Enhancing Governance

Coastal management processes need to be both responsive and adaptive to changing needs, threats and circumstances in ecological and socio-economic conditions. Thus long-term monitoring and response mechanisms are needed that can detect changes at relevant scales, identify likely causes of these changes, and recommend management responses and adaptations to deal with them. In the aftermath of the tsunami it became apparent, that more long-term programmes for monitoring socio-economic and ecosystem indicators were needed in the region. Coastal management tends to be based on relatively fixed plans, and lacks flexibility to adapt, respond and reorient itself as needs and conditions change.

Furthemore, new interventions, such as replanting of mangroves, needs associated monitoring programmes. Methodologies are now widely available, for both socio-economic and ecological monitoring in the field, as well as for broader spatial assessment using satellite imagery.

MFF seeks to improve coastal management by applying ecological and socio-economic assessment and monitoring mechanisms for key MFF actions.

This programme of work carries out actions to generate the following outputs:

1. Needs assessment to identify existing socio-economic and ecological baselines and gap-filling of deficiencies in key data and indicators.
   
   
2. Support to regional and national systems for the spatial assessment of ecosystems using satellite imagery, and to mechanisms for developing the communication and information sharing necessary to combine data at a regional level.
   
   
3. Development, and associated training in the use of, common protocols for community- based and scientific monitoring of coastal ecosystem health and socio-economic indicators.
   
   
4. Application of ecological and socio-economic assessment and monitoring mechanisms for key MFF actions, paying particular attention to actions aimed at protected area management, coastal ecosystem rehabilitation, and community sustainable livelihood activities.

The actions carried out under this programme of work will contribute towards the following MFF results: More efficient and effective impact and use of resources to support environmentally sustainable coastal development at the regional level More sustainable, equitable and effective protection, and where necessary rehabilitation, of coastal ecosystems Increased prioritisation of coastal ecosystem management across national development agendas, policies and budgets