPAs continue to be supported by global NGOs and paid for with overseas aid, evaluation frameworks used must integrate gender equality in order to fully assess the current gaps in women's participation. If a funding plan and evaluation framework does not include gender equality, then women whose lives will be impacted are less likely to support management.

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Using a flexible approach for defining conservation and production areas based on local knowledge

A distinctive characteristic of this reserve is that almost the whole of its territory is under either community, “ejidal”, or private ownership rather than federal control. CONANP had to take a different approach when working with communities on climate change adaptation issues; CONANP decided to work with an ecosystem-based perspective. This approach has required the flexible interpretation of federal regulations and institutions governing conservation and climate change mitigation policies. At the core of this flexibility has been the rejection of a strictly administrative polygon approach to define large conservation areas in which no productive activities can take place in the mangrove ecosystems. Open discussions and negotiations with the local communities have resulted in CONANP taking a flexible approach, which has used local knowledge to identify an ecosystem, and livelihood, relevant division of the mangroves into areas designated for pure conservation and for sustainable productive activities. Maintaining sustainable productive activities in the mangrove systems supports the long-term goal of changing community attitudes towards maintaining the mangrove systems as an integral component of community livelihoods.

1. Intensive dialogue & negotiation (before and after the establishment of the reserve) with local communities.

2. Listening and accepting the validity of local communities’ and field workers’ views when designing policies.

3. Willingness to change institutional regulations & approaches to accommodate diverse points of view and local knowledge.

4. A capacity to monitor the effectiveness of planned measures, and to be able to recognize when plans need to be changed with local community support.

1) It soon became clear that designating a conservation area solely based on an administratively pre-defined polygon was not going to come out as a successful conservation and management strategy, because the polygon: a) was not encompassing correctly the ecosystems and their connectivity; b) excluded the possibility of communities for generating a sense of belonging to the reserve, without which joint responsibility for its conservation cannot be possible.

2) Conservation and livelihoods are two sides of the same coin. In ecosystems in which communities live, you cannot have one without the other.

3) A balance between conservation and livelihoods was achieved through negotiation and open-mindedness on both sides: a smaller conservation area was accepted in return for stricter controls, and greater fisherman-led effort for maintaining a sustainable approach to productive activities in the rest of the reserve.

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Non-consumptive income opportunities from a Marine Protected Area

In Siquijor, communities who accept responsibility for monitoring an MPA receive income from tourism dollars, charging a fee to snorkel, scuba dive, and take photos or videos within the MPA. Another income stream is from development projects by the local natural resources agency. For example, the community receives fingerlings and bamboo to make fish cages for small aquaculture projects and can then sell the fish when they have reached market size. Providing income opportunities outside of overfishing and unsustainable marine resource use ensures that communities that are dependent on marine resources will be able to continue maintaining their livelihoods while conserving the ecosystem.

There must be tourists coming to the area and/or sustainable development projects that do not decrease water quality or remove resources from the MPA.

Some communities that were interviewed are receiving more tourists to their MPAs because they have put colorful signs along the roads to direct visitors to their beach or advertised in hotels and on boats visited by tourists. The communities were interested in developing a tourist map to highlight a specific fish or coral species in each MPA to encourage visitors to drive around the entire island and visit each beach to better distribute tourism dollars around the island.

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Gender integration guidelines/toolkit

CI has developed general guidelines to help conservation practitioners ask questions about gender within conservation initiatives, and develop practical and socially-appropriate responses to gender gaps/inequalities.

The lead author has worked with the management board of the Mt. Mantalingahan Protected Landscape since inception and therefore has good knowledge of the actors and local context. She also serves as a gender focal point within the organization so has some expertise in the gender-conservation field. Another enabling condition is the general openness to gender equality principles within the Philippines.

The guidelines are very general, and it is important for the local user to identify the best/most relevant areas in which to gather information. It is imperative that the user is familiar with the local culture and context.

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gender_integration_checklist.pdf

Barrier Island Restoration for Disaster Risk Reduction

Fort Massachusetts before beach restoration

Mark Ford/National Park Service (US)

Fort Massachusetts after beach restoration

Mark Ford National Park Service /US

Barrier Islands have long been reported to provide disaster risk reduction from storm surge. Modelling shows that barrier islands contribute to storm surge attenuation, but do not remove it completely. Benefits include annual hurricane and storm damage risk reduction to the mainland, annual recreation benefits, and annual fishery losses avoided. By replacing sand back into the littoral zone, there is a long-term contribution to the sediment budget of the islands and an opportunity for island chains to replace lost sands from one place to provide growth in others. Sands are either barged in from other locations, or dredged from nearby sources, then pumped into degraded area in stages, which allows for some natural settling to occur.

Major funding, typically by federal government sources, is needed to conduct these restoration projects. Permitting and environmental impact studies must be completed to ensure no non-intentional adverse impacts occur.

Near shore and splash zone fauna will be temporarily displaced. Activities of nesting sea turtles may also possibly be displaced. Oversight of contractors performing sand placement is essential to ensure sand is placed properly in the correct place and to correct elevations.

Using Controlled River Diversions for Restoration

Water control structure in Louisiana, USA

Mark Ford/National Park Service (US)

River diversions have been built along the Mississippi River in Louisiana to help replace some of the lost function of periodic pulses of fresh water, historically delivered during periods of high water, into the coastal wetlands. River diversions are water control structures that allow controlled flows from the Mississippi River into various basins of the delta. The Davis Pond diversion, with a 300 cubic meter per second discharge, upstream from New Orleans, releases fresh river water into the Barataria Basin which strongly influences salinities and sediment loads into the Jean Lafitte NHPP Barataria Preserve. Abundant fresh water and nutrient input into the preserve results in a robust growth response from submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV).

Local and state governments provide funding for these expensive structures. Public agreement is essential as changes to the hydrology and the ecosystem will impact users, though most see this as an improvement.

Not everyone agrees that freshwater inputs are good. Commercial fishermen worry that their fishing grounds may change and they will have to travel farther, and use more fuel, to find the same species they currently catch. Excessive water and sediment inputs can also change the floating and submerged plant communities in ways not desired. Periodic monitoring is essential to be sure the diversions are managed and operated in an optimal manner.

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Filling old canals

Amphibious marsh vehicle with excavator knocking down spoil bank

Mark Ford/National Park Service (US)

Canal filling project in progress. Area in the foreground has been completed with levee spoil banks knocked down and filled into canal. The area in the background with trees will be completed soon.

Mark A. Ford, National Park Service/US

Spoil banks from canal dredging are being pushed back into the canals, as funds for projects come available, in "backfilling" events. This helps restore the normal hydrology and keep the marsh healthy and less stressed. Canal backfilling eliminates the hydrology barrier present from the dredged material spoil banks, as well as partially filling in canals long unused for oil exploration or production extraction. Using heavy equipment, such as excavators on amphibious marsh buggies, old spoil banks are pushed into the canals. Trees are knocked down and the final elevation is similar to the surrounding marsh. This allows natural flows of water and allows for the mixing and equilibration of fresh and brackish waters. Canals have been backfilled at a cost of US$12K/0.5 ha. Hydrologic barriers are removed, water flow is no longer restricted, an exchange of fresher and saltier waters can take place and sediments within the water can move into the marsh, nourishing the marsh and adding to the vertical soil accretion. Submerged aquatic plants thrive as the elevation of the canal bottom is raised.

Old unused canals must be present on the landscape. Funding to push the old dredged material spoil banks must also be available. Once all required permitting is completed, projects can proceed.

This technique is relatively easy from a logistical point of view. It is essential to have all required permits completed before work begins. Also, be sure that all stake holders of the lands have been included in planning. In the USA, there are multiple owners/users in some places, such as National Parks, where fossil fuel companies own the subsurface rights to extraction. Old canals are often relics of oil exploration and some companies do not want these filled, though they have often gone unused for decades. In the case of canals filled at Jean Lafitte NHPP, the canals have expanded and broadened in width since the time they were dug. Pushing the spoil banks and vegetation back into the canals does not completely restore them to land, but sufficiently raises the water bottoms to allow submerged aquatic plants to thrive and for hydrology to quickly return to baseline levels. This impact improves the health of the wetlands overall.

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Thin Layered Marsh Nourishment

Spray dredging applying a thin layer slurry of dredged material to the marsh

Mark A Ford, National Park Service, US

Dredged materials from periodic dredging events are sometimes broadcast onto the marsh, including the floating marsh, in a marsh nourishment effort. When possible, spray dredges are used. These dredges collect the material, mix it with ambient water and spray the slurry on to the marsh surface. The thickness of the applied slurry can vary from very light, which would primarily nourish the marsh with fresh sediments and light nutrient loads, or applied to the marsh surface at depths up to and around 30 cm. Thicker applications would be desired if there is a strong vertical elevation deficit due to high soil subsidence rates.

Dredging of nearby waterways would need to be conducted. Given the relative short distances the slurry can be sprayed, areas of application would need to be within fifty (50) meters of the dredging operation. Funding and permits would also need to be secured.

Thin-layered application of dredged materials can be very beneficial to the marsh. Applications of greater than 30 cm can bury an existing plant community too deep, thereby killing the vegetation and perhaps causing more harm than good. It is important to have close oversight as dredging contractors often will apply the slurry randomly to suit their desires, versus applying where the restorationist would prefer.

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Partnerships and cross-sector collaboration

Redesigning global supply chains and delivering an inclusive business model linked to conservation requires a diverse set of expertise that requires collaboration. Net-Works was co-created by conservation charity ZSL and carpet-tile manufacturer Interface Inc. Strong partnerships with local communities and local partner organisations are vital to Net-Works’ success. Communities need to feel motivated to get involved and working with local partners who understand the local context and customs ensures that outreach and engagement is done in the right way.

ZSL had worked in the Philippines for many years and had already established relationships with local organisations and local communities. The success of the initial Net-Works pilot project, which involved a small number of communities, helped to motivate other communities to get involved.

Forging good relationships with local partners and with leaders from local communities is essential when trying to build trust and encourage communities to embrace a new initiative like Net-Works.

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