Coastal Communities combat Climate Change

Conservation actions, or “focal management targets”, for areas around the GMWR were identified and prioritized using biological data as well as social perceptions on the status and importance of these targets. Perceptions are shaped by the degree of reliance, both current and historical, that local actors have on those targets. The prioritization exercise also considers key characteristics such as ecological values, representativeness, capacity to influence other focal management targets, threats, and relevance to local livelihoods improvement, and serves as a guide for resource designation while also helping to bring local concerns closer to protected area / buffer zone management goals. The threats affecting each target were also identified and assessed by experts and communities alike.

The effectiveness of natural resource conservation in protected areas is closely and directly linked with the effectiveness of communication and stakeholder coordination strategies. However, social rapprochement efforts often occur within the limits of protected areas, without taking into consideration actors located in the areas of influence or buffer zones. For GMWR and its surrounding “conservation gap areas”, it was important to assess and improve the effectiveness of the current communication strategies and to build trust to facilitate dialogue concerning the protected area. For this, a new methodology was developed, using a set of 6 positional and global indicators based on the social role of each actor (nodes). The information was collected through several participatory activities, such as community workshops, and individual consultations with local community leaders and government representatives. The data were analyzed with UCINET and Net Draw mathematics and graphics programs. Each activity had the objective to review and update progress made, and to reach agreements on next phases; these iterative steps augmented the sense of transparency and openness of the process being conducted.

The approach applied in GMWR will allow the integration not only of scientific and community-based information, but also of local perceptions (that historically tend to be relegated to a secondary plane) on prioritized focal management targets and into the characterization of forms and means of local communication. These social aspects can now be integrated into official management instruments, as essential elements of the strategy needed to address the conservation gaps around GMWR. For such a strategy to be effective, it must encompass a public participation strategy that is designed on the basis of the above findings (4.1 and 4.2). In turn, for this participation strategy to be robust and responsive, it should consider the quantitative and qualitative analysis of existing communication and coordination networks, and should propose means to strengthen and consolidate these networks. This is crucial, given the finding that there is a direct correlation between the density and power of social networks in coastal communities, and the effectiveness of conservation actions in these areas.