Graham Epstein and Mark Andrachuk co-author report with the World Wildlife Fund on community conservation
For centuries, coastal communities have been the primary stewards of the waters and coastlines of the Southwest Indian Ocean. And thankfully, national policies in the last few decades have recognized this history and legacy by formalizing the legal devolution of management rights in different ways. Still, we know more work is needed to ensure coastal communities have the secure rights, capacities, and resources needed to govern equitable and effectively in the modern world.
In the inaugural report, Dr. Graham Epstein and Dr. Mark Andrachuk (PhD, Faculty of Environment, 2018) worked with NGO partners at World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and Coastal Oceans Research and Development in the Indian Ocean (CORDIO) to systematically assess the status of local governance community managed areas in Southwest Indian Ocean, and chart a path forward for strengthening locally-led governance. The report shows clear progress in several areas, but also highlights the need for further investments to strengthen community-led governance to better protect biodiversity and secure sustainable livelihoods for local communities.
Main photo credit: Peter Chadwick, WWF