Cross-sector partnerships were the basis for achieving success in mangrove conservation efforts. The journey began in partnership with the World Bank, which supported the development of the initial documents. As the World Bank phased out its involvement, IUCN stepped in as a reliable partner to continue the work. This transition included co-funding a staff member for six months, allowing them to represent both IUCN and the World Bank until the document development was completed.

IUCN then formed strategic partnerships with WWF and WCS, who contributed valuable biodiversity data for the National Territorial Development Plan (PNDT) and Marine Spatial Plan (MSP). Notably, WCS and the National Biodiversity Database was fully integrated into the developed documents. These partnerships were extended to all other planning and conservation stakeholders, by maintaining a continuous information sharing system to ensure streamlined knowledge, support, understanding and engagement.

Ultimately, the most crucial partnership was with the Government, to which the partners need to refer to in order to pass on the data to be uploaded to the national GIS system. Effective governance and policy-making are the Government’s mandate and responsibility, and for policies to evolve or be adopted, they must be accepted and integrated by Government leaders. IUCN’s role was to facilitate transparent, reliable, and efficient dialogue, leveraging its expertise and broad network to drive these discussions forward and ensure alignment with the Government’s objectives.

The process was the cornerstone for transforming ideas into tangible results. The first step was ensuring the availability of high-quality data and demonstrating its importance within both local and national contexts. In the case of mangroves, this included their role in spatial and development planning, included in the National Territorial Development Plan, which highlights their impact on coastal livelihoods, climate adaptation, and potential blue carbon credits.

Once the data was gathered, the next step was presenting it to IUCN’s partners and members, fostering a supportive alliance to create a unified voice for advocating with decision-makers. This process continued by establishing and maintaining an open, trustworthy, and technically robust dialogue with policymakers and their technical teams. A key component of this was understanding how governance, policy and legal frameworks are developed and implemented, ensuring that even if contributions weren’t fully aligned with initial expectations, they remained practical and applicable and are adopted.

Ongoing monitoring, along with continued support from IUCN, ensured that the strategies were effectively implemented and adjusted when necessary. It’s important to acknowledge that while conservation and adaptation efforts are globally supported, they often require significant budgets, that are not available locally. To secure funding, these issues must be at the forefront of governance planning, allowing for the budgets and co-financing by development partners to be available.

The vital role of mangroves in coastal ecosystems has been emphasised through a wealth of scientific data and research. This knowledge has become the entry point for educating planners and decision-makers on the socio-economic significance of mangroves, from providing community income to supporting coastal adaptation. Through studies conducted by SOMN on Mozambique’s mangrove use and data from the Global Mangrove Alliance, IUCN has united key conservation actors such as WWF, WCS, Centro Terra Viva, BIOFUND, ABIODES, and government institutions to establish a common voice in advocating for mangrove protection.

IUCN and SOMN played a pivotal role in the elaboration and approval of the National Mangrove Strategy, which outlined clear goals, approaches, and restoration principles and were endorsed by the Government and conservation partners. Building on this foundation, the strategy was integrated into national policies, particularly the National Territorial Development Plan. This plan not only drives sustainable development but also maps out Mozambique's rich biodiversity, including its mangrove ecosystems. This allows local governments and community leaders to identify key conservation hotspots and priority restoration areas. The strategy also provides geographical and quantitative data, enabling conservationists and NGOs to monitor and track progress in their interventions.

Capacity building, knowledge and information sharing to address the marine invasive alien species threats are of major importance in terms of protecting marine ecosystems. 

The project initiated national scale capacity building activities via a scientific conference, which was organized between 21-23 November 2022 in Antalya, to discuss how to overcome the adverse impact of marine invasive alien species on ecology, livelihoods, economy and public health in Türkiye. Bringing together all the stakeholders working in this field, the conference served as a platform to share information on the ecological and economic effects of marine invasive species and the activities to eradicate, mitigate, and control them in the country and at a global level. Presentations by renowned experts focused on the destruction caused by lionfish, water hyacinth, rapa whelk and other species. This conference also acted as one of the significant steps towards developing the national policy in combating these species, as the solutions discussed at the conference stood out to guide enhancing the resilience of marine and coastal ecosystems. MarIAS project also organized a follow-up International Symposium on Ballast Water and Biofouling Management in Invasive Alien Species Prevention and Control on 28-30 November 2023 in Antalya.

The Turkish National Invasive Alien Species Data and Information System (TurIST) has been designed in line with the findings of the conferences and stakeholder consultations and launched in 2024 as a database covering 181 different species, to help scientists and policymakers by showing where invasive alien species are congregating and measuring the ecological, economic and social damage they cause. TurIST is expected to facilitate international cooperation to enable joint action aimed at solving the common problem. The real-time database will continuously receive data from fishers and local NGOs to provide experts and policymakers with up-to-date information. 

In the meantime, Biosecurity and Quarantine Mechanisms Guidelines were produced for critical sectors, and serial trainings were held for fishers, divers, and marine transport sector representatives with the participation of governmental institutions, Turkish Coast Guard, NGOs, and local communities at the pilot sites, including fishermen, Central Union of Fisheries Cooperatives, divers, aquaculture, commercial boating, and maritime transport sector representatives, and the Women Fishing Association. The trainings aimed to increase knowledge and awareness on IAS threats, impacts, mitigation measures, and best practices.

The project also invested in raising awareness of invasive alien species in schools and the preparation of primary and secondary school lesson plans. In the 2022-2023 academic year, around 9,000 students working with 300 teachers were reached, highlighting the adverse effects caused by marine invasive alien species on ecology, economy and public health. 

MarIAS (Addressing Invasive Alien Species Threats at Key Marine Biodiversity Areas) project is committed to improving the country’s legal and institutional infrastructure to counter the threat of invasive alien species. In the light of this aim, a "By-law on Prevention and Management of Introduction and Distribution of IAS” has been drafted in line with the EU Legislation, and National Invasive Alien Species Committee and National Invasive Alien Species Technical Advisory Groups have been established under the existing National Biodiversity Coordination Board. 

To address potent threats in the long term, the project has also enabled the development of Türkiye’s first strategy and action plan to combat invasive alien species and restore the ecosystems they have harmed. The new strategy, which is comprised of 11 components covering 57 actions to be realized between 2024 and 2035, is aligned with regional, national and international best practices.

The objective (mission) of the Strategy is to coordinate and cooperate at the national and international levels on the implementation and measures concerning issues such as the introduction, detection, monitoring, control, and prevention/mitigation of invasive alien species. The strategy has been prepared within the framework of three main objectives under this mission:

1. Preventing the entry of IAS that harm all sectors, early detection, rapid intervention, monitoring, combating and preventing damage in order to protect biodiversity, ecosystem services, economy and public health;
2. Restoring or improving invaded habitats and ecosystems;
3. Supporting all efforts in the field of combating IAS on an international and national scale and increasing Türkiye's effectiveness in this regard.

The coordination of the National Invasive Alien Species Strategy and Action Plan will be undertaken by the National Invasive Alien Species Committee.

The cash crop integration component aimed to incentivize tree management by linking reforestation efforts with short-term income generation. Top-performing farmers, assessed based on tree survival rates and GAP training participation, were awarded cash crop inputs such as soya beans and groundnuts. These crops were selected for their adaptability to local soils, market demand, and ability to complement agroforestry systems. Farmers achieved an average 12% increase in soya bean yields (350 kg/acre) and 10% increase in groundnut yields (240 kg/acre), with incomes averaging UGX 1,050,000 ($285) for soya beans and UGX 900,000 ($244) for groundnuts. The inclusion of cash crops encouraged farmers to maintain their agroforestry systems, reducing tree felling for short-term needs.

The primary purpose of tree planting at community level is to achieve large-scale ecosystem restoration while enhancing local livelihoods through agroforestry. The project partnered with four communities to mobilize 425 farmers for tree planting, distributing 73,867 seedlings. Farmers were trained in Good Agroforestry Practices (GAP), including tree planting techniques, mulching, pest and disease management, and soil fertility enhancement. Tree species like Grevillea robusta and Agrocarpus were selected for their fast growth, timber production potential, and ability to improve microclimates and soil structure. Tree planting activities focused on degraded lands prone to erosion and drought, effectively addressing flood control, biodiversity restoration, and ecosystem loss.

The purpose of community-based permanent nursery beds is to ensure the production of high-quality, resilient seedlings for reforestation efforts while building local capacity. Each of the four project districts (Luwero, Mbale, Busia, and Kapchorwa) established one centralized nursery bed per location, equipped with essential tools, irrigation facilities, and trained nursery operators. Seeds were delivered early (December 2023–January 2024) to allow for the full growth and hardening process, ensuring seedlings met survival standards. The nurseries produced 96,423 seedlings of multi-purpose tree species, including Grevillea and Agrocarpus, which were selected for their adaptability to local climatic conditions, drought resistance, and soil stabilization properties. Nurseries also served as training hubs, where farmers learned good agroforestry techniques, seed propagation, pest control, and seedling management techniques.