Investing in People
Building Capacity to Strengthen Marine Protected Areas

Based in Indonesia, the world’s fourth most populous country, we know that conservation isn’t about empty places. Conservation is the attitude and action of people. People with their skills and the resources to see ecological systems and their roles within them. The Nature Conservancy’s Coral Triangle Center (CTC) is a place where people gather to share experience and scientific findings in surviving impacts of global threats such as climate change and local threats such as over-fishing and blast fishing.

To support this ambitious work, CTC is working to build the skills of Indonesia’s marine managers, government officials and other stakeholders in MPA planning, design, and management. In addition, CTC is raising awareness of the importance of MPAs among communities who depend on the seas for their livelihoods. These skills and knowledge is provided through a variety of training and community outreach activities, including:

MPA Management Training. CTC has developed a short course on MPA planning and management for Indonesian conservation practitioners. This course explains how MPAs provide benefits for commercial and subsistence fishers, and how they relate to fisheries management. Furthermore, the course provides guidance in designing zoning, plans as well as surveillance, outreach, monitoring and al- ternative livelihood development programs.

Field Monitoring Courses. CTC trains national park staff and on-site conservation personnel to monitor coral health, fish spawning aggregation sites, cetaceans, mangrove and seagrass communities, as well as resource utilization patterns in and around protected areas.

Sustainable Livelihood Training. As part of CTC’s eforts to develop alternative livelihoods for the local people, villagers living in and around national parks are offered training on environmentally friendly sources of income, such as seaweed and fish farming, deep-water fishing, weaving and wood carving, and  CUBA training for local tour guides.

Field Exchanges. CTC hosts field exchanges for personnel from Indonesian national parks with other parks around the world, including parks in Ecuador, Mozambique, and Cambodia. The center also facilitates conservation training events for high school students in Komodo.

Communications and Outreach. CTC cultivates understanding and support for MPAs from all sectors of society through media campaigns, technical reports, community workshops, comic books and website.