Green recovery measures which invest in ecosystem restoration and management (e.g. wetland restoration) offer opportunities for creating employment for local communities through surplus labour in the short-term while building medium to long-term resilience through healthy ecosystems. 

During the pandemic, with unprecedented challenges to lives and livelihoods, there was widespread economic and social disruption, with an increased risk of people falling into extreme poverty and further exploitation of available natural resources. In these scenarios, marginalised communities such as farmers, fishers and urban workers who had to return to their villages were most at risk of poverty, malnutrition, and disease.

Waged and self-employed workers were expected to rely on natural resources as market chains were affected by the pandemic. Moreover, wise use of natural resources was not a priority in this crisis and thus foreseen that ecosystems would be (over)exploited. Designing and implementing measures to restore ecosystems would therefore be useful not only to meet the immediate needs of the population, but also to safeguard future interests and build the economic, social, and climatic resilience of communities and other ecosystem dependants. 

With this in mind, two of the pilot sites (Bhitarkanika in Odisha and Point Calimere in Tamil Nadu) have implemented green recovery activities, which support direct wages through ecological restoration activities.

BioInvest works with the Investment Readiness Program to bridge the gap between enterprises and impact investors. This programme educates enterprises with three training packages on key techniques and tools to present companies attractively to investors. BioInvest also organises matchmaking events to bring companies and investors together.

Our Blue Future (OBF) developed a three-year strategy (2023-2025), which will be implemented through a collaborative OBF system involving government agencies, the private sector, local communities, and development partners. The strategy is to deliver on three strategic pillars:

1. Empowering stakeholders
2. Improving integrated ocean governance
3. Promoting sustainable investment and financial flows in the blue economy sectors.

Thematic action areas were identified as the following: Blue tourism, circular economy, community livelihoods, ports and shipping, blue finance, fisheries, blue technology, and nature-based solutions/grey-green infrastructure.

Concrete activities are being implemented in the pilot country of Mozambique, including work on circular economy and the development of a Club of Friends for Maputo National Park.

The private sector has a profound role to play in catalyzing and accelerating the transition to an inclusive sustainable blue economy (ISBE).  There has, however, been minimal private sector engagement in ISBE matters. Our Blue Future has developed a private sector engagement strategy, which focuses on effective ways to engage the private sector and the benefits they can gain.  

The private sector is driven by opportunities, value creation, financial risk, operational risks, and regulatory risks. Our Blue Future offers the private sector opportunities through Innovation Teams to mobilize resources, a showcase platform, a collective voice for advocacy, an innovation testing ground, matchmaking with other partners, a sense of community, and the chance to build a legacy.

The Western Indian Ocean (WIO) region is recognized globally as a biodiversity hotspot with high ecological and socio-economic value. However, with increased global demand for natural resources, pollution, climate change, and a diversity of unsustainable economic activities, the region’s fragile coastal and marine ecosystems are under threat. In response to this, efforts and innovative solutions are urgently required as a business-as-usual scenario will likely result in the depletion of coastal and marine resources and associated socio-economic benefits. Starting in 2020, to bolster collective leadership between state, private sector, and civil society actors, GIZ’s Western Indian Ocean Governance Initiative (WIOGI) and partners supported discussions to develop a regional multi-stakeholder initiative for an Inclusive Sustainable Blue Economy in the Western Indian Ocean region. This proposal was presented and endorsed during the tenth Nairobi Convention Conference of Parties (Decision CP.10/12) in November 2021.

The acquisition and management of conservation assets, exemplified by entities like 'the Cheorwon Crane Land,' follow a structured legal framework outlined in the 'National Trust Act on Cultural Heritage and Natural Environment Assets'. According to this law, the National Nature Trust (NNT) Board of Directors (BOD) has the authority to make decisions regarding the purchase of such conservation assets (Article 12). 

The National Nature Trust employs a multifaceted approach to effectively conserve and manage 'the Cheorwon Crane Land.' To this end, the National Nature Trust issues ‘Crane Eco Securities' signs MOU with ‘the Cheorwon Branch of Korea Crane Protection Association’ (December 2016), and conducts the annual events such as crane population surveys, birdwatching, and bird feeding activities in the DMZ area (held from December to February).

The commitment to conservation extends beyond local efforts, as demonstrated by the 'DMZ Global Trust Campaign.' This initiative aims to broaden and sustainably utilize crane habitats, leveraging the ESG practices of companies both domestically and internationally. The overarching goal is to advocate for the continuous promotion of the 'DMZ Eco Belt’. One strategic plan within this campaign involves expanding OECM (Other Effective Area-Based Conservation Measures).

Local communities are actively contributing to habitat conservation through initiatives like preserving rice straws and providing water to rice paddies in winter, facilitated by Payment of Ecosystem Service (PES) contracts. Engaging in 'ecotourism programs, including crane birdwatching activities, and hosting 'Crane Seminars,' they create added value for their efforts. Furthermore, farmers in the Cheorwon area have taken an innovative approach by producing 'Cheorwon Odae Rice' and promoting their product brand using the image of the crane.

'The Cheorwon Crane Land,' serving as a conservation asset under the stewardship of the National Nature Trust is situated in Yangji-ri, which boasts a fertile plain and is adjacent to Togyo Reservoir and the Hantangang River, resulting in abundant water resources. This geographical advantage makes it a haven for various migratory birds that flock to the area every winter, typically from mid-October to March. Embracing its rich ecological setting, Yangji-ri has actively pursued becoming a full-fledged eco-village. This commitment has earned notable recognitions, including being selected as an eco-friendly excellent village in 2000, becoming a project operator of the New Rural Construction.

Cheorwon, situated in the vicinity of the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), stands as a crucial wintering ground for cranes, an endangered species. Due to restricted development and civilian access since the Armistice Agreement in 1953, the area has become vital for the survival of these birds. The Cheorwon Plain, with its expansive farmlands and reservoirs, along with the wetlands of the DMZ, serves as essential feeding and resting grounds for crane species.

A positive trend has been observed in crane populations, with 372 red-crowned cranes and 474 white-napped cranes in the Cheorwon Plain in January 1999 (Kim Sang-won, et al. 2020). This upward trajectory has continued, reaching 833 red-crowned cranes and 2,766 white-napped cranes in January 2017. The commitment of local farmers, particularly since 2004, in preserving rice straws and providing water to rice paddies under the Biodiversity Management Agreement Project has played a significant role in this success.

This trust initiative aligns with the Global Trust's mission to safeguard private land in the DMZ (South) and the Civilian Control Zone, preserving it as public property and a 'common heritage of mankind' in the face of development pressures.