A rapid assessment enabled us to intricately outline the methodological workflow for our collaboration with the company Aquapesca. This workflow began with the formation of the Change Makers Group, working in close tandem with the MUVA team to grasp the methodologies necessary for ensuring the sustainability of our approach within the organization. The Change Makers Group was entrusted with the responsibility of spearheading processes within the organization, ultimately becoming champions of inclusion and gender equality, working in conjunction with colleagues and leadership. Following the group's inception, leadership training was conducted to create awareness and generate initial ideas regarding the areas of focus for action plans with new practices and policies for the company. Subsequently, the Change Makers Group was trained, building capacity for them to facilitate the approval of these plans and mobilize working groups dedicated to each area of work. 

Community Fisheries management is complex and each CFi committee needs to convene and record meetings, hold elections, and be financially transparent and accountable. The committee also needs the skills to work with local authorities and understand the legal framework within which they operate. We provide these skills by delivering training modules in meeting procedure, committee management, Fisheries Law, gender in NRM, environmental protection, proposal and report writing, and budget management.

Co-creating a community assets and natural resources map sets the scene for community capacity building. A community resource map depicts both natural features (e.g. streams, ponds, paddy fields etc.) and physical infrastructure. Through resource mapping we learn how villagers manage, conserve, and use their natural resources. At least 10 knowledgeable community members should develop the community resource map, including CFi management committee and CFi members, women, elders, and local authorities. With the facilitation of the project team, a knowledgeable community member drafts the map. Before being depicted the location of important features should be discussed and confirmed by other participants. The map should also depict any formal zones (e.g. community fishing areas or community fish conservation areas) or discuss potential areas for zonation.

A group discussion follows the completion of the map to determine people’s reliance on and interaction with their natural resources, as well as major management and conservation challenges. This allows us find areas for improvement in community development, natural resources management and conservation.

The purpose of this block is to propose financial mechanisms to sustain ghost fishing gear surveillance and improve fishers' compliance with the management agreement. This is an economic analysis that helps to build a shared view of how the problem could be managed, how much that would cost in a certain period, and which funding options are available to the community, including potential income generation from the upcycling of ghost fishing gear and other marine debris.

The purpose of this building block is to identify the impacts of ghost fishing both on the ecosystems and the people.

Rapid ecological assessments are used to establish a baseline of the impacts observed in two ecosystems: mangroves and rocky reefs, identified as key conservation priorities in the management plan of the regional protected area.

The social-ecological aspects of the problem require more time for data collection. Surveys of perception, in-depth interviews, and workshops are used to obtain information from the fishing and diving community about how the problem is happening in the area and its social and economic implications. The goal is to gain a deep understanding of the situations that lead to fishing gear abandonment, loss, or discard.

The purpose is to improve the local capacity to safely remove ghost fishing gear from the sea. The existence of a permanent diving center in the area is mandatory to provide security during all aquatic activities of the training and cleaning campaigns.

The purpose is to encourage fishers to actively prevent fishing gear loss and to report it when it happens. Fishers are invited to participate in interviews and workshops, where they share their experiences and ideas for solutions in the local context.

As well as providing useful information about the surrounding natural area (e.g. trails, routes) and relevant information about this (e.g. routes’ terrain, length, degree of difficulty, changes in altitude), the trail centres also educate users on how to behave in nature. Codes of conduct educate users about how to respect nature while enjoying their sport/activity in a natural environment. For example, centres may provide information about how to respect nature when walking, running, or cycling on the local tracks, trails, and routes.

Some centres also provide information about the natural and cultural history on the routes, increasing users’ awareness of their natural environment.

The Trail Centres act as physical spaces that increase and improve access to physical activities in nature, contributing to physical and mental well-being.

Their carefully chosen locations in proximity to nature (forests, water, and trails) help establish freely accessible, round-the-clock meeting places and start-points for outdoor sporting activities. As some are located close to urban areas, they also provide a gateway from urban to natural environments. 

Their combination as an all-in-one clubhouse, provider of service facilities, and meeting and training space, makes them ideal sites for local sports associations to use, as well as un-affiliated groups or individuals. This provides a space for socialising within, and between, sports and promotes relationship-building amongst users and with local sports associations.

Providing access to service facilities participation in outdoor sports activities (e.g. bicycle pumps and cleaning stations; covered training space; functional training equipment (stairs, monkey bars, TRX, etc.); storage space for equipment; and changing rooms/showers/toilets). As sites for borrowing equipment (e.g. map and compass, roller skis, SUP boards, etc.), the centres also encourage people to try new activities in nature in an affordable manner. 

The numerous buildings in need of repair or conservation create the need for clear guidelines. Local authorities lack the capacity to guide owners or translate urban regulations into decisions and the town’s historic landscape is threatened by new buildings, extensions and restorations which conflict with its specific character and natural landscape.

Following the rise in requests for professional advice, Studiogovora published a best practice guide for preserving valuable characteristics. The guide builds on a detailed analysis of the buildings, historic spa complex and public spaces. It describes each type of architectural element: facades, ornamentation, balconies and terraces, roofing etc., extending to the courtyard and its relationship with the landscape. It outlines a set of rules, identifies valuable elements, and puts them in a larger context, suggesting solutions for repairing elements, and contemporary interventions.

The Guide was developed in cooperation with heritage professionals and it has been adopted by local authorities as a set of official recommendations that will be supported and monitored by a newly established local planning commission. The guide is available for free online and it is also available to be purchased in physical format.