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.

This building block is to explain how I developped an App that allow fishers to contribute to marine science knowledge in Africa. 

Initially we gave fishers a pre-printed form to report opportunistic sightings they encountered. However, the form was getting lost most of the time. 

We decided to move to a digital solution. The existing App by then required internet to work and was just too complicated for fishers. So we thought we shoud develop an App that will be more userfriendly for fishers. 

We wrote the  algorithm (workflow) of the App and then contracted an Indian development company to write the code. 

Later we had to bring the development of SIREN back to Cameroon to reduce the cost of developement. 

We work with volunteer around the world that will continuously support with the development of the SIREN

This building block emphasizes the importance of training students and local actors in advanced technologies for conservation purposes. In Bio-Scanner, students from the Universidad Politécnica de Yucatán  are trained in using AI algorithms, camera-trap data processing, and decision-support tools, fostering a new generation of professionals equipped to address biodiversity challenges.

This building block is centered on the use of Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs), including Siamese and Autoencoder architectures, to detect and identify individual jaguars based on unique features such as rosette patterns and morphology. These algorithms process camera-trap data efficiently, reducing the time required for analysis and providing critical insights for decision-making in conservation.

This building block provides the essential spatial intelligence for PyroSense, enabling a dynamic understanding of the geographical landscape. Its core purpose is to identify fire risk areas, pinpoint incident locations, and visualize resource deployment. This is crucial for strategic decision-making, allowing proactive resource allocation, and response planning. 

PyroSense utilizes a robust Geographic Information System (GIS) to power this function. The GIS integrates various spatial data layers, including topography, vegetation, infrastructure, etc. Initially, baseline risk maps are created by analyzing factors, guiding the placement of sensors and cameras.

Upon detection of a potential fire by environmental sensors or AI, the system immediately feeds the precise coordinates into the GIS. This real-time location data, combined with meteorological data (local and satellite), enables dynamic risk assessments. The GIS also serves as a central operational dashboard, visualizing the real-time positions of all deployed assets, including drones and first responder teams. This facilitates optimal resource allocation and coordination. This critical information is then communicated via a web application to stakeholders, providing clear visual situational awareness and supporting informed decision-making.