Successful community engagement and implementation of a conservation plan in the Solomon Islands: a local perspective

Abstract

The indigenous people and clans of Choiseul Province, or Lauru as it is known locally, retain strong customary ownership over their lands and seas, and maintain many customs relating to the use of their natural resources. The rural population of Lauru also has a strong collective voice through the Lauru Land Conference of Tribal Community (LLCTC). The activities of the LLCTC Environmental Office resulted in the establishment of eight Locally Managed Marine Areas (LMMAs) by 2008, and word of mouth on the value of these LMMAs generated numerous community requests to LLCTC for assistance in establishing additional protected areas. In 2009 a stakeholder-driven conservation plan for the whole of Lauru was developed, which led to a political commitment from the LLCTC and the government to establish a provincial-wide Lauru Protected Area Network, the first such commitment in Melanesia. By 2012, 15 LMMAs and several terrestrial community conserved areas had been established. This paper outlines the process of community engagement that the LLCTC Environmental office uses when establishing protected areas and some of the common misunderstandings that frequently need to be addressed. The paper also outlines how the stakeholder-driven implementation process is informed by the Choiseul Ridges to Reefs Conservation Plan that was developed using the best available scientific and local knowledge.