MFF’s future gets mapped out at the 12th Regional Steering Committee (RSC) Meeting

MFF’s long history is a testament to how the programme responds effectively to changing needs and situations. The programme was originally developed as a response to the December 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami, recognizing the value of natural infrastructure for the protection and livelihoods of coastal communities. Since its inception in 2006, MFF has evolved from a programme focusing on disaster response and recovery to one which is actively building resilience of ecosystem-dependent coastal communities by promoting nature-based solutions and solutions for climate change adaptation and mitigation. After initially focusing on 6 countries worst affected by the tsunami, MFF has now grown to include 11 countries in South and Southeast Asia.

Through its grants facility, which offers small, medium, large or regional grants, MFF has been making an impact on the sustainable development of coastal and marine areas. A total of177 small grants have been awarded to local NGOs since 2010, supporting initiatives that have led to knowledge generation, empowerment of local communities and support for best practices in integrated coastal management. These grant projects range from empowering fisherfolk women in a village in Pakistan through alternative livelihood training, to planting 130,000 mangroves in a village in Indonesia that will benefit 4800 people. Gender integration is also becoming an increasing priority for MFF and since 2010 fifty five projects have actively responded to addressing gender concerns, 26 of which are women-led small grant fund projects.

The annual RSC meetings are held not just to report on and assess the work done but are also opportunities for strategic planning regarding MFF’s long term sustainability and direction. They also bring the whole MFF community together to address challenges and learn from each other. The 12th RSC, in particular, centered on the issue of MFF’s sustainability and its long term vision, and the legacy the programme can leave in the region given its long history of intervention to protect Asia’s coastal ecosystems. Each member country also made commitments to integrate private sector engagement strategies into their program to address MFF’s long term sustainability in a national context.  

Aban Marker Kabraji, Regional Director for IUCN Asia, ended the meeting by commenting on the changes MFF has gone through and will probably go through. She said, “MFF has gained enough critical mass to start thinking on different platforms and further engagement in trans-boundary partnership.”

RSC 12 was also important because it was held in tandem with a thematic consultation on the “Blue Economy for Climate Change Resilience: Towards Partnerships and Collaboration”, co-organised by the Embassy of Bangladesh in Bangkok and IUCN, with support from MFF. The meeting provided a platform for South, Southeast and East Asian countries to dialogue regarding achieving sustainable development of the oceans and seas through greater inter-regional cooperation. As a programme with regional reach, MFF is seen to act as an enabling platform for MFF member countries to interact and cooperate on mutual interested regarding the Blue Economy. During the RSC future directions regarding the Blue Economy and MFF’s role in pushing the agenda were also discussed.