A single research project aiming to help conserve and protect the Solomon Island's Marovo Lagoon laid the foundations for a multidisciplinary conservation initiative and nationwide training and community program.
Researchers working on the Marovo Lagoon project were aiming to provide scientific data in support of listing the lagoon, which was under significant environmental threat, as a World Heritage site.
The researchers soon realised that to effect fundamental change in community resource use values, they needed the support of anthropologists and social scientists. They grew their team to incorporate members from those two disciplines as well as others from the fields of law, tourism and economics.
What started as a "science" project for a single lagoon grew to eventually support a nationwide indigenous ranger training and community empowerment program.
The program is now coordinated by the Solomon Islands Community Conservation Partnership, which aims to develop and strengthen local capacity to manage conservation networks and expand support and empowerment of community-driven conservation actions in the Solomon Islands.
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