Management and economic incentives for conservation in dugong priority areas.
Coastal zones contain diverse and productive ecosystems which have been of great importance historically for human populations. They equate to only 8% of the world’s surface area but provide 25% of global productivity, and human-generated stresses on these ecosystems are considerable.
Approximately 70% of the world’s population lives within a day’s walk of the coast. Two-thirds of the world’s cities occur on the coast and oceans are the primary protein source for one in four people on the planet (worth US$92 billion globally). Marine ecosystems are among the most threatened on the planet, and some of the least known.
Business as usual for seagrass and dugongs, (1) disregarding the increasing consumption of marine resources globally and (2) dependency of poor coastal communities on marine resources together with (3) population growth does not provide a sustainable future development scenario, neither for businesses nor for coastal communities.
The Dugong and Seagrass Conservation Project aims to address these issues through managerial and economic solutions for seagrass ecosystems and dugongs. The Project will improve the governance and community involvement in natural resources stewardship and provide alternatives to detrimental fishing practices in the project countries.
Incentive Projects
Total Funding $2,043,765
Community based conservation and management of dugong and seagrass habitat in Bintan, Alor, Tolitoli and Kotawaringin Barat, Indonesia (ID3)
Research and anecdotal information from communities confirm that the dugong population in Indonesia is declining. Incidental catch (bycatch) and stranding in fishing gear (gill nets), as well as direct hunting...
Alternative Livelihood Creation to Preserve Dugong Habitats in Central Kalimantan (ID4)
The objective of ID4 is to assist in establishing alternative livelihoods for coastal communities adjacent to dugong hotspot areas, with a view to reducing the threats to seagrass habitats in...
Establishing a marine conservation coordination centre in north-west Sri Lanka (LK2).
This project seeks to improve the conservation of dugong and seagrass hotspots by strengthening legal, administrative and technical capacity with the participation of relevant government institutions, local communities and businesses,...
Establishing dugong and seagrass conservation areas in Palk Bay and the Gulf of Mannar (LK4).
LK4 aims to establish an additional 10,000 hectares of Marine Protected Area to support the conservation of dugongs and their seagrass habitat in the Gulf of Mannar and Palk Bay....
Providing incentives to local communities for wise stewardship of coastal habitats (LK7).
LK7 seeks to reduce the impacts of destructive fishing practices on seagrass habitats and provide income generation opportunities to local communities in return for their commitments to wise habitat and...
Building a model for long-term community-based conservation of seagrass-dependent biodiversity in Madagascar (MG1).
MG1 aims to support community-based monitoring and management of seagrass ecosystems within Madagascar’s largest locally-managed marine area (LMMA) via training community LMMA representatives in the participatory assessment and monitoring of...
Using incentivized environmental stewardship to conserve dugongs and seagrass habitat at an identified national hotspot (MG3).
MG3 seeks to support and strengthen protection efforts in the Nosy Hara Marine Park, which has been identified as the site of highest priority for dugong conservation in the country....
Integrated approaches to enhance the conservation of dugong and seagrass ecosystems in the Sahamalaza area (MG4).
MG4 aims to address the threats to dugongs and seagrass in the Sahamalaza National Park posed by direct hunting and fisheries by-catch as well as habitat destruction. Limited data concerning...
Operationalizing the Malaysian National Plan of Action for dugongs in Pulau Sibu and Pulau Tinggi, Johor, peninsular Malaysia (MY1).
The aim of this project is to operationalise the National Plan of Action for dugongs (NPOA) at Pulau Sibu and Tinggi, Johor, by working at the local, federal and national...
Overcoming knowledge gaps and involving the local community in supporting the establishment of a Marine Protected Area (MPA) for the conservation of dugongs and seagrass in the Bay of Brunei, Lawas, Sarawak, Malaysian Borneo (MY5).
This project aims to establish a Marine Protected Area (MPA) for the conservation of dugongs and seagrass in the Bay of Brunei, Lawas, Sarawak East Malaysia. The lack of protection...
Development of community-based activities to improve local engagement in marine management in the Bazaruto archipelago (MZ1).
This project aims to develop incentives to engage local communities in environmental management through alternative livelihood schemes and the provision of access to unmet reproductive health needs in order to...
The Bazaruto Dugong protection project (MZ4).
This project seeks to effectively contribute towards the improvement of the conservation status of dugongs in and around the Bazaruto archipelago by mitigating human-induced threats and applying a long-term approach...
Towards better management and protection of dugongs and seagrass habitats in the Solomon Islands (SB4).
The primary objective of this project is to improve the management of community-administered marine areas through information gathering, awareness raising and integration of dugong and seagrass safeguards into management plans....
Spirulina Cultivation to promote Marine Habitat Conservation in the Solomon Islands (SB7)
EnerGaia aims to work with local communities, non-governmental organisations and governments to help people achieve better health, incomes and environmental outcomes, and to initiate alternative livelihood development in coastal fishing...
Aluminium Recycling for Seagrass Habitat Preservation in Gizo, Solomon Islands (SB8)
The seagrass habitat surrounding Ghizo island in the Solomon Islands faces a major threat posed by the disposal of thousands of empty aluminium cans, mainly from Gizo, the capital of...
Incentivising community engagement in dugong and seagrass conservation in Timor-Leste through volunteer ecotourism (TL2).
TL2 aims to develop a replicable model for marine conservation ecotourism to incentivise local engagement in dugong and seagrass conservation in Timor-Leste. The project will pioneer an ecotourism model in...
Incentive Case Studies
Homestays in Timor-Leste Transform Tourists into Citizen Scientists
Achieving lasting conservation requires a truly multi-dimensional approach that incorporates education, legislation and research; however, its longevity often comes down to providing sufficient incentives for local people to engrain environmental...
Incentive Interviews
Dugongs and Seagrass in the Solomon Islands
Senoveva Mauli Director Solomon Islands Community Conservation Partnership (SICCP) What do local communities think about dugongs? Dugongs are something of an unknown to some communities in the Western Province (of...