Local | PANORAMA

1. Establishment of an operational committee with representatives of the Indigenous population, local authorities and other important stakeholders for joint project management

In the project areas, the project launched an operational committee responsible for selecting local support measures (e.g., infrastructure and capacity development), based on mutually agreed criteria, such as women’s participation, interest in the measure and its chances of being sustainable.

This body included two representatives (at least one a woman) from each of the five territorial councils as well as representatives from the municipalities (two), departments of forestry and agriculture (two), local NGOs (two), a university (one), the World Food Programme (one) and the implementing organisation, GIZ (four). Meeting regularly every three months, the committee handles joint project management, including annual planning, project monitoring, and dealing with risks and conflicts.

A major demand was expressed for stronger participation mechanisms and increased efforts to improve local livelihoods, which meant that there was already support for the establishment of an operational committee.

GIZ has been active in the region for more than 15 years and thus has very good relations at the local level, which facilitate access to important information and information carriers. The cooperation by a consortium of an international Consulting and international NGO present in the area was another positive factor.

Governance should be a core element of every EbA project, if it is to follow best practices for justice-based EbA (i.e., strengthening the rights of Indigenous Peoples, particularly women, in decision-making and in preventing or moderating conflicts). Very important in this respect is the awareness building in national institutions to adapt their norms and procedures to the needs of indigenous communities.

Early involvement of the local population in project conception together with the use of local experts and knowledge are crucial for gaining acceptance of the EbA approach. Moreover, in the appraisal process of new projects, it is essential for the local population to be properly informed and heard, so that it can adequately advocate and prioritize demands and needs.

Local

Central America

Sustainable Natural Resource Management under Climate Aspects in Indigenous Territories in La Mosquitia’

Harald

Mossbrucker

1. Establishment of an operational committee with representatives of the Indigenous population, local authorities and other important stakeholders for joint project management

2. Installation of problem-solving platforms, which serve as working groups for conflict resolution and consensus building, especially on land tenure and resource use issues

3. Identification of flexible project implementation mechanisms, which can reflect demands at the local level (e.g., contracting of local employees from the Miskitu population)

Central America

Sustainable Natural Resource Management under Climate Aspects in Indigenous Territories in La Mosquitia’

Harald

Mossbrucker

1. Establishment of an operational committee with representatives of the Indigenous population, local authorities and other important stakeholders for joint project management

2. Installation of problem-solving platforms, which serve as working groups for conflict resolution and consensus building, especially on land tenure and resource use issues

3. Identification of flexible project implementation mechanisms, which can reflect demands at the local level (e.g., contracting of local employees from the Miskitu population)

Central America

Sustainable Natural Resource Management under Climate Aspects in Indigenous Territories in La Mosquitia’

Harald

Mossbrucker

1. Establishment of an operational committee with representatives of the Indigenous population, local authorities and other important stakeholders for joint project management

2. Installation of problem-solving platforms, which serve as working groups for conflict resolution and consensus building, especially on land tenure and resource use issues

3. Identification of flexible project implementation mechanisms, which can reflect demands at the local level (e.g., contracting of local employees from the Miskitu population)

Central America

Sustainable Natural Resource Management under Climate Aspects in Indigenous Territories in La Mosquitia’

Harald

Mossbrucker

1. Establishment of an operational committee with representatives of the Indigenous population, local authorities and other important stakeholders for joint project management

2. Installation of problem-solving platforms, which serve as working groups for conflict resolution and consensus building, especially on land tenure and resource use issues

3. Identification of flexible project implementation mechanisms, which can reflect demands at the local level (e.g., contracting of local employees from the Miskitu population)

3D-printing

Archireef leverages the latest technologies in 3D printing to create artificial habitats that are truly ocean-friendly. With the algorithm-based adaptiveness and 3D printer’s versatility, our reef tiles have been proven 4 times more effective in keeping the corals alive than conventional methods, securing 95% of coral survivorship.

Most, if not all, players in the coral restoration industry involve the use of harmful materials such as concrete blocks and metal rebars. We use clay, which is a truly ocean-friendly material that is non-toxic to the ocean. We are also able to tweak the design of our biomimicry pattern based on the growth form of local species, allowing a 4X higher effectiveness in restoration success.

With full control over our R&D (via a hub in Hong Kong) and our production (via a facility in Abu Dhabi), we have established a strong basis for both new product development and full scale commercialisation. With this in mind, our 2025 goal is to expand our footprint to 10 large restoration sites across the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans.

Environmental DNA

Internationally, coral restoration and biodiversity are still lacking behind in terms of certification and uniform verification / measurement standards. To address this issue, we adopt eDNA - environmental DNA - to measure biodiversity, though in the long run, international standards would definitely increase our recognition and perceived reliability.

Our Chief Scientist and Co-founder Dr David Baker is also an Associate Professor of Ecology and Biodiversity at the University of Hong Kong, as well as a multi-disciplinary marine ecologist with a focus on coral reef species. He leads our scientific team to develop a robust methodolgy to measure and monitor the impacts of our restoration work using science-backed methodologies such as eDNA.

eDNA approaches require much less effort in terms of human resources and time. Water and sediment samples can be procured easily, and stored indefinitely. Data analysis does not require any special taxonomic expertise. It is therefore presumed that eDNA biodiversity monitoring will become the norm in the future, once good regional databases for biodiversity are established.