Mangrove Governance Innovation for Sustainable Ecosystem Service Provision
Mangrove forests are among the most productive and valuable ecosystems in the world. They provide essential ecosystem services, including carbon sequestration, biodiversity support, wood and food provision, and coastal protection.
Despite covering only 0.7% of the world’s tropical forest area, mangrove forests provide critical ecosystem services to over 120 million people globally. These unique coastal ecosystems act as natural barriers against storm surges and flooding, support biodiversity, and store up to five times more carbon per hectare than most tropical forests. This ecosystem is increasingly facing environmental challenges such as deforestation, climate change, habitat degradation, urban development and complex governance issues that vary significantly from region to region.
To ensure the continued provision of the ecosystem services of mangrove forests, the MangrovES project was created as a pioneering study focused on developing innovative governance approaches for mangrove forest management.
The project is led by Professor Daniela Kleinschmit and Stefan Sorge at the University of Freiburg, in collaboration with the Corporation Center of Excellence in Marine Sciences and the Leibniz Centre for Tropical Marine Research (ZMT)
Research Objectives
The project has four specific objectives and related work packages, which it pursues through the development of a governance framework
Strengthening knowledge exchange and implementation
Sharing knowledge and good practices among stakeholders, supporting communities and decision-makers, and building lasting partnerships to protect and sustainably manage mangroves.
Consolidating information on mangrove ecosystem services governance
Bringing together global and national information to better understand how mangroves are managed, how different organisations and communities are involved, and what influences their long-term protection.
Identifying success factors for innovative governance approaches
Exploring successful approaches in Colombia to develop a flexible guide that can be adapted to different mangrove forests, considering both shared experiences and local needs.
Scaling governance innovations for ecosystem services provision
Applying successful governance approaches across three Colombian coastal regions and exploring how these experiences can be adapted and shared with other regions around the world through research partnerships.
Methodology and Framework
The research employs the social-Ecological-Technical-Forestry-Innovation-Systems (SETFIS framework), which builds upon Elinor Ostrom’s Socio-Ecological Systems Framework. This comprehensive approach integrates multiple disciplines including social and political science, economics, forestry, ecology, and transition science within a multilevel governance environment.
Outreach
Community level
Promoting the sustainable management of local resources to ensure that communities can maintain and benefit from their natural assets over the long term.
Regional Level
Collaborating with Regional Autonomous Corporations and other environmental institutions to strengthen governance capacities and support the scaling of sustainable management approaches.
Private sectors
Supporting sustainable value chains and innovative market opportunities based on mangrove ecosystem services, while empowering local enterprises through environmentally responsible and diversified economic activities.
Political decision-maker and civil society
Assisting political processes informing supportive structures and instruments aligned with global sustainability objectives while addressing local needs and challenges.
Scientific knowledge communication
Combine local and academic knowledge to co-develop accessible outreach materials that reflect community perspectives and scientific insights.
Facilitate knowledge exchange
of bottom-up solutions between communities for alternative income generation, sustainable economic, social and ecological development
Results
Strengthened knowledge exchange across local, regional, national, and global levels
* Connecting academic researchers with local communities
* Facilitating exchange between communities within the same region
* Sharing experiences and solutions across Colombian regions
* Fostering exchange between Colombia and Kenya
* Strengthening academic collaboration between Germany and Colombia
Guide for communities to manage projects
Inclusive participation in the design, implementation, and evaluation with third-party organisations.