Cooperating countries: Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, Austria

Coordinating institution: University of Graz, Department of Geography and Regional Sciences

Project coordinator: Heide Bruckner

Partner institution: Solomon Islands National University, University of Papua New Guinea

Project duration: 01.09.2024 - 31.08.2027

In the face of a rapidly changing climate, conservationists encourage a variety of climate mitigation activities, such as protecting coastal mangrove forest ecosystems for carbon sequestration. While there is variation in these ‘blue carbon’ projects, normative discourse centers on ‘ecosystem services’ which map, measure and predict flows of ecological goods. Critical geographic literature on sustainability and traditional ecological knowledge raises concerns that the paradigm of ‘ecosystem services’ is based on utilitarian logics that misrepresent the complexity of local human-environment relationships. Furthermore, a narrow focus on ecological biodiversity runs the risk of excluding the very community members that live within these environments. In the Pacific Islands region, indigenous populations, and particularly women, rely on mangroves not only as blue carbon ecosystems, but for food and as an important component of their sense of belonging. Yet, mangrove forests are declining due to population pressures and logging. A holistic management plan for social-ecological mangrove protection is urgently needed, but one that arises from indigenous epistemologies and is co-produced with community members.
To support Pacific Island communities in developing such management frameworks, an interdisciplinary research team from the University of Graz, Solomon Islands National University and the University of Papua New Guinea will 1) identify how South Pacific Island communities understand mangroves as spaces for food, culture and traditional ecological knowledge in the face of a changing climate, 2) co-develop a mangrove management framework that meets communities’ ecological, economic and cultural goals, and 3) share best practices for sustainable mangrove management in the South Pacific.