Project Overview:
This is a summary report of the Ecosystem and Socio-Economic Resilience Mapping and Analysis (ESRAM) project in three communities: Tapa'atewa, Eliote, and Ori Ore, conducted by SPREP and Griffith University. The objective was to assess climate risks, identify ecosystem values, and propose ecosystem-based adaptation (EbA) solutions to support community livelihoods.
Key Challenges:
Climate Change: Rising temperatures, sea level rise, ocean acidification, and extreme weather events threaten community safety and infrastructure.
Human Pressures: Commercial logging, population growth, unsustainable farming practices, and environmental pollution cause severe degradation of forests and coral reefs.
Ecosystems and Services:
Agriculture & Forestry: Cultivated gardens are a primary source of food. Forests provide water regulation and carbon sequestration services, but are being lost due to logging.
Coastal & Marine: Coral reefs, seagrass beds, and mangrove forests are essential ecosystems, providing fisheries and protecting coastlines, but are threatened by sedimentation from deforested watersheds.
Priority Solutions:
- Short-term: Sustainable management of mud crab fishing, installation of fish aggregators (FADs) to reduce pressure on coral reefs, and implementation of forest/mangrove restoration projects.
- Long-term: Implementation of agricultural extension programs, establishment of community-based marine/forest protected areas, and exploration of the potential for participation in Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES) or REDD+ programs to create alternative income sources.
The project emphasizes a systems approach, combining infrastructure solutions with nature conservation to ensure equitable livelihoods and enhance the resilience of local communities.
