BY LORETTA B MANELE

A key outcome of consultations for MECDM’s Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) Mangrove Management Policy (MMP) is the need for more inclusive decision-making processes.

According to the MACBLUE (Management and Conservation of Blue Carbon Ecosystems) project, there is need of more inclusive decision-making processes that integrate the perspectives of both the state and customary land owners.

The MACBLUE Project, implemented jointly by GIZ, SPC and SPREP, has been supporting the government in developing and refining its legal and policy framework for the protection and sustainable management of coastal ecosystems, particularly mangroves and seagrasses. 

This policy is part of a broader Integrated Coastal Zone Management framework and has undergone several rounds of consultations and revisions, supported by Solomon Islands National University SINU, Korea Environment Institute (KEI), Climate Technology Centre and Network (CTCN) and the Solomon Islands Government (SIG).

The finalization of the Mangrove Management Policy represents a significant milestone in strengthening the governance and sustainable management of coastal ecosystems in the Solomon Islands.

Sammie Airahui, National Project Coordinator for the MACBLUE project in Solomon Islands explained that after having just finished the draft policy, funding stopped.

“We have just finished the draft stage of it, but somehow this project was lost to the CTCN, and the funding has stopped.”

However, he expressed that MACBLUE willingly stepped in to carry out the remaining internal review, plus the stakeholder validation workshop.

“MACBLUE has stepped in to facilitate the last few workshops that remain when finalising this document.”

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