Sustainable Livelihoods

Aloe vera plantation managers , Sri Lanka © S. Christensen, 2011

The livelihoods of coastal communities are heavily dependent on resources and services provided by coastal ecosystems. From basic necessities including food, water and shelter to intrinsic services like tourism and recreation, coastal ecosystems cater to a multitude of human needs. The quality of these services and ecosystem health are in turn dependent on their judicious utilization by communities. Local people are not just recipients of these services but also exert direct influence on the nature and providing capacity of ecosystems.

The intricate links between local livelihoods and ecosystem health are now widely recognized. With coastal communities constantly evolving and diversification of their needs and occupations, there is a greater urgency to equate socio-economic and livelihood concerns with ecosystem health. It is now imperative that insightful parallels be drawn between decline in ecosystem health and livelihood activities.

MFF focuses on promoting livelihood activities that are environmentally sound, economically realistic and sustainable. Together with partners it seeks to address the challenges faced by coastal ecosystems and communities in the MFF countries. Through this programme of work MFF aims to develop models to guide livelihood restoration in post disaster situations, encourage replicable community led ecotourism activities, restore fisheries in tsunami affected areas and help market non-fish mangrove products.

For details about Actions, Outputs and Results, click [ + ]

Programmes of Work	Actions/Outputs	Contribution to results
8. Supporting environmentally sustainable livelihoods among coastal communities	Development of models to guide livelihood restoration in post-disaster situations, and methodologies to promote and action-learning approach to ensure that livelihood restoration activities are adapted to specific local needs and ecosystem conditions. Development of replication of small community-led ecotourism activities related to mangroves and other coastal ecosystems, and improve access to markets. Support the restoration of fisheries and aquaculture in tsunami-affected areas, and ensure that these efforts are environmentally sustainable. Development of efforts to add value to local use and marketing of non-fish mangrove products, linked to community-based management and conservation approaches. Identification and information sharing on alternative livelihoods which can address key threats to coastal ecosystems which arise from unsustainable exploitation or damaging harvesting methods, while meeting the long-term needs and changing socio-economic aspirations of coastal communities.	More environmentally sustainable coastal livelihoods More integrated development and conservation actions which serve to reduce vulnerability and increase resilience among coastal communities Improved participation in, support for, and benefit from, ecosystem conservation among coastal dwellers, especially women

Related News

ASF discusses project progress with GIF project manager

MFF projects encourage public participation in coastal management

Bangkok, Thailand 25 Jul 2012

Country: Asia Region

Topic: Capacity development, Civil Society Engagement, Capacity Building ...

MFF aims to achieve long term solutions that contribute to regional and national efforts that ensure environment issues are mainstreamed in development planning and activities. Hence, bringing together governments, non-government entities and the pr...

MFF India Small Grants partners with Dr Bhatt (Member Secretary, NCB India) and IUCN partners

MFF India Small Grant Mid-term Review

New Delhi, India 21 Sep 2012

Country: India

Topic: Knowledge for Management, Strategies for Management, Monitoring, Learning and Evaluation ...

The small grant mid-term review is a useful mechanism through which the progress of projects is evaluated and reviewed by the MFF Secretariat, NCB members and MFF partners.

Mr U Win Maung and his team visit the coastal protection zone

Sometimes, you just need to let nature take its course

Myanmar 21 Nov 2018

Country: Myanmar

Topic: Civil Society Engagement, Community Resilence, Strategies for Management ...

Growing over an estimated area of over half a million hectares, mangrove coverage in Myanmar is the second largest in Asia after Indonesia. These mangroves provide food, shelter and livelihoods to millions of delta and coastal dwellers in Myanmar and...

Featured Projects

S4S and community group clean and restore the RAMSAR mangrove site with hotel staff

Enhancing community participation in sustainable coastal management

Duration:

Location: Port Glaud, Mahé, Seychelles

Topics: Knowledge for Management , Civil Society Engagement , Sustainable Livelihoods , Gender equality , Knowledge management and communications

MFF Grant Amount: US$24,500

Strengthening the Community-based Coastal Resources Management Network through Community-based Learning Centers in Six Sub-districts of Trat Province, Thailand

Duration: 24 months

Location: Muang and Laem Ngob districts, Trat province

Topics: Capacity Building , Civil Society Engagement , Strategies for Management , Economic Valuation , Sustainable Livelihoods , Community Resilence , Financing Coastal Conservation , Capacity development

MFF Grant Amount: USD149,985

Promoting community participation in integrated coastal management in the North Western Province of Sri Lanka

Duration: 20 months

Location: The project was implemented in over 50 coastal villages, in nine coastal Divisional Secretariat Divisions in Puttalam District, in the North Western Province of Sri Lanka

Topics: Strategies for Management , Sustainable Livelihoods

MFF Grant Amount: USD 259,354.70

Mangrove forests worldwide have been vanishing at astonishing rates. Tanjung Panjang, Indonesia, which has lost over 60% of its mangroves in the last 3 decades, exemplifies this trend. The creation of aquaculture in nature reserves has in part led to this decrease in mangrove cover. With the help of IUCN's Restoration Opportunities Assessment Methodology (ROAM), local experts and several NGOs are working with current land users and the local government to restore forest landscapes and strive for a more sustainable future.