How women shellfishers can be empowered to conserve coastal biodiversity
A toolkit developed by experts from, Centre for Coastal Management, University of Cape Coast, Ghana and Coastal Resources Center, University of Rhode Island (USA), TRY Oyster Women’s Association, the University of Ghana, and World Agroforestry (ICRAF) details how integrated management approach can be used to promote biodiversity conservation and livelihoods of local women involved in shellfisheries.
Women engaged in shellfishing can be agents of climate change resilience and mitigation in a win-win approach that still provides them improved food and nutrition security as well as economic livelihood.
A toolkit developed by researchers drawn from the Centre for Coastal Management, University of Cape Coast, Ghana , Coastal Resources Center, University of Rhode Island (USA,) TRY Oyster Women’s Association, the University of Ghana, and World Agroforestry, (CIFOR-ICRAF), details how women shellfishers in coastal West African countries can effectively lead sustainable natural resource management when they are given appropriate support to develop and implement rights-based co-management approaches.
The toolkit is involved two case studies in two countries with results that show that it can potentially be applied in 11 countries in the Africa.
The experts argue that with an appropriate governance approach that puts resource users at the center of management decision-making, positive steps can be taken using the locally available expertise to improve economic activities without hurting biodiversity.
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