Summary
Social Marketing Lite builds social marketing capacity among Local Government Units in the Philippines to increase community engagement in MPA governance. It can be applied within one year and needs as little as 5,000 USD of financial support. By improving governance, the solution fosters well-functioning MPAs and thus climate change resilience of coastal ecosystems.
Classifications
Region
Scale of implementation
Ecosystem
Theme
Challenges
Sustainable development goals
Aichi targets
Challenges
Lack of support and awareness of marine protected area benefits
Beneficiaries
Local communities and organizations, municipal alliances, and government entities
How do the building blocks interact?
Impacts
Social Marketing Lite increased community engagement in the governance of MPAs as a strategy for climate change adaptation. It raised awareness of the importance of MPAs, and facilitated community participation in coastal management activities.
Story
On Suyac Island one can see the difference that Social Marketing Lite makes. The 1.8 hectare island with a population of 751 people is inhabited mainly by fisherfolk. Although the island has pristine mangrove resources, until lately the people of Suyac were not aware of their rich environment and its importance to people’s livelihood. They were unaware that some of their practices were environmentally destructive. They used to uproot mangroves or practiced dynamite fishing or fish poisoning. Along with the decision to establish eco-tourism on the island, Social Marketing Lite was introduced to trigger behavioral change. A people’s organisation composed of island residents was established to manage the emerging eco-park. Another activity that proved highly efficient on Suyac Island was the training of young children in mangrove protection, waste segregation, public speaking, and tour-guiding. Today, these young “eco-patrollers” act as advocates for coastal resource conservation on their home island.
Pictures
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