Education and awareness to secure the future of dugong and seagrass
The significance of dugongs and seagrasses is poorly understood at local, national, regional and global levels. This is true from a communal perspective, as well as a legislative and governance perspectives. Better information delivered in culturally appropriate ways to target communities and coupled with other social and economic incentives to change behaviour, is crucial to effective conservation.
The awareness of dugongs varies from little to no awareness at all – in some countries, people do not know what a dugong is and prescribe it shark-like characters; in others, cultural beliefs in the healing power of the dugong have led to the loss of the animal; in other countries the dugong is a sacred animal. In, yet others, a food source. Dugong, as magnificent and charismatic sea creatures indicative of ecosystem health is not top of mind.
The lack of information on seagrass ecosystems and their importance for sustaining the livelihoods of coastal communities and the role they play for helping to mitigate climate regulation, maintain marine water quality and marine biodiversity have made the ecosystem of little concern for communities and decision-makers.
The Dugong and Seagrass Conservation Project raises awareness on both, dugongs and their habitats. The Project collaborates with a broad range of stakeholders and institutions to create enabling environments for the promotion of conservation and sustainable use through capacity building, awareness raising and education programmes.
The Project’s awareness raising works on mobilising support locally and nationally. Dugong and seagrass advocacy capacity is under development in the eight Project countries and will be followed by national and local advocacy campaigns. The knowledge of dugongs and seagrass will also enter classrooms and reach educators and kids at different ages.
Education & Awareness Projects
Total Funding $862,301
Improving national awareness and research of dugong and seagrass in Indonesia (ID2).
ID2 seeks to enhance community awareness of dugong and seagrass conservation and management, improve the capacity of dugong and seagrass research and monitoring, and provide scientific information to support related...
Raising awareness and respect for dugongs and their seagrass habitat in Sri Lanka (LK1).
The pressure on dugongs and their seagrass habitat in the Gulf of Mannar and Palk Bay is driven by the high dependence of local communities on marine resources to sustain...
Fisher knowledge, awareness and behaviour change for the conservation of dugongs and seagrass using the Mihari network of Locally Managed Marine Areas in Madagascar (MG2).
MG2 aims to support dugong and seagrass conservation efforts throughout Madagascar by actively collaborating with the Mihari network, Madagascar’s national network of Locally Managed Marine Areas. The project will work...
Community understanding and management of dugong and seagrass resources in Johor, Malaysia (MY3).
MY3 seeks to assist local communities in understanding the ecological and economic importance of conserving dugong and seagrass resources and to improve local capacity to manage these resources more effectively...
Developing an education and awareness campaign to conserve dugongs in the Bazaruto Archipelago and Mozambique (MZ3).
This project aims to raise awareness of the importance of dugongs and seagrass to the biodiversity of the western Indian Ocean and Mozambique, specifically highlighting dugongs’ role in the spread,...
Implementing National Awareness, Management and Recommending Policies for Dugongs and Seagrass Conservation in the Solomon Islands (SB2).
The use of seagrass habitat ecosystems are important to the livelihoods of local communities. The shallow, near-shore habitat requirements of dugongs and their slow rate of reproduction render them particularly...
National-level awareness campaign to champion dugong and seagrass conservation (TL4).
Dugongs are protected under the Marine Protected Species Act, and reference to their endangered status is made in the National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP). The NBSAP describes the...
Education & Awareness Case Studies
The Power of Education and Awareness: Indonesia
A central component of the Dugong and Seagrass Conservation Project is the work done to spread education and awareness of key threats to the species and its habitat, as well...
Education & Awareness Interviews
The value of seagrass
Richard Unsworth Dugong & Seagrass Conservation Project Technical Advisor Marine Ecologist Swansea University Richard is a marine ecologist based at Swansea University and a founding Director of the conservation charity...
Seagrass Meadows Key to Climate Change Mitigation
Len McKenzie Principal Researcher & Program Leader, Seagrass-Watch Secretary, World Seagrass Association Dugong & Seagrass Conservation Project Technical Advisor Len has over 20 years’ experience as a research scientist on...