Capacity building and research techniques

A key objective of the Blue Communities programme was to strengthen and broaden skills and build research capacity and expertise

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Find out more about Blue Communities

A key objective of the Blue Communities programme was to strengthen and broaden skills and build research capacity and expertise. The increased capability and capacity will enable the local researchers to provide evidence to decision-makers that will address the challenge of sustainable living in coastal communities in Southeast Asia. In addition, by working in collaboration with researchers in Southeast Asia to co-develop and adapt research methods so that they are applicable for other regions around the world, UK researchers were able to build their capability as well.

The Blue Communities project succeeded in developing capability and lasting collaborations through planned co-development and delivery of interrelated and ultimately integrated and interdisciplinary research projects. These projects put in place much of the research capacity required to support the introduction of marine planning and improved marine management, regulation and policy development at local, national and international levels. This included interdisciplinary skills development, collection and production of data, sharing information and understanding required for modelling and decision support tools.

Areas covered included the relationships between the state of the environment and human health; the ecosystems and the services and evaluating the benefits they provide, as well as the risks to those from climate change, fisheries practices, pollution, coastal development for the blue economy, but also the opportunities from sustainable aquaculture, tourism and renewable energy; the governance and policy in place and needed for sustainable management; and planning for the future through scenario projections (climate change and fisheries management) in computer models and scenario visualisation and understanding through engagement with local communities and stakeholders.

Capacity building and research techniques

Strong collaborative and cohesive interdisciplinary teams and networks were developed within and between institutions and across all of the involved countries in the region and with the UK. Regionally, in-country partnerships between academics, local communities and national stakeholders were strengthened by the research capacity and experience gained by all participants.

The capacity, but also the credibility of academic participants with their stakeholders has increased, as has their mutual trust facilitated through extensive engagement efforts that were fostered and supported by Blue Communities.

Systematic evidence map on the interactions between marine conservation management and the health and well-being of coastal communities in Southeast Asia.

Launching the first updatable, interrogable and comprehensive systematic evidence map, bringing together all known research on the interactions between marine conservation management and the health and well-being of coastal communities in Southeast Asia