Component 4: Capacity Building and Sustainability
Background
The Capacity Building and Sustainability is one of the five key components of the National Action Plan agreed during the 6th Meeting of the RWG-SG held in Bolinao, Philippines from 27 – 30 September 2005. During that meeting, the proposed regional activities under the above component were found varied where the following eight sub-components were identified:
• Human Resource Development
• Immediate Training Activities
• Law Enforcement
• Monitoring, Controlling and Surveillance
• Financial Sustainability
• Infrastructure Development
• Institutional Building and Strengthening
• Network Establishment and Strengthening
This component remains to be an important element for the Regional Strategic Action Programme (SAP) as concluded during the 7th Meeting of the RWG-SG held in Beihai, China from 24 – 28 July 2006.
During the 7th Meeting of the RWG-SG recently held in Beihai, China, 24-28 July 2006, the sub-committee (Yom and Din) essentially considered the component of Capacity Building and Sustainability to remain as an important element for the formation of Regional Strategic Action Programme (SAP). However, the sub-component was trimmed down to only three as some similar activities are merged into one same heading. Below are the agreed sub-components:
• Human Resource Development
• Financial Sustainability and Institutional Strengthening
• Network Establishment and Strengthening
Objectives
To strengthen the capacity for sustainable seagrass management and conservation.
Sub-component
4.1 Human Resource Development
Training on the human resource development aims to improve knowledge and skills of individuals that involve in seagrass conservation and management. It covers both short and long term trainings. The short term training is the one organised for a short period of time, normally within 1-2 weeks. During the 7th Meeting of RWG-SG held from 24 – 28 July 2006 in Beihai, China, the following is a list if activities agreed by all members:
• Seagrass resource assessment and monitoring,
• Resource management models (e.g., marine parks, marine protected areas, fisheries refugia, community-based management),
• Socio-economic aspects of seagrass management (economic valuation, cost revenue analysis, socio-cultural assessment),
• Habitat rehabilitation (transplantation, restoration and artificial seagrass),
• Supplemental income generation (e.g., invertebrate and seaweed culture, sea ranching, eco-tourism development and ethnobotanical study,
• Social marketing and information, education and communication (IEC) initiatives (print, radio, TV),
• Institutional arrangement and management framework (policies & guidelines, local and national legislation and EIA),
• Incorporate threat evaluation as part of management framework formulation,
• Paralegal issues, stakeholder analysis, community empowerment and participatory approach,
• GIS and remote sensing and
• Community-based management.
The long term training is referred to the one organised for a longer period, normally between six months to 2 years, leading to a diploma or post-graduate degree certification. It involves the provision of scholarships to young scientists to gain knowledge and experience in broader disciplines but closely associated with seagrass such as in the field of biology, ecology, conservation, socio-economy etc.
4.2 Financial Sustainability and Institutional Strengthening
Sustainability and success of the capacity building and the overall implementation of seagrass project are very much dependence on the availability of funds and close cooperation between the implementing agencies and the other support organisations and institutions. The activities include:
• Establish a Seagrass Trust Fund
• Strengthening and expanding regional collaboration
4.3 Network Establishment and Strengthening
Managing environmental issue will become more effective through collective responsibility. Hence, establishing networking and strengthening it are very crucial. The activities include:
• Organise annual/regional conference and symposium
• Upgrade UNEP-GEF website
• Periodical publication
