BY BEN BILUA
Gizo
THE International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Oceania Protected and Conserved Areas (PCA) team has commended Solomon Islands for becoming the first country in the Pacific to begin the implementation of the IUCN Green List certification.
The initiative is being implemented in Solomon Islands through the Solomon Islands Marine and Coastal Resources Programme (SOMACORE) under the Coral Triangle Project.
The IUCN Green List is a global standard that recognises well-managed and effectively governed protected and conserved areas.
Key partners supporting the programme include the Climate Change Division (CCD) of the Ministry of Environment, Climate Change, Disaster Management and Meteorology (MECDM), the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources, Global Fish, Coral Triangle Initiative on Coral Reefs, Fisheries and Food Security (CTI-CFF), Arnavon Marine Protected Area, and Ecological Solutions Solomon Islands (ESSI).
Recently, these partners attended a workshop in Honiara that aims to share knowledge and build understanding of the IUCN Green List Standards.
The workshop focused on governance, effective management, biodiversity conservation outcomes and long-term sustainability of protected and conserved areas.
Following the workshop, further awareness activities were conducted in Munda, Western Province.
This provided an opportunity for the PCA team to engage directly with local communities and managers of the Munda Lagoon Locally Managed Marine Area.
Five coastal communities participating in the programme are Nusa Roviana, Dunde, Kekehe, Lodumaho and Kindu.
These communities play a key role in protecting vital ecosystems, including seagrass meadows, coral reefs and important fish spawning areas.
The PCA team were encouraged by the unity and strong commitment shown by the communities, noting their ability to carry out self-assessments against Green List requirements.
Particular strengths were observed in governance structures, customary stewardship practices and adaptive management approaches.
The PCA team is expected to return to Solomon Islands early next year to provide further support to the Munda Lagoon initiative and to conduct similar assessments at the Arnavon Marine Protected Area.
According to IUCN, Solomon Islands is taking meaningful steps towards strengthening its protected and conserved areas, demonstrating how community leadership combined with global standards can help build resilient, world-class conservation sites for the Pacific region.
The SOMACORE Programme is supported by the German Federal Ministry for Environment, Climate Action, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMUKN) through the International Climate Initiative (IKI) and is being implemented by 10 organisations across the Coral Triangle.
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