Seagrass Ecosystem Services Project
The project: Conservation of biodiversity, seagrass ecosystems and their services – safeguarding food security and resilience in vulnerable coastal communities in a changing climate (Seagrass Ecosystem Services Project) aims to improve the conservation status of seagrass meadows and the biodiversity they support in Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand and Timor-Leste.
In Thailand, the project is implemented by SAN and focuses on the Trang Province, the nation’s key habitat zone for dugong and seagrass meadows. It is executed by the Memorandum of Understanding on the Conservation and Management of Dugongs and their Habitats throughout their Range (CMS Dugong MoU) Secretariat in Abu Dhabi, UAE.
The project applies an innovative and holistic approach, working closely with field practitioners, coastal communities, and international technical experts to assess the ecosystem services provided by seagrass meadows. The information collected is used to inform and drive new or improved conservation and management policies at local, provincial and national levels. To support community-led conservation, business models that provide sustainable and alternative sources of financing to the local communities are developed, and stories of seagrass and dugong conservation are shared to encourage change and raise awareness.
This project is part of the International Climate Initiative (IKI). The Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU) supports this initiative on the basis of a decision adopted by the German Bundestag.
Project Goals: To assess the value of seagrass ecosystem services and integrate them into decision-making and business models to ensure the sustainability, productivity, and resilience of seagrasses and the coastal communities that rely on them.
Project timeline
January 2019 – December 2022.
For more information:
www.dugongseagrass.org/projects/seagrass-ecosystem-services-project/
