Mangrove restoration by community members
IUCN @ Paul Aragón
"Action learning" and monitoring to increase capacities and knowledge
Mangrove restoration by community members
IUCN @ Didier López
Supporting ejido community members to implement EbA measures generates a process of "action learning" that, in addition to teaching, aims to generate evidence on the benefits of EbA and create conditions for their sustainability and up-scaling.
- CRiSTAL Community Risk Assessment
- Mangrove restoration (4.1 ha) and surveillance are considered priority EbA measures.
- Technical support is provided to 33 community members (men and women), complemented with their traditional knowledge, to learn about mangrove restoration techniques and carry out the restoration of degraded areas.
- 5 community technicians are trained to monitor and evaluate the restored areas (measurements of tree diameter, physical-chemical parameters and sediments).
- Monitoring and evaluation is carried out to learn about the food security with 10 families (sample) and study the benefits of restoration on livelihoods on dry and rainy season. Household social surveys used as methodology (guidelines to be published).
- Joint learning on the advantages of income diversification, such as gardens (orchards), agroforestry and beekeeping.
The increase in capacities and knowledge strengthens human capital and contributes to community empowerment and with that, to more possibilities for political advocacy and accessing financial resources.
- Some members of the Conquista Campesina ejido had previous experience working with good ecological management practices and/or had participated in the local Payment for Environmental Services scheme (coordinated by Pronatura Sur A.C. and CONAFOR). This facilitated the acceptance of restoration actions by community members.
- When implementing the monitoring and evaluation baseline for food security and its improvement through EbA, many ejido members realized that it was important to manage their territory integrally and not only ensure the protection, conservation and restoration of the mangroves. This awakened interest in diversifying the crops used in family plots, and the understanding that this measure would improve family alimentation and expand income sources.