Component 2 - Generating robust local economies that capture and sustain marine ecosystem services

Dried fish market, Bantayan Island, Cebu (M King)

Component 2 of CCRES aims to generate robust local economies that capture and sustain marine ecosystem services.

CCRES will bring a ‘whole of system’ business thinking to the way in which coastal communities manage their natural capital assets to support sustainable livelihoods. The work will demonstrate how communities can combine local knowledge with business knowledge and decision-making tools to create complementary suites of businesses that promote social, environmental and financial outcomes.

Using business techniques, such as value chain analysis and complex system analysis, our work will help policy makers, community leaders, and business owners link economic value to ecosystem service value so that ecosystems and economies can mutually reinforce one another.

Only when the value of ecosystem services becomes an explicit component of the local economy can a transition to sustainable, equitable ‘blue economies’ take place.

Our key activities in component 2 are:

Analysing and modelling the system

CCRES aims to understand how communities currently use and interact with ecosystem services, and how these interactions, along with external factors, have led to current problems such as resource degradation, resource use conflicts, failed or dwindling livelihoods or persistent poverty.

Identifying new markets and business opportunities

Considering linkages to ecosystem services, CCRES will generate and test business scenarios; identify improvements to existing businesses and new business opportunities; and launch market creation processes.

Creating business models and tools

CCRES will build ecologically-informed business models that support the sustained supply of marine and coastal ecosystem services, generate economically viable alternative livelihoods, and increase local stewardship of coastal natural capital. Spatial planning models and toolkits will demonstrate the value of the coastal natural capital and assist communities to develop new, sustainable revenue streams which both protect and enhance that capital.