Restoring Coastal Livelihoods

 

 

It is possible to facilitate the empowerment of the men and women in these communities to engage the government in constructive policy engagement initiatives so that they can regain access to the natural resources of their environment and develop the social and political capital necessary to be able to manage those resources in a beneficial and sustainable way, both as a source for their own livelihoods as well as for the benefit of the wider society. Among the environmental benefits would be the mitigation of the effects of climate change by the restoration of mangrove forests, which are effective carbon stores and barriers to coastal erosion.

To respond to the challenges, MAP-Indonesia, OXFAM and its partners in South Sulawesi will focus on the improvement of environmental governance, focusing on improved management of the intertidal zone described above, as a base for sustainable livelihoods and increased income security for coastal communities. This will be done both through activities at the community level involving men and women in pursuing better livelihood options, capitalizing on identified opportunities and actively engaging the government through policy engagement initiatives. Restoration of mangroves and other damaged ecological systems will be undertaken as a primary objective of this process and to underpin the objectives identified above. As natural resource management and environmental conservation and rehabilitation are long-term propositions – it might take between 15 – 30 years for an area to be fully rehabilitated (Lewis 1998 2a Cintron-Molero 1992) – the project will also include the development of short-term and medium-term livelihood development alternatives. In addition there will be activities that will link communities in to other development opportunities available in the area

This project is primarily a livelihood development program to improve household incomes, with a strong environmental conservation and improved management aspect. It is intended to bolster community empowerment, and rehabilitate significant areas of intertidal habitat using ecological, low-cost methods involving relevant stakeholders. As environmental degradation affects men and women differently, both perspectives will be taken into account in the implementation of this project.

In order to reinforce the livelihood potential of the mangroves, the RCL project will promote the development of sustainable livelihood alternatives with direct benefits to coastal communities with the local participation of NGO's, government, academia and local Community Based Organisations (CBOs). This will be conducted through efforts for more just and equitable natural resource management policies at the village, district and provincial levels through engagement with the government; development of village institutions’ capacity in environmental governance; implementation of 16 varieties of Coastal Field School, the development of small-businesses initiatives and markets for fisheries products, capacity enhancement in production and marketing; and skills trainings for CBOs and community groups.

Lessons learned regarding improved management of the intertidal zone, sustainable aquaculture development, and mangrove restoration and conservation for vulnerable rural livelihoods will be disseminated through Oxfam and its affiliates, MAP-Indonesia and the larger Mangrove Action Project international network of practitioners and advocates.

Project Goals

1. Improved income security for target households and communities.
2. Coastal ecosystems restored and managed effectively.

Project Outcomes

40 Hectares of mangrove rehabilitated
300 Hectares of mangroves identified for rehabilitation in years 2-3
16 Coastal Field Schools developed and completed including; bio-intensive farming, brackish water aquaculture, salt-water tolerant rice, bamboo, mangrove silvaculture, non-timber mangrove product development and improved cook-stove production.
Resilience Assessment
Market Analyses for potential sustainable coastal products

Status Updates

The project is just entering year two. A resilience assessment was prepared prior to the project - and revamped in year one. This assessment provides snapshots of social, economic and ecological conditions of 8 villages in the project area, which was used to inform project planning. The document also derives 18 lagging indicators (six metrics from each of the three fields, social/economic/ecological), which will be measured throughout the life of the project, as an attempt analyze quantifiable changes in resilience.

Documents

Resilience Assessment in Bahasa Indonesia
An assessment of social, economic ecological factors from eight villages along the western coast of South Sulawesi province.

Related Publications:

Mangrove ecosystem services and the potential for carbon revenue programmes in Solomon Islands