Download Ecological Gap Assessment: A case study from the Marshall Islands

Ecosystem Based Adaptation in the
Marshall Islands
Policy & Practice
Deborah Barker-Manase,
Deputy Director
Office of Environmental Planning and Policy Coordination (OEPPC)
[email protected], [email protected]
Overview
 Introduction-Marshall Islands
 Background & context
 Climate-proofing conservation area
planning process
 Community based adaptation
projects
Introduction & General Background
• 29 low-lying atolls & 5
individual islands;
• 2 million km² in the central
Pacific Ocean;
• 1225 small islands & islets
making up the Ratak (sunrise)
and the Ralik (sunset) chains;
• Pop. Over 60,000 (1998)
Introduction…
 Marshallese - Aelōn̄ Kein
(Current, Sky, Land)
 Exclusive Economic Zone
(EEZ)4 of the Marshall
Islands is over 2 million km2
(770,000 sq. miles) and a
mere fraction of that – less
than 0.01% (183 km2 or 70 sq.
miles) – is land
 The atolls consist of biotic
limestone on a deep basalt
core, built over millions of
years by living coral
organisms.
1,225 individual islands and islets make up
the Ratak (Sunrise) chain in the east, and
the Ralik (Sunset) chain in the west.
Impacts to RMI
 Ocean acidification
 Increase in frequency of storm surges
 Longer frequency of droughts
 Negative effects to our marine resources
 Sea level rise
 Land degradation
 People/our heritage
Context and Background
-Designed as a technical tool to assist
resource agencies facilitate resource
management planning with local
governments & traditional leaders
through a consultation process;
-Identifies & recommends coarse, fine
and species targets important for
cultural purposes (turtles,
mangroves), and for unique and
special areas (spawning &
aggregation sites)
-Created from lessons learnt from
resource management planning in the
RMI
Context and Background
-Marshallese professionals
working on conservation issues
in RMI;
- Involved most relevant
national government and non
government agencies ;
- Unique as it combines both
Traditional & community
management with science;
 The ecosystems on each atoll are important to the communities
who live on the atoll
 Conservation of ecosystems plays a vital role in climate change
because they provide natural carbon sinks. Healthy ecosystems
also enhance the resilience of islands to the impacts of climate
change.
 Recognize the role of Traditional Leaders as caretakers and
protectors of their people and their natural resources and the
intimate connection between people, culture and natural
resources; and
 Realize that modern efforts to sustain the “Micronesian Way of
Life” and to ensure the health, prosperity and diverse cultures of
our island people are unlikely to succeed if the ecosystem
services on which island and human rely continue to be
degraded; and
Community based process –
Climate Lens
 'climate proofing' of the Reimaanlok to provide
guidance on ecosystem-based adaptation
 placing the most vulnerable people, communities and
ecosystems at the heart of national climate change
strategies
Community based
process- climate lens
Local knowledge: mapping of threats,
identifying trends; capacity to cope;
calendar of events
Socio-Econ: baseline tool;
Impacts to livelihoods &
lifestyle; level of knowledge
and concern; stakeholder
differences
Add to Baseline Survey: Vulnerability Assessment
Adaptation action on the ground Bikirin
 Bikirin Islet located on the north east side of Majuro Lagoon
 Small community based project led by landowners
 Vegetation restoration to reduce vulnerability to coastal surges
 Using the Reimaanlok process, traditional windward vegetation
(i.e. various types of salt-resistant trees) are being planted to
protect inland and leeward side food sources and homesteads.
They are called jannar in Marshallese. The inland windbreakers
are called jelitak.
 Safeguarding the natural resources and natural defenses that
people have as a cost-effective measure that has multiple
benefits...
Bikirin…
 Janar – Mixed forest - windward
shores
 Scaevola, Tournefortia, wild
Pandanus, Guettarda, Suriana
(northern atolls)
 Protection of water lens, coastal
protection and land stabilization,
protection from salt-spray & wind,
provision of food resources in the
form of planted edible Pandanus
 Scaevola toccada – most seaward,
drooping branches can effectively
dissipate wave action
Ailuk Atoll…
 To restore and maintain the atoll
and lagoon ecosystems to
provide resilience to climate
change impacts, through
sustainable use of natural
resources and reduced landbased impacts
 Rapid Ecological Assessments to
provide baselines and initial
project-based restoration and
adaptation management
activities
 Define an appropriate set of
locally-driven indicators for the
whole atoll and seascape that
will provide evidence of the
success of adaptation efforts
Implementation Challenges
Ensure adequate administrative & institutional capacity
Strengthen personnel capabilities
Highlight costs of ‘doing nothing’ and of adaptation
Sustainable financing
Strengthen legal frameworks
Maintain an inclusive and participatory process
Select technically appropriate and effective measures
Data gaps esp. terrestrial data
Financing
 A sustainable finance plan has been completed
 6 million $ pledged from GEF and matching
contributions from Govt and INGOs (TNC, CI), as well
as donor funding, in particular from the German
Government.
 Support still needed, especially technical and
financial, networks and assistance sharing the lessons
and successes of the MC to the global community
 Leverage of success across RMI and our partner
countries
Thank you!
Kommol Tata!