MFF Mangroves and Climate Change component showcases ways of building community resilience

Location: Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam. 1st Jun 2015 to 4th Jun 2015

As the pilot initiatives for Mangroves for the Future's component focusing on mangroves and climate change draws to a close, a review workshop evaluated how best practice can be mainstreamed into all MFF projects.

The mangroves and climate change component embraced the ecosystem-based approach as a key to resilience-building in coastal communities. The main objective of the component was to realise "climate change adaptation benefits and other potential environmental services from mangroves and coastal vegetation in MFF countries of South and Souteast Asia". This was achieved through implementation of specific activities in Bangladesh, Indonesia, and Viet Nam.

Several new methodologies were developed during the process, among them the Resilience Analysis Protocol (RAP), which is a five-step participatory process that helps develop a common understanding on social and environmental issues--including climate change impacts--in communities.The analysis provides information that can assist in decision-making, especially when identifying priorities for funding MFF Grant Facilities. The RAP is now the standard tool that MFF uses to facilitate its grant facility implementation.

An overview of results show that resilience building was the focus of at least 53 small grant projects implemented in the three countries where the component was piloted (Bangladesh, Indonesia and Viet Nam). Country specific methodologies were developed to enhance local governance and benefit sharing mechanisms such as co-management and Payment for Ecosystem Service (PES). The ecosystem-based approach was also the overarching principle for all activities under the mangroves and climate change component.

The workshop covered the following session topics:

 

Session Topic  Discussion points
 Session 1: Resilience building in coastal communities
  1. Overview of MFF Mangroves and Climate Change component
  2. Country Experiences and Lessons Learned - a view from the countries
 Session 2: Special studies on mangrove economic  valuation
  1. Ecosystem services: Concepts, Principles and Definitions
  2. Viet Nam: Ben Tre Mangrove Valuation Study
  3. Economic studies for management decision making: case study from Bangladesh
 Session 3: Special studies on integrated mangrove-aquaculture and livelihoods
  1. Mangrove-Aquaculture and livelihood support in Sulawesi, Indonesia
  2. Mangrove Aquaculture Systems in the Mekong Delta, Viet Nam: Lessons from MFF's Small Grant Projects
  3. Policy and tenure issues for rehabilitating degraded mangrove areas in Cokoria, Bangladesh
 Session 4: Special studies on co-management
  1. Overview of co-management in theory and practice
  2. Applying co-management in Bangladesh: Results and Lessons Learned
  3. Co-management implementation in Ben Tre Province, Viet Nam 
 Session 5: Payment for Ecosystem services
  1. Overview of PES Concept and Practice, including pilot initiatives in Viet Nam
  2. Special studies on Payment for Mangrove Ecosystem Services
  3. Viet Nam Marine Protected Area Management Effectiveness Evaluation
 Session 6: Other coastal management strategies and studies
  1. Mapping of coastal char land of Shyamnagar Upazilla having potential for mangrove rehabilitation
  2. MFF Regional Project on Mangrove Carbon and REDD+
  3. Coastal Management Strategies in the Mekong Delta
 Session 7: Effective Communications: strategies and experiences
  1. Efffective Communications: Strategies and Experience

 

 A field trip to Viet Nam project sites in Tra Vinh and Ben Tre was organized on June 3 and 4.

Monitoring MFF project activities in Torsiaje, Pohuwato

Monitoring MFF project activities in Torsiaje, Pohuwato, Gorontalo, Indonesia © MFF, 2015

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