School of Agriculture, Food and Ecosystem Sciences - Theses
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ItemWhat factors constrain and enable the integration of blue carbon into the existing locally managed marine area (LMMA) network?( 2018)Blue carbon refers to the carbon stored in coastal ecosystems like mangroves, seagrasses, and tidal salt marshes. The conservation and restoration of these threatened 'blue habitats' is a field that has received increased attention in the international community over the last decade as a means to address climate change mitigation, adaptation, biodiversity protection, and sustainable development agendas. Locally managed marine areas (LMMAs) are community-based marine management schemes where coastal communities are central in the management of their coastal and marine resources for food security, income livelihoods, and coral reef conservation. The LMMA network is a global network of communities, research bodies, civil society organisations (CSOs), government agencies, and private sector partners, that share knowledge, skills, expertise, and best practice approaches to marine natural resource management. The Fiji LMMA network (FLMMA) is the most successful and well recognised national subsidiary. This thesis seeks to identify what factors constrain and enable the integration of blue carbon into the existing LMMA network. This is explored through two chapters written as academic journal papers (intended for publication). Paper one (P1) uses an integrated and adaptive natural resource governance framework, to analyze 16 semi-structured interviews with 'specialists' in the field. Paper two (P2) uses a social-ecological systems (SES) sustainability framework to evaluate key benefits and required trade-offs taken from two focus group discussions (FGDs), interviews, 'mud-mapping', and field observations in one of Fiji's oldest LMMA sites, Navakavu. The thesis finds that there are a range of benefits in terms of the networks’ existing governance structures and sectoral integration in the South Pacific that make this incorporation favourable. However, there are several constraining issues in terms of weak compliance and enforcement systems, high level government corruption, and restrictive bureaucratic processes that threaten its viability. Further, SES outcomes from LMMA implementation have been mixed and some specialists question the efficacy of the approach as local pollution and poaching remain pervasive. Nevertheless, the important role that mangroves and seagrasses play in coastal ecosystems, and the connectivity and co-benefits that they provide from the 'ridge to the reef', makes blue carbon investment in Fiji and across the Pacific ecologically and socially attractive. While delivering carbon finance directly to communities is ill-advised there are several creative options for blue carbon financers to invest into community-based conservation, restoration, and management of blue ecosystems including high level investment into the networks’ capacity to provide ongoing support to its community partners.