A multi-actor alliance to reduce the risks of cascading hazards in Sian Ka'an.
Full Solution
Sian Ka'an Mangroves
CONANP
In the face of climate-related challenges, and various socioeconomic pressures in Sian Ka'an, CONANP has created an innovative multi-actor alliance to increase local adaptive capacity through an EbA strategy based on mangrove rehabilitation & income diversification. A key step was to engage farmers using targeted public financial mechanisms. CONANP has supported the fishing sector to diversify its productive activities. The academia has also played a prominent role in planning, and regulation.
Last update: 27 Mar 2019
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Context
Challenges addressed
The maintenance of long term funding is a great challenge, if all the activities related to the rehabilitation, vigilance and monitoring of the mangroves ecosystem are to continue. Investment in staff, infrastructure and technical equipment is indispensable. To ensure that a balance between tourist activities, local livelihoods and ecosystem conservation is maintained well into the future, it is necessary to be continually communicating with, involving, and providing technical and moral support to local communities both inside and around the Sian Ka’an reserve. Rehabilitating the mangroves is not done cheaply nor quickly. One does not move machinery in and out of mangroves, nor carry rubbish out, easily. A lot of planning and resources are needed. In addition, studies are essential to be able to aid the identification of efficient rehabilitation actions.
Location
Sian Ka'an, Mexico
Caribbean
North America
Process
Building Blocks
Increasing the resilience of alternative local ecosystems that can provide habitats to lobster species
Whilst it is not easily possible to recover the sand bank habitat, it is possible to rehabilitate the local mangroves that have been in decline in recent years, in order to increase the capacity of habitat in the local mangrove to support the lobster in their early developmental stages. The latter has been concentrated on 480 hectares near the lobster fishing communities, and has as its goal the aim of reinvigorating the populations of maturing lobster going out to sea and thus increase these populations’ adaptive capacity in the face of climate hazards.
Enabling factors
To count with research centres’ support and scientific guidance about the causes of the mangrove degradation, and practicable solutions to reversing this degradation;
To count with economic and human resources to be able to employ local communities to carry out the rehabilitation work;
To count with local community support to maintain the improvements that have been achieved
Lesson learned
Communication & alliance building between the responsible government agencies, NGOs, and academic research centres is crucial for effective mangrove rehabilitation in complex situations in which mangroves are suffering from multiple climate, anthropogenic and hydrological hazards;
Without good scientific guidance, it is possible to rehabilitate mangrove ecosystems in a manner that is sustainable, and benefits local livelihoods;
Creating and maintaining channels within the mangrove system for facilitating natural flows between salt- and freshwater sources is a key component for reducing salinization problems, as well as making sure that a healthy mangrove is maintained;
It is important to maintain the awareness that climate change not only presents direct risks to communities and ecosystems, but also highlights existing structural weaknesses in the social-economic and ecological system.
Thinking “out of the sector”: Intelligently targeted payments for key actors
CONANP decided to make use of targeted payments to create a local workforce to maintain and rejuvenate the mangroves, in order to support the fishing sector. An obvious target of the payments and a source of a workforce would be that same fishing sector. However, CONANP took the unusual step of thinking “outside of the sector”, and to involve a sector not linked at all to the problem: the local agricultural communities. CONANP noted that the livelihoods of this sector are under increasing pressure from loss of markets, reduction of soil conditions, and the loss of traditional levels of precipitation as a result of climate change. On the one hand, focusing on this sector has provided an extra source of income which increases the adaptive capacity of this group in the face of changes in rainfall patterns. On the other hand, the involvement of the agricultural communities, has had the benefit of introducing the latter to the problematic and importance of the mangrove ecosystems, creating a new ally in the fight for increased resilience. In other words it has supported inter-sectoral learning and collaboration between two groups that hardly ever interact, improving the capacity for adaptation to both sectors’ different climate risks.
Enabling factors
Effective communication & awareness-raising by CONANP to generate a shared vision of the relevance of integrated mangrove ecosystem management among agricultural communities. Continued existence of financial resources to pay for the services of the agricultural communities supporting the rehabilitation of the mangroves; Knowledge and awareness of CONANP about the risks faced by the Mayan agricultural communities, and when they were in need it provided temporary employment.
Lesson learned
Be prepared to “think out of the sector” for new potential allies. Instead of focusing collaboration on the usual allies, one should consider whether there are other sectors that could be involved in the EbA measure (mangrove rehabilitation) that could benefit from being involved (through reduction in their own climate risks, and increase in sources of revenue), and in return, can promote multi-sectoral collaboration and problem solving. Financial instruments or subsidies, when mismanaged, can distort local capacities for generating and maintaining sustainable livelihoods. The continued flow of such payments is not always possible in the long-term. Therefore, it is important that such payments are not deemed an end in themselves, but are applied in a manner that is supportive, and not substitutive, of local livelihoods.
Increasing the adaptive capacity of local community fishing businesses
CONANP is encouraging lobster fishermen to diversify into providing sport-fishing opportunities for local tourists, rather than relying on just selling lobsters to local and regional hotel. This makes the most of a competitive advantage in the sports-fishing industry: sports fishermen are attracted to the region by the diversity of species, desiring the challenge of catching a range of such varieties, rather than one big one.
CONANP is supporting this diversification in the following ways:
Supporting the expansion of local fishing cooperatives into tourist service operators aware of the importance of the maintenance of local ecosystems and in following CONANP regulations;
Providing capacity development to these cooperatives in the area of touristic business development and administration
Mediating between cooperatives and resolving conflicts through regulation and norm setting (for example, in the quantity of launches that can take tourists out, per day)
Enabling factors
To have or build consensus and commitment within and between communities about the type of touristic services offered.
Build upon existing structures (such as fishing cooperatives) of social cohesion, leadership and organization to support negotiations and problem solving, as well as enabling communication and interaction between actors;
Availability of scientific evidence to design norms for the sustainable implementation of new touristic activities.
Lesson learned
It is very useful and relevant to have reliable scientific studies, and solidly-researched business models, to support local training and design of new touristic business opportunities;
Local people tend to be apprehensive about the risk of losing short-term sources of income; therefore they tend to resist any change in their productive activities.
Before any investment in new productive activities, the communities have to be able to trust, and have solid evidences that these new activities are practicable and potentially profitable.
It is of vital importance to make use of existing social structures or organizations (i.e. cooperatives) to generate, lead and manage new productive activities;
Managerial skills and knowledge might be limited in marginalized and rural communities. Therefore, it is essential to support capacity development in this area. For example, how to sell their services, as well as how to account for and manage successful businesses.
Increasing markets for local sustainable products from the mangroves
CONANP has supported the access to markets for sustainable products available from the mangroves, such as the mangrove-flower honey. This creates new sources of income for local communities (creating further adaptive capacity for them), and generating increased interest in the sustainable maintenance of the mangroves. An important agent for the implementation of this building block has been the Civil Association “Amigos de Sian Ka’an” who have helped to identify and strengthen points of sale for new products.
CONANP has supported this building block by:
a) Identifying potentially profitable niche products that are already being produced in Sian Ka’an
b) Training local communities in the commercialization of the following niche products: (i.e. Mangrove flower honey & Pitahaya jam).
c) Developing strong collaboration with actors such as the “Amigos de Sian Ka’an” who can open up new markets, otherwise unknown to CONANP.
Enabling factors
To count on trained CONANP field workers to be able to identify potential niche products based on traditional uses of the mangrove.
To count on existing capacities and traditional knowledge related to the production of high value niche products;
To be able to have a clear link and access to new markets for these traditional products;
Evidence-based business models for the successful commercialization of niche mangrove products;
Effective communication and collaboration between governm
Lesson learned
It is important to factor into business models the fact that niche products based on the mangrove will also be affected by climate change, and to plan adaptive strategies accordingly to mitigate the risk. The mangrove flower honey, for example, will be affected by erratic rainfall patterns.
It is not easy to provide access to new markets for new niche products, therefore resources should be focused in this area;
Local people have a desire to reduce the risk of losing short-term sources of income, and tend to be more risk-adverse to adapting their productive activities. Before any investment in new productive activities , the communities have to be able to trust, and have evidence, that these new activities are practicable and potentially profitable;
It has to be recognized that basic capacities for managing businesses might be very low in marginalized communities. It is therefore essential to support targeted capacity development.
Realizing the entrepreneurial capacities in local housewives for adaptation to climate change
CONANP has supported a new women’s cooperative (“las orchidias”) aimed at providing additional and innovative, non-capital intensive, eco-touristic services, and thus delivering additional sources of income to climate-change threatened lobster fishing families. Examples include: bicycle and kayak tours, and environmental interpretation routes.
CONANP has provided support in the form of :
a) Training for multiple actors
b) Financing,
c) Certification of activities and services
d) Organizing women’s peer-to-peer knowledge exchange and mentoring
The additional co-benefits of this approach have been to increase the confidence and self-esteem of local housewives, and to raise their position in the eyes of their families, as well as to provide a new potential organized group as a platform for future activities.
Enabling factors
Existing (or newly generated) formal organizational capacity;
Awareness-raising not only amongst women, but within the community, as to the benefits of women-led productive activities.
Peer-to-peer exchange and mentoring opportunities.
a) Sufficient resources for supporting:
b) Awareness-raising
c) Training
d) Idea generation
e) Certification
f) Equipment
Lesson learned
Women play a great role in the maintenance and resilience of the livelihoods of their families and communities, and there is much unused capacity that can be unleashed in the generation and implementation of new businesses. However, the barriers to doing so are high, and extra resources are needed. It is not a building block that can be implemented cheaply.
If there is not a formal organizational capacity (such as cooperatives), it has to be generated, for this type of effort to be successfully realized;
In situations where traditional productive activities are led by men, much effort and resources need to be employed to overcome entry barriers for women in front of productive activities.
Training, certification and equipment, are not enough for women’s immersion in new businesses. It is crucial to promote the exchange of lessons learned between women of different communities, and long-term peer-to-peer mentoring.
Need of business skills capacity development.
Evidences are needed
Evidence-based problem solving
CONANP has been forming an alliance with local universities, research centres, and NGOs, to ensure that problem solving and regulations, are guided by scientific studies and hard evidence.
Examples of key products or interventions, include:
1.“Forensic ecology” activities to understand the causes of mangrove salinization resulting from the construction of road infrastructure in the 1940s, and alternatives to reverse its effects in a practicable and cost-effective manner.
2. Scientific calculations of the capacity of local water bodies to support new tourist water-borne activities
3. Market research for new non-extractive productive activities.
Enabling factors
Identify which academic actors can support key interventions
Effective contacts and history of collaboration (academia, civil society & government)
Effective inter-sectoral communication: not only between government and academic sectors, but also, and most importantly, being able to communicate research questions and results to local communities.
Financial resources to leverage support from the academic sector and NGOs.
Lesson learned
The role of intermediaries between the academic sector and communities is of utmost importance for the success of this type of building block. This role can be most ably played by individual consultants and NGOs who have the capacity to effectively interpret and communicate the results of scientific knowledge to local people.
The intermediaries need to be able to facilitate the flow of traditional knowledge and local information back to the academic sector. It is very important to ensure that studies are properly carried out within the local context and with the maximum of relevant information available.
It is of enormous help for a governmental agency to be able to assign, to the collaborative activity behind this building block, skilled staff who can judge the relevancy and quality of the scientific knowledge being offered by the academic community. Not all scientific knowledge is of the same quality or practical relevance.
Impacts
1) Local mangroves have started to be rehabilitated providing added protection to the local area against storm hazards. 2) As a result, local lobsters now count with a larger area of habitat to support their early developmental stages, thus increasing their own capacity to adapt to storm hazards. 3) Lobster fishermen have increased their adaptive capacity by being supported to diversify their livelihoods into providing sport-fishing opportunities for local tourists, not just selling lobsters to local and regional hotels. 4) Local farmers have increased their awareness about the importance of mangroves to local ecosystem health and resilience, and the farmers’ economic capacity to adapt to climate-change induced reduction in precipitation have been boosted by being involved in the payments for ecosystem services programme related to mangrove rehabilitation.
Beneficiaries
Local fishing communities. Local agricultural communities. Local women. Visitors.
Sustainable Development Goals
SDG 11 – Sustainable cities and communities
SDG 13 – Climate action
SDG 14 – Life below water
Story
The Biosphere Reserve of Sian Ka’an, is one of the most important biodiversity hotspots in Mexico. It is inhabited by fishing and agricultural communities. The reserve is constantly under the pressure from touristic and real estate development activities. Maintaining the geographical integrity of the reserve, and thus the benefits to locals and visitors alike, is a long-term challenge that CONANP and other partner organizations are dedicated to addressing. In terms of climate hazards, both ecosystems and local communities face cascading risks. An example is the increasing strength of tropical storms that, apart from causing damage to property and people, is causing the erosion of sand banks, which in turn damages some of the habitats necessary for lobster lifecycles. Ecosystem services provided by mangroves in the area have been weakened due to previous storms, infrastructure development and by problems of salinisation. Reducing this cascade of risks, has required innovative alliances across multiple sectors. CONANP has collaborated closely with local civil society and academia.They have created an evidence-based strategy for reducing the salinity of the mangrove system by building channels under the road that reconnected freshwater-saltwater fluxes. This was only the first step in rehabilitating the mangroves. CONANP has also promoted natural regrowth. It has built “tarquinas” – little islands of sediment entrapped in netting – that permit the growth of new mangrove trees. Corridors were then excavated to augment the natural flow of nutrients and water between the existing parts of the mangrove system. Rubbish collecting has also been carried out. Reducing vulnerability and increasing adaptive capacity has been pivotal in these efforts. CONANP employed agricultural communities to support the rehabilitation activities in the mangroves. This supports their economic wellbeing and contributes to increase their resilience to climate-change induced precipitation and harvest losses. It also reduces the pressure of extractive activities on local resources that would otherwise have occurred as a result of communities’ attempts to counter losses in harvests. For the fishing communities, CONANP supported the diversification of activities to increase their capacity to adapt to the potential reduction of lobster populations. Training, certification and mentoring has been provided. Local women are being organized and trained to manage eco-tourism businesses.
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Other contributors
Biol. Felipe Angel Omar Ortiz Moreno
National Commission of Natural Protected Areas, CONANP
