case studies undp: namdrik atoll local resources committee, marshall islands
TRANSCRIPT
7/27/2019 Case Studies UNDP: NAMDRIK ATOLL LOCAL RESOURCES COMMITTEE, Marshall Islands
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Equator Initiative Case StudiesLocal sustainable development solutions for people, nature, and resilient communities
The Marshall Islands
NAMDRIK ATOLL LOCALRESOURCES COMMITTEE
Empowered live
Resilient nation
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UNDP EQUATOR INITIATIVE CASE STUDY SERIES
Local and indigenous communities across the world are advancing innovative sustainable development solutions that wo
or people and or nature. Few publications or case studies tell the ull story o how such initiatives evolve, the breadth
their impacts, or how they change over time. Fewer still have undertaken to tell these stories with community practition
themselves guiding the narrative.
To mark its 10-year anniversary, the Equator Initiative aims to ll this gap. The ollowing case study is one in a growing ser
that details the work o Equator Prize winners – vetted and peer-reviewed best practices in community-based environmenconservation and sustainable livelihoods. These cases are intended to inspire the policy dialogue needed to take local succ
to scale, to improve the global knowledge base on local environment and development solutions, and to serve as models
replication. Case studies are best viewed and understood with reerence to ‘The Power of Local Action: Lessons from 10 Years
the Equator Prize’, a compendium o lessons learned and policy guidance that draws rom the case material.
Click on the map to visit the Equator Initiative’s searchable case study database.
EditorsEditor-in-Chief: Joseph Corcoran
Managing Editor: Oliver HughesContributing Editors: Dearbhla Keegan, Matthew Konsa, Erin Lewis, Whitney Wilding
Contributing WritersEdayatu Abieodun Lamptey, Erin Atwell, Jonathan Clay, Joseph Corcoran, Sean Cox, Larissa Currado, David Godrey, Sarah Gordon,
Oliver Hughes, Wen-Juan Jiang, Sonal Kanabar, Dearbhla Keegan, Matthew Konsa, Rachael Lader, Erin Lewis, Jona Liebl, Mengning Ma
Mary McGraw, Brandon Payne, Juliana Quaresma, Peter Schecter, Martin Sommerschuh, Whitney Wilding
DesignSean Cox, Oliver Hughes, Dearbhla Keegan, Matthew Konsa, Amy Korngiebel, Kimberly Koserowski, Erin Lewis, John Mulqueen, Loren
de la Parra, Brandon Payne, Mariajosé Satizábal G.
AcknowledgementsThe Equator Initiative acknowledges with gratitude Namdrik Atoll Local Resources Committee, and in particular the guidance and inp
o Mattlan Zackhras. All photo credits courtesy o Namdrik Atoll Local Resources Committee. Maps courtesy o CIA World Factbook a
Wikipedia, except or map on p. 4, provided by Namdrik Atoll Local Resources Committee.
Suggested CitationUnited Nations Development Programme. 2013. Namdrik Atoll Local Resources Committee, The Marshall Islands. Equator Initiative C
Study Series. New York, NY.
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PROJECT SUMMARY To reduce dependence on declining sheries andvulnerability to the impacts o climate change, Namdrik Atoll Local Resources Committee is promoting a modelo community sel-suciency, local ood security andadaptation. Traditional crops such as breadruit, taro andnative pandanus have been reintroduced to protect andrestore soil, improve ood security and open value-addedsecondary processing industries or local communities.
A pearl arm provides jobs and a revenue stream to undcommunity development projects in education and health.
Training in rainwater harvesting is providing the communitywith access to sae drinking water, and access to solartechnology is providing the community with a source o renewable energy. The initiative is community-owned,ueled by local leadership and has provided a sustainabilitymodel that has been replicated in other atoll communitiesacross islands in the Pacic.
KEY FACTS
EQUATOR PRIZE WINNER: 2012
FOUNDED: 2007
LOCATION: Namdrik Atoll, western Marshall Islands
BENEFICIARIES: Namdrik’s 600-strong population
BIODIVERSITY: Marine Protected Area, mangrove forests
3
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Background and Context 4
Key Activities and Innovations 6
Biodiversity Impacts 8
Socioeconomic Impacts 9
Policy Impacts 10
Sustainability 11
Replication 11
Partners 12
NAMDRIK ATOLL LOCAL RESOURCESCOMMITTEEThe Marshall Islands
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Namdrik Atoll is located along the western reaches o the Republic the Marshall Islands, in the archipelago’s Ralik (Sunset) chain o
slands. The Atoll is situated 240 miles west-southwest o Majuro, the
Marshall Islands’ main centre o population. Namdrik Atoll consists
just two low-lying islands, Namdrik and Madmad, which house
he eight villages o Zulu, Betol, Majol, Jinai, Rantak, Elmon and
Madmad. The two islands have a combined land area o just 1.07 sq.
miles and encircle a 3.25-sq. mile lagoon.
he majority o the Atoll’s approximately 600-strong population
s concentrated in the south-western part o the larger Namdrik
sland, where a reshwater lens is located. The majority o the Atoll’s
ssets and buildings are located on the lagoon side o Namdrik. The
Namdrik community relies heavily on local natural resources to meetaily needs. Marine resources provide or subsistence needs and a
mall amount o income generation, but the Atoll’s main sources o
ncome are copra production and the sale o handicrats to the main
Marshallese centres o Majuro and Kwajalein.
he Marshall Islands’ isolation and relatively low population mean
hat the region harbours some o the world’s most pristine coral
ees and richest terrestrial biodiversity. The Marshall Islands
e within Conservation International’s Polynesia-Micronesia
iodiversity Hotspot with the northern Marshall Islands orming the
Key Biodiversity Area o Kabin Meto. A wealth o marine biodiversity,
ncluding over 1,000 species o sh, 362 species o coral, 40 sponges,
,655 molluscs, 728 crustaceans, 128 echinoderms, 27 marine
mammals and ve turtle species, has already been recorded in the
slands, with new species undoubtedly remaining to be discovered.
About 700 land animals (mostly insects) have also been identied.
Namdrik Atoll is no exception to this abundance o biodiversity,
arbouring a wide array o marine and terrestrial species. The Atoll is
lmost unique among Marshallese atolls in exhibiting concentrated
umbers o the black-lipped oyster (Pinctada margaritifer a) which
re believed to thrive in Namdrik’s lagoon due to the Atoll’s unusual
ormation. Three mangrove swamps (Ajelto, Lobat and Madmad)
can also be ound in Namdrik Atoll, which provide habitat
mangrove crabs. The Atoll is also home to a number o ca
species, the amphibious mudskipper and the Mantis sh
(Lysiossquillina maculate). Mangrove swamps and surroun
systems support tree species including the kanal (Pisonia gra
kojbar (Neissosperma oppositifolium), wop (Barringtonia asiatica
(Bruguiera gymnorrhiza) and bulabol (red mangrove), some o w
are rare or endangered. The Atoll also supports a number o die
species o banana.
Threats from climate change
Atoll islands such as Namdrik consist o accumulations o sedim
on top o coral rees, and typically have highly dynamic shore
that are constantly being reshaped by the orces o erosion
accretion. The Marshall Islands are thought to have breached
Background and Context
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ea’s surace between 2,000 and 4,000 years ago as a result o a
light lowering o the sea level. Local stories and recent climatic
ecords together indicate that the Marshall Islands’ biodiversity,
and and people have endured constant pressure rom typhoons
nd droughts ever since. The low elevation and ragile equilibrium
atoll islands make them some o the most vulnerable landorms
with regard to the impacts o climate change.
t is now widely accepted that climate change poses a major threat toow-lying island states such as the Marshall Islands. In the near term,
torm surges and fooding threaten inrastructure and livelihoods,
while longer term threats include rising sea temperature and ocean
cidication with resultant coral bleaching. Ultimately, islands such
s the Marshalls could ace complete inundation as a result o sea
evel rise. Sea level rise also threatens reshwater sources through
he encroachment o saltwater into the ragile reshwater lenses that
ustain agriculture and ecosystems. As one o the lowest-lying atolls
n the Marshall Islands, Namdrik is particularly vulnerable.
n 2007, Namdrik’s tribal chies, elders, and local government
uthorities reached out to government and NGO partners to request
upport in initiating a community-based resource management
ction plan in order to address a number o issues that were leading
o environmental degradation and aecting the quality o lie on
he Atoll. During that year, Namdrik was selected to participate in
marine and socioeconomic assessments led by the Secretariat o
he Pacic Community (SPC). Due to logistical diculties, however,
hese surveys never took place.
he ollowing year, the atoll’s leadership requested the development
a community-based resource management project under the
Marshall Islands Marine Resources Authority (MIMRA) and other
artners in the Coastal Management Advisory Council (CMAC)
uch as the College o the Marshall Islands and the Marshall IslandsConservation Society. Initial eorts as part o this partnership
ncluded the revival o community-based pearl harvesting, with
upport rom New Zealand Aid, the UNDP-implemented GEF
mall Grants Programme, and research institutes rom Hawaii and
Micronesia, as a rst step in encouraging conservation o the Atoll’s
esources.
During 2009, these early conservation and livelihoods activities
volved into a ully-fedged natural resources management initiative.
n partnership with relevant government agencies, a Resources
Management Plan or Namdrik Atoll was developed, inormed by a
eries o community workshops involving representatives o dierent
roups rom the Atoll community. Held over the course o a week n September 2009, successive workshops brought together local
overnment representatives, Namdrik Council, key landowners, and
he Atoll’s Men’s and Women’s Groups or a series o participatory
lanning and mapping exercises.
he resultant plan puts mitigation o the impacts o climate change
t the centre o development planning, while simultaneously aiming
o address a range o environmental threats that were identied
hrough consultation with the community. The issues identied
nclude waste management, declining sheries, erosion and
fooding, invasive species, threats to mangroves, and the imp
o shits in the seasons. Although many o these issues are natu
occurring, they have the potential to be signicantly worsene
the impacts o climate change.
Namdrik Atoll Local Resources Committee
Under the leadership o the Mayor o Namdrik (Clarence Luther
Senator (Mattlan Zackhras), representatives o local governmand tribal leaders, the community as a whole engaged in a proce
dene the issues and identiy concrete actions that could be tak
address them. This process led to the development o the Resou
Management Plan or Namdrik Atoll, and the establishmen
the Local Resources Committee, charged with management
oversight o the plan’s implementation. The Committee is comp
o the Mayor o Namdrik, three representatives o Namdrik Co
(or Alaps – a group o the community’s elders), two representa
o the Atoll’s Women’s Group, two representatives o the M
Group, one representative o the Teachers’ Group, one y
representative, and one representative each o the Atoll’s Lijabka
and Wut Kajdo Groups. The Committee works closely with
Marshall Islands Marine Resources Authority (MIMRA), the Mar
Islands Conservation Society and the College o the Marshall Isl
or advice and technical support.
The specic responsibilities o the Committee include:
• Developing an annual work plan to guide the y
implementation o the plan’s activities and the achieveme
its objectives;
• Making sure that the responsibilities o the community u
the plan are carried out properly;
• Working closely with MIMRA and CMAC partners to ensure
obligations are carried out;• Reporting on the progress o the Resources Management P
development to the community and to Namdrik Governm
Council;
• Arranging community workshops and gatherings;
• Representing the interests o the Namdrik communit
national and regional gatherings in matters concerning m
environment and shery resources;
• With assistance rom MIMRA, establishing processes that
to the ormulation and approval o Fisheries Managem
Ordinances; and
• With assistance rom MIMRA, determining conditions
licensing ees or consideration and approval o the L
Government Council.
The ocus o the Committee’s work is on resilience and adaptab
Despite being in one o the most vulnerable nations in the wor
the impacts o climate change, the Namdrik community has t
a strong and proactive leadership position and is taking dec
action to ensure that both their natural resources and their wa
lie are as resilient as possible to whatever uture challenges
may ace.
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Key Activities and Innovations
As a small and isolated community, highly dependent on
ocal natural resources, threats to Namdrik’s ragile ecological
quilibrium inherently threaten the health and sustainability o
ts community members’ livelihoods. In order to build resilience
o environmental threats and to climate change in particular, the
Resources Management Plan ocuses on core issues including ood
ecurity, sustainable livelihoods, and the creation o opportunities
or young people, within the context o improving natural resource
management. Since 2007, Namdrik’s leaders and community
members have developed and implemented a set o actions to
ddress the most pressing o the community’s concerns.
Securing basic needs
el-suciency was deemed to be a key goal in achieving ood
ecurity or Namdrik. Where previous generations o the community
rew much o their own ood, dependence on external shipments
as grown, leaving the community vulnerable i ood deliveries are
elayed, or example during bad weather. To diversiy ood sources
nd reduce reliance on imported ood, gardens growing traditional
ood crops are being re-established. Species include breadruit
which can be stored or many months), taro, more varieties o
banana, and native varieties o pandanus which are now harvested
xclusively on Namdrik. With these crops at hand, the community
ims to be able to survive three to our months without a supply
hipment i necessary, rather than three weeks as was previously thease.
Water security is also an issue, as the community previously relied
lmost exclusively on the Atoll’s small and ragile reshwater lens.
he incursion o saltwater, exacerbated by sea-level rise, has already
ontaminated many o the Atoll’s wells. To improve water security,
ainwater tanks, each holding around 1,500 gallons, were installed
hroughout the community. O Namdrik’s 120 households, 110
ow have a water tank, which signicantly reduces pressure on the
reshwater lens. Combined with training in water management,
these tanks have reduced the incidence o waterborne diseases
as diarrhoea (which was previously commonplace on the Ato
act, since the water programme was implemented, there have
no cases o waterborne illness at the hospital. The community
aims to be able to survive or at least three months without ra
necessary.
Renewable energy has been promoted across the Atoll. W
previously generators were the main source o power, almost e
house now has solar panels. The elementary school also rece
a 10,000 kW solar panel system to provide or the electricity n
o the school. This initiative, achieved with nancial support
the French government and the European Union, has provcheap, clean, low-maintenance energy and reduced the pollu
expense and uncertainty associated with the use o generators
community was also able to install 33 solar-powered reezer sys
with unding rom Taiwan and the United States Departme
Agriculture (USDA). Other solar-powered systems include the D
TeleCenter, recently installed by the National Telecommunic
Authority, which provides internet access and voice calls to
outside world.
Waste management was identied as yet another area requ
urgent attention. Waste and pollution pose serious threat
biodiversity through excessive nutrient loading o water, and p
managed landlls on the Atoll provide habitat or invasive spsuch as rats. Without action to address ood security, the comm
eared that changes in climate would require more ood to be ship
in, thus exacerbating the waste problem through the introduc
o greater volumes o packaging. To address this threat, meas
were undertaken to promote recycling, in particular with re
to car batteries and old solar power units. Steps are being take
ormalise a community-based integrated solid waste managem
system that would serve as a model or other atolls throughou
Marshall Islands.
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Developing sustainable livelihoods
ustainable livelihood options were identied as a pressing need
or community members, particularly given the risk o declining sh
tocks and the lack o local employment opportunities or young
eople. Declining sh stocks have been noted throughout the
Marshall Islands as the erosion o traditional resource management
echniques and a lack o enorcement o traditional conservation
ractices have led to unrestrained harvesting o marine resources,hreatening marine biodiversity and sh populations.
n innovative action plan combines the creation o opportunities
or Namdrik’s younger generation with improved stewardship o
atural resources. Opportunities have been developed or young
ommunity members to study natural resource management at
he College o the Marshall Islands. Upon completion o the course,
hese students undertake marine surveys, coastal and erosion
monitoring, and vulnerability assessments, which then inorm the
toll’s planning. These students also engage in the implementation
sustainable sheries policies.
n addition, a pilot black-lipped oyster Pearl Farm was established,with its rst harvest undertaken in October 2010. This harvest yielded
17 pearls which brought signicant revenue to the community. The
earl Farm will provide a valuable and reliable income on an on-going
asis, reducing dependence on copra production or cash income. A
cholarship programme is planned to allow community members
o learn specialised pearl grating and harvesting techniques in the
ook Islands.
he replanting and improved management o pandanus trees across
he Atoll has acilitated the development o Namdrik’s handicrats
ndustry by the women o the community. The pandanus trees’
piny leaves make a good bre or weaving, as they are long, thick,
nd durable, and are used to make a variety o woven handicrat
roducts popular across the Marshall Islands. Namdrik’s women
ave ocussed on producing mats and traditional clothing, which
an sell or up to USD 100 each. The University o the South Pacic,
with the support o the RMI National Training Council, has extended
he successul Apprenticeship Jaki-ed Weaving programme to target
eenage girls who are unemployed and out o school.
s an atoll island, Namdrik is highly susceptible to erosion and
ooding, which the community noted were occurring with increasing
requency. Both climate change and locally-induced stressors are
cknowledged to drive coastal changes, posing hazards to homes
nd inrastructure along coastlines. Although rising sea level iseyond the infuence o the Namdrik community, they took action
o address a number o local activities that were likely exacerbating
he erosion problem. Sand-mining (or construction) was banned
rom the lagoon-side shore where the majority o homes and
nrastructure are situated. The community has demonstrated a
esire to learn land surveying skills to help identiy the most suitable
reas or construction and relocation o houses and to employ
lternative building techniques to reduce the impact o construction.
Conserving biodiversity
The Committee has undertaken a number o additional activ
specically to address biodiversity loss and protect impor
habitats. These activities include the implementation
conservation measures to reduce overshing, through the us
sustainable sheries tools such as sh aggregation devices
seasonal no-take zones. The Committee worked successully
Seacology, an international marine conservation NGO, to the establishment o an education, surveillance and monito
centre and provide additional support to the Pearl Farm as pa
an agreement to designate 86 acres within the lagoon as a ma
protected area (MPA). Better human waste management will
improve the health o the Atoll’s lagoon and thus the health o it
populations. Shoreline vegetation is also being restored, speci
targeting the Atoll’s mangrove orests. The Namdrik mangrove
the largest mangrove system in the Marshall Islands and provid
important nursery area or many marine species. Such improvem
simultaneously enhance protection rom fooding and erosion.
As one o the countries most vulnerable to the eects o clim
change, much o the Marshall Islands is predicted to becuninhabitable within 50 to 100 years as a result o sea-level
Despite this disheartening prospect, the people o Namdrik A
are implementing a holistic and wide-reaching managem
plan to ensure the maximum wellbeing and sustainability o
community or as long as external circumstances allow. Their
is innovative in combining a ‘back-to-basics’ approach, emphas
sel-suciency and the protection o local resources, with the
o modern technology and external knowledge through a rang
national and international partnerships.
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Impacts
BIODIVERSITY IMPACTSMost o the activities undertaken by the Resources Management
Committee are inherently benecial to the local environment and
biodiversity, although some have been undertaken specically
o address environmental degradation or threats to biodiversity.
or example, actions to address waste management issues and
he conversion o the Atoll’s energy use to renewable sources are
major steps towards reducing local pollution o the Atoll. New
power sources are cleaner, while improved waste management will
educe contamination o soil and water sources and help to address
problems surrounding invasive species.
The restoration o shoreline vegetation through the planting o native and traditionally-used species not only helps to mitigate
erosion and fooding o the Atoll but regenerates a crucial habitat.
Namdrik’s mangroves are the last sizeable such system remaining
n the Marshall Islands, and they provide important nursery areas
or marine species. The mangroves support some 150 species o
sh, including the endangered Napoleon or Humphead Wrasse
Cheilinus undulatus), and is home to breeding populations o the
ritically endangered Hawksbill Turtle (Eretmochelys imbricate) and
endangered Green Turtle (Chelonia mydas). As such, the restoration
nd sustainable management o the mangroves has positive
mplication or the Atoll’s wider biodiversity.
n late 2012, the entire Namdrik Atoll including the lagoon andocean ree fat (a total area o 5,435.5 acres) was designated by the
Government o the Republic o the Marshall Islands as a Wetland o
nternational Importance under the Ramsar Convention. In doing
o, Namdrik became the Convention’s 2,050th Ramsar site, and the
Marshall Islands’ second. Within this area, 286.5 acres is designated
s MPA, including an 86-acre, ten-year no-take zone that was
established by the Local Resources Committee under the Resource
Management Plan in partnership with Seacology.
Steps have also been taken to establish gardens, which prodiversied ood crops and also support the conservation o n
species, including the pandanus, which is endemic to the re
Breadruit, taro, and various species o banana are also b
cultivated and conserved in these gardens. With support
the Asian Development Bank, the community will undertak
atoll-wide coconut replantation project to replace the old coc
trees that no longer bear ruit. This will also create an opportu
to develop a coconut lumber industry as well as encourage i
cropping o various ruit-bearing trees as a ood security initiati
Under the Management Plan, measures are being undertake
address invasive species which threaten Namdrik’s terrestria
marine biodiversity. Invasive species already established inMarshall Islands include the plants Merremia peltata and We
trilobata, the long-legged (or ‘yellow crazy’) ant ( Anoplo
gracilipes) and the Red-vented Bulbul bird species. A study by
Ministry o Resources and Development on both Namdrik
Madmad identied new weeds locally named as ‘likatoltol’
‘kiloklok’. The community was advised to pull these by the
and burn to protect gardening projects. The presence o whi
and a local termite was also noted in some areas. Locally-abun
insects such as the black beetle, mealy bug and Encarsia form
were introduced during the survey process to control inv
species. Training on how to address worst case scenarios invo
the invasive species identied was also conducted as pa
an agricultural programme unded by the government. Wmanagement measures will help to address invasive species to s
extent, by reducing opportunities or rats (another invasive spe
to inhabit poorly managed landlls.
A number o measures related to sustainable sheries managem
will help to strengthen sh stocks and marine biodiversity. As
as the mangrove restoration activities outlined above, these inc
addressing human waste management to improve the health o
Atoll’s lagoon, and enorcing a seasonal no-take zone to allow
stocks to regenerate.
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SOCIOECONOMIC IMPACTS
The greatest benet o this initiative to the community o Namdrik
s through its holistic strengthening o the community’s long-termesilience and adaptability to the anticipated impacts o climate
change. Although the long term uture o the Marshall Islands is
uncertain, the people o Namdrik Atoll are taking action to ensure
hat they are as prepared as possible in crucial areas such as ood
and water security, and are securing their uture livelihoods by
developing diversied sources o income and new educational and
ivelihood opportunities or the younger generation. The resulting
activities are providing socioeconomic improvements in the short
erm, or example by enhancing access to resh drinking water, while
helping to ensure the longer term survival and wellbeing o the
Namdrik community.
The establishment o ood gardens and the promotion o tradit
and native ood crops are diversiying Namdrik’s ood sources
reducing reliance on expensive imports. The crops that are b
promoted, such as pandanus and breadruit, can be stored or m
months and provide improved ood security or the commuby allowing them to stockpile provisions or times when su
shipments are delayed by bad weather. Given Namdrik’s isola
such a system provides a great deal o reassurance. By redu
reliance on imports, these gardens can also reduce the cost o
leaving more income available or other necessities. In the lo
term, diversiying ood sources will improve ood security i ce
crops are negatively impacted by changes in climate.
Water security measures, too, have both short and long term ben
In the short term, the installation o rainwater tanks in almost
the Atoll’s households has reduced pressure on the reshwater
and on wells that are increasingly contaminated with saltwat
9
“When I was a boy over 50 years ago, we ate our own fish and grew our own food. We couldn
rely on the supply ship which only came maybe twice year. But now if the supply ship doesn
come for three weeks we are worried – what will we do, what will we eat? So I am helping m
community become more sustainable through the initiatives we are developing and implementin
with help from government and partners.”
Clarence Luther, Mayor of Namdrik Atoll
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as also signicantly reduced the incidence o waterborne diseases
uch as diarrhoea. It is reported that there have been no new cases
waterborne illnesses at the hospital since the rainwater tanks were
nstalled. In the longer term, the tanks will increase the community’s
esilience to changes in rainall patterns, allowing them to survive up
o three months without rainall i necessary.
Measures to develop sustainable livelihood opportunities on
Namdrik through the development o the Pearl Farm, sustainablesheries management, and the handicrats industry, have provided
ew sources o income, more numerous options or the younger
members o the community, and diversied livelihoods, which build
he community’s economic resilience by reducing reliance on copra
roduction as the main source o cash income. The Pearl Farm’s
rst harvest was a resounding success, indicating a clear prospect
signicant revenue to the community in the uture. Young
ommunity members have been supported to undergo education
t the College o the Marshall Islands, where they are trained in
ustainable sheries management, a skill that can be put to use in
he implementation o the Resources Management Plan upon their
eturn to Namdrik.
Namdrik’s women in particular have been involved in the
evelopment o the Atoll’s handicrats industry. This involves the
roduction o house mats rom a native species o pandanus. The
mats sell or about USD 100 each, providing a source o cash income
o the women and again reducing overall dependence on copra
roduction. This nancial security, combined with the community’s
ncreasing reliance on local ood sources, locally generated power
nd locally harvested water are increasing the decision-making
ower o women in the community.
As a matrilineal society, land and hereditary titles on Namdrik
re passed down through women, and thus women are already
mpowered and respected within Marshall Islands society. This
was refected and respected throughout the consultative process
eading to the development o the Resources Management Plan. As
well as being well represented on the Local Resources Committe
groups within the community, including Namdrik’s Women’s G
have separate meetings as well as partaking in group consulta
to identiy major challenges and contribute to the developme
optimal solutions. This consultative process o developing a sh
vision or Namdrik and its uture has ultimately strengthened
community by bringing its members together in pursuit o a sh
goal.
POLICY IMPACTS
The main policy benet o the work undertaken on Namdrik
been through its value in demonstrating to policy makers
practitioners the types o activities that are most success
building the resilience o atoll communities such as Namdrik
strong partnership between Namdrik’s leadership, its comm
members, and their array o national and international partner
helped to engage government and NGO groups to get involved
has inspired other atoll communities to consider taking similar s
National policy rameworks, such as the Marshall Islands’ ‘Reimaa(Way Forward) National Conservation Area Plan, are being dir
inormed by lessons learned through the implementatio
Namdrik’s Resources Management Plan. For example, at a spec
convened Parliamentary session in August 2011, the Exec
Director o the Marshall Islands Conservation Society (Mr. A
Ishoda) presented Namdrik Atoll’s work on community-b
adaptation, emphasizing how such work could be used to in
planning or the Marshall Islands more widely. This presenta
was attended and supported by the President o the Repub
the Marshall Islands and the First Lady. The Mayor o Namdrik
attended and spoken at regional meetings on adaptation to cli
change. He has also shared his expertise with other Marsha
and Micronesian communities that nd themselves acing si
challenges, and even more broadly, with communities rom o
regions such as the Caribbean, Melanesia and Polynesia.
10
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11
Sustainability and Replication
SUSTAINABILITYhe development and implementation o a natural resources
management plan by the Local Resource Management Committee
re sustainable or a number o reasons. First, the initiative is very
much led and owned by the community. Rather than being imposed
y external actors, the Resources Management Plan was initiated and
eveloped by the community itsel. The community was involved in
he Plan’s development through a series o consultations with the
Atoll’s various groups.
econd, the initiative benets rom strong local leadership and
olitical support rom a number o levels: the Senator and Mayor o Namdrik, as well as tribal chies, national government representatives
nd even the President o the Republic o the Marshall Islands
ave voiced support or the Plan and have actively supported its
evelopment. The initiative operates in coordination with local
overnment and tribal leaders. The local government authority has
mandate to manage and protect resources within a o ve miles’
adius rom the Atoll, while the Iroij , (tribal chie), Iroij -drik ro, Alaps
tribal elders) and dri-jerbal (traditional leaders) play advisory and
eading roles pertaining to economic and social development issues.
hird, Namdrik’s Resources Management Plan, which orms the basis
or the Local Resources Committee’s activities, is strongly aligned
with national policy, including the national strategy or resourcemanagement (Reimaanlok) which has received strong endorsement
rom Parliament. This lends legitimacy and a sense o purpose to the
ommunity’s endeavours.
ourth, a team o local and international partners have committed
heir ongoing support to the initiative, with roles and responsibilities
learly dened in the management plan, which is intended to
ecome a statutory document. Such support rom partners is
ocused on building Namdrik’s sustainability by transerring skills to
he community, thus reducing dependence on external assistance.
Finally, the activities being undertaken under the Plan have
short- and long-term benets, which allow community mem
to see the results o their eorts now as well as knowing that
are strengthening their long-term resilience to uture challen
This helps to bolster local support or the plan and to provide
going incentives or its implementation. The plan also has a st
emphasis on sel-suciency and sustainability, placing high v
on reducing Namdrik’s reliance on imports, while valuing solutions to local problems. The plan oers a vision or the u
that keeps Namdrik’s community connected with their natura
cultural heritage.
REPLICATION
The Namdrik initiative has inspired other atoll communities w
and beyond the Marshall Islands to take similar action to build
own resilience to climate change. This has taken place through
ormal and inormal channels. Namdrik has become somethin
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1212
benchmark or the climate change adaptation strategies o other
Marshallese atolls and islands, and has inormed ocial guidance to
ther atoll communities, as well as the ‘Reimaanlok’ national resource
management strategy. Namdrik is viewed as a working model in
trategies to build climate change resilience, improve ood security,
nd enhance natural resource management. The Namdrik initiative
as also been presented to Parliament and receives widespread
upport rom policy makers and high-level government ocials, as
well as the President.
One o the benets o Namdrik’s work is as a demonstration site
o policy makers and practitioners involved in supporting the
evelopment o climate change adaptation strategies in other
Marshallese atolls. With support rom the Coastal Management
Advisory Council, communities across the Marshall Islands are
uilding on the successul programme initiated at Namdrik. Strong
eadership rom Namdrik’s Mayor and Senator has helped to inspire
ther atoll leaders to consider similar action. For example, the Mayor
Namdrik has attended and spoken at regional meetings on climate
hange adaptation. He has also shared his expertise with Marshallese
nd Micronesian communities that ace similar challenges, as well
s with communities rom other regions such as the Caribbean,
Melanesia (e.g. Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands) and
olynesia. The Mayor has also participated in international meetings
ocusing on sustainable development at the community level in
oth Brazil and India.
PARTNERS
Although geographically isolated, the Namdrik Atoll Local
esources Committee takes advantage o a range o partnerships
with government agencies, NGOs and educational institutions. The
onsultative process o developing Namdrik’s Natural Resources
Management Plan has united the community in pursuit o a sharedoal. Their vision has benetted rom the engagement o external
artners who have provided expertise, nance and support.
The Marshall Islands Conservation Society (MICS) and the Coastal
Management Advisory Committee assisted in the drating o
Namdrik Atoll’s Resources Management Plan. MICS has also assisted
he Committee in coordinating conservation eorts, including solid
waste management, climate vulnerability assessment, coastal and
marine monitoring and training.
he Committee works closely with the Marshall Islands Marine
Resources Authority and other partners in the Coastal Management
Advisory Council including, importantly, the College o the Marshallslands (CMI) or advice and technical support.
he UNDP-implemented GEF Small Grants Programme provided
grant o USD 50,000 to support the development o Namdrik Atoll’s
earl Farm. The Nature Conservancy, with endorsement rom the
Australian Government, is supporting training and scholarship
pportunities or younger community members to learn how to
manage the Pearl Farm, led by MICS.
Seacology provided USD 34,000 or the construction o
education, surveillance, and monitoring centre, and has prov
continued support or the Pearl Farm and unding support o
Committee’s operation, in return or the allocation o 86 acres w
the lagoon as a no-take marine protected area. Seacology agre
und continued surveillance, monitoring and protection o this
in exchange or the Atoll communities designating it as a no-
zone or ten years. The Local Resources Committee may appr
Seacology or urther support in protecting the rest o NamdMPAs
MIMRA and other partners assisted Namdrik’s eort to develop
pearl project and orge connections with other partners such a
Maria Haws and Simon Ellis o Pacifc Aquaculture and Co
Resources Center (PACRC) at the University o Hawaii in
the Marine and Environmental Research Institute o Poh
(MERIP), and CMI and MIMRA’s Pearl Farm project.
The installation o solar panels in each household and at
elementary school to provide renewable energy on Namdrik
supported by the European Union. The solar-powered re
systems were unded by the USDA and People’s Republic o C
(Taiwan). The installation o water catchments on Namdrik was
supported by the Taiwanese government, along with the Euro
Union.
University o the South Pacifc (USP) and the Marshall Isla
National Training Council supported the extension o the succe
Jaki-ed Apprenticeship Weaving Program to training targeted yo
girls that are considered unemployed and out o school.
The Ramsar Convention recently recognised Namdrik Atoll a
2,050th Wetland o International Importance. Eorts are ta
place to take ull advantage o the various programmes to awareness and continuously promote the wise use o mangrov
an adaptation measure to climate change.
The Marshall Islands National Telecommunication Auth
(MINTA) helped install a solar-powered satellite system (DAMA
centre which provides access to internet and voice calls with
outside world.
In 2009, the Coastal Resources Center at the University o Rh
Island’s Graduate School o Oceanography and the United St
Agency or International Development (USAID) initiate
partnership with the Marshall Islands to pilot an internat
programme to mainstream climate change adaptation into comanagement initiatives. This involved working directly with
Namdrik community to demonstrate assessment and adapta
activities, and to integrate this within the larger national p
ramework. In 2010, a specialist rom the Coastal Resources Ce
visited the community to provide technical support and advic
the Local Resources Committee.
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Click the thumbnails below to read more case studies like this:
FURTHER REFERENCE
Namdrik Atoll Local Resources Committee Equator Initiative prole page: http://www.equatorinitiative.org/index.php?option=c
winners&view=winner_detail&id=113&Itemid=683
Reimaan National Planning Team (2008) Reimaanlok: National Conservation Area Plan or the Marshall Islands 2007-2012. Availab
http://www.sprep.org/att/irc/ecopies/countries/marshall_islands/63.pd
An interview with the Mayor o Namdrik, Clarence Luther: http://community.eldis.org/.5a4706a4