Mangroves are exceptionally productive ecosystems, not only for the unique biodiversity that they support, but also for the host of ecosystems services, critical to the well being of millions of coastal people, that they provide. The ability of mangroves to mitigate climate change through carbon accumulation is an important ecosystem service that could incentivise and finance community-led leadership on mangrove management, helping safeguard the fisheries as well as improving community health and sustainable livelihoods.
During the past year an international assessment took place in Indonesia with the aim of selecting sites for holistic community mangrove projects. The landscapes that were investigated during this scoping study are spread across Sumatra, Sulawesi and Sumbawa. The scoping study consisted of an integrated approach that combined social and ecological methods, which includedcommunity listening surveys, stakeholder analysis, health assessments, fisheries supply-chain analysis and ecological surveys of mangrove habitats.
The results show that taking into account lived experienced of local communities, stakeholder’s perspective, and social issues related to livelihoods and fisheries are important factors to consider when