Locally managed marine areas in Kimbe Bay: Reflections and future possibilities for ecosystem-based adaptation (2869)
The need to realise biodiversity conservation, food security, and climate adaptation from near-shore marine ecosystems is well-documented. This provides the rationale for Marine Protected Areas under the Coral Triangle Initiative. Locally Managed Marine Areas (LMMAs) – delineated near-shore marine areas where rules (e.g. harvest restrictions) are applied with clear ownership and management by local communities – are emerging as cost-effective and culturally-sensitive ways of realising these co-benefits. The LMMA network in Kimbe Bay of PNG was informed by principles of successful community-based natural resource management (CBNRM) and has been cited as an exemplar of CBNRM and ecosystem-based adaptation. During a multi-stakeholder scenario-planning process in 2013, LMMAs were identified as a priority adaptation strategy by vulnerable coastal communities. However, concerns were raised about the sustainability of these LMMAs given ‘business as usual’ projections of population growth, economic development and climate change. We sought to assess the effectiveness and sustainability of this LMMA network, given its current characteristics and governance. Two lines of investigation were adopted. First, the social-ecological context was assessed using data from the scenario-planning process and consultations with four communities with established LMMAs. This assessment considered the beneficiaries, the contributions to livelihoods, the trends in threats and condition, the costs of enforcement, and the present and future values of the biodiversity and ecosystem services derived from the LMMAs. Second, the characteristics of the LMMA network were compared with principles for successful CBNRM. These analyses revealed recommendations for improving the governance and management of LMMAs, which will be presented