Mangroves for the Future (MFF) regional initiative |22 August 2014

Third phase launched with funding from Swedish agency

The third phase of the Mangroves for the Future (MFF) regional initiative has been launched with new funding from the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida).

The new phase will run from 2014-2018 and will build on the significant achievements realised by MFF over the past seven years.

IUCN Asia regional director Aban Marker Kabraji and AnnaMaria Oltorp, head of development cooperation, Sida, launched MFF Phase 3 at a signing ceremony held recently in Bangkok.

Since its launch in 2006 as a disaster response and reconstruction effort in the six countries that were worst affected by the 2004 tsunami, MFF has grown significantly in size and in the breadth of its activities.

With the inclusion of Cambodia in 2013, MFF now has 10 member countries (Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Maldives, Pakistan, Seychelles, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Vietnam) championing the sustainable management of coastal ecosystems as key natural infrastructure which support human well-being and security.
 
Almost 200 projects have been implemented through the MFF grants mechanism, and its unique partnership-based model has brought together government, civil society and private sector to play more effective roles in the governance of coastal areas.

In Phase 3 MFF will focus on the development of resilience in ecosystem-dependent coastal communities and develop shared understanding and capacity for building community resilience to natural disasters and climate change related impacts.

MFF will also continue to build on its efforts to influence coastal management policy with an increased emphasis on “soft governance”, as well as to expand its knowledge management and capacity development activities – providing hands-on training and learning opportunities for coastal management practitioners around the region. Phase 3 will also see greater emphasis on engaging with the private sector, both to harness the resources of the sector in support of sustainable coastal management and to work with companies to reduce their impact on coastal ecosystems and communities.

Seychelles, being the smallest country of the MFF network, has been an active member since the inception of the initiative.
 
The Seychelles National Coordinating Body is promoting an Integrated Coastal Zone Management or ICZM approach integrating the MFF programmes of work into national development plans.

Through the MFF National Strategy and Action Plan the need for increased consideration for activities relating to climate change (CC) and disaster risk reduction has been recognised and supported. As a result of the fragility of the coastal zone, careful planning is required and these present major challenges to the successful implementation of the ICZM and sustainable coastal ecosystem management.

The  need to build both community and ecosystem resilience is required as well as available information and capacity concerning relating to CC impacts, disaster risk reduction, education, biodiversity conservation, strengthening of the protected area systems and improving the partnership approach of the initiative at national level. While recognising the vulnerability of the country, these central concerns may influence the Seychelles’ ability to enable appropriate response strategies to global CC impacts and other natural disasters.

MFF activities in the Seychelles include projects on habitat restoration and biodi¬versity protection, as well as contributing to environmental actions and events. These activities are also helping to promote local com¬munity and private sector involvement in coastal resources management.

MFF locally supports the legal protection of coastal habitats and species, helps to educate the youth about their intrinsic values as well as the implementation of national initiatives in building community resilience to any external change.