| The overall goal
of this project is to provide an integrated approach to the environmental
management of Marovo Lagoon that will support protection of the
region's high biodiversity and allow for sustainable use of the
lagoon's resources to support the local communities. To achieve
this we will undertake both an anthropological study of the Indigenous
cultures to identify current approaches to environmental management
and use of the lagoons resources, as well as an inventory of marine
ecosystems in the Lagoon and various aspects of its current ecosystem
health.
The provision of these tools for the
protection of Marovo Lagoon are essential in the development of
an integrated environmental management approach. Developing countries,
such as the Solomon Islands, do not have the luxury of declaring
large regions of the marine environment off limits to human use,
as may be possible in developed countries. Hence, environmental
management in developing countries must work with the local communities
through shared education to achieve a culturally appropriate sustainable
outcome for both the community and the environment. In many cases
the highly productive marine ecosystems provide food and income
for a large proportion of the population of coastal communities
and sustainable use of this resource can be achieved through the
integration of scientific and community knowledge that can lead
to change for potential long term benefits. However, before we can
discuss modifications to current practises that impact on Marovo
Lagoon (both terrestrial and marine), we need to have a better inventory
of the ecosystems that are present and the environmental pressures
that may be threatening certain ecosystems. |