Guidelines for establishing marine protected areas

This publication establishes a structured, rigorous standard for cross-referencing ecosystem types to the GET. It first reviews the need for reliable interoperability among ecosystem classifications and the role of the GET as a framework for synthesis. Second, it reviews the conceptual foundations of ecosystem classifications and introduces the structure of the GET. Third, the guidelines introduce key principles for cross-referencing the units of other ecosystem classifications to GET Ecosystem Functional Groups. In particular, it identifies the range of land and water classifications that may be suitable for crossreferencing to the GET. The next section describes the steps, methods and guidance for defining membership relationships to GET Ecosystem Functional Groups. Finally, it foreshadows emerging tools to assist users in crossreferencing tasks with example applications.

The IKI-BMUKN funded project Transboundary conservation and sustainable management of coastal and marine biodiversity in Kwale, Kenya and Tanga, Tanzania supports the conservation of marine and coastal biodiversity through community-based and gender-inclusive approaches. To reduce pressure on mangrove ecosystems, the project introduced sustainable apiculture as an alternative livelihood for local communities in Kwale and Tanga. The mentorship training takes place in two parts: The first part focuses on beehive construction, colony management and honey production. The second part is delivered when the honey is ready for harvest and builds skills in processing and value addition, including the use of beeswax for making products such as candles and ointments. Through mentoring and inclusive training design, women who were previously excluded due to cultural taboos have now become active participants in beekeeping. The project supports both environmental protection and local income generation.

This initiative is part of the Sparśa Solution, a Nepali non-profit company that locally produces and distributes compostable menstrual pads with an absorbent core made from banana fibre. The solution focuses on defining what makes a good menstrual pad, combining research, prototyping, quality assurance, and continuous user feedback. 

The process began with a nationwide study of 820 women and girls, whose insights shaped the pad prototypes. Pads were then developed in two phases: manually and later with machines, testing different material combinations to balance absorbency, comfort, and compostability. Internal testing protocols and certified laboratory analysis ensured hygiene and compliance with national and international standards. 

Feedback from users, collected through simplified surveys in Nepali and English, provides the basis for ongoing refinement of both pad design and packaging. By linking social research with technical innovation, the solution delivers pads that are safe, eco-friendly, and culturally acceptable.

Liziba Village has abundant natural resources and a good ecological environment, but excessive logging, illegal medicinal plant collection, and poaching have caused losses to villagers’ lives. In 2003, with the support of the Gansu Baishuijiang National Nature Reserve Administration and the local village committee, villagers spontaneously formed a forest protection team to expel illegal loggers and poachers and to educate and supervise fellow villagers. After the introduction of conservation agreements in 2007, illegal activities decreased and the ecological environment improved. The promotion of tea industry technologies and mechanized management increased tea farmers’ income. Villagers shifted from traditional forest-dependent livelihoods to diversified development, becoming protectors and managers of forest resources. This transformation boosted the community economy and living standards, and promoted harmonious coexistence between humans and nature.

The situation is not new: a ministry is assigned responsibility for a socio-political issue but lacks the assertiveness, resources, or political backing to advance it effectively. More powerful ministries – such as those for economics, finance, or trade – often perceive the topic as marginal and economically insignificant, leading to disengagement. The responsible ministry frequently fails to recognise the broader socio-political relevance or how to engage more influential stakeholders to mainstream the topic and its implementation.

The approach to mainstreaming Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS) taken by the ABS Capacity Development Initiative (ABS Initiative) highlights solutions to overcome these challenges but also reveals their limitations. Mainstreaming can be seen as a process whereby ABS is systematically integrated into existing or future structures, laws, strategies, plans, policies and programmes of other ministries and stakeholders. However, the methods used to implement mainstreaming are of crucial importance.

Located along the western coast of Taiwan, Chenglong Wetlands was originally farmland. Since 1986, multiple typhoons have caused levee breaches and seawater intrusion, leading to farmland abandonment and its gradual transformation into grassy wetlands. Through joint efforts by the government, academia, civil groups, and local communities, the wetlands have been preserved as habitats, for water purification, and for disaster prevention. Environmental education and art have further revitalized community culture, creating a landscape that blends human and natural elements.
The Nantou Branch of the Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency introduced the concept of Socio-ecological Production Landscapes and Seascapes (SEPLS) and organized resilience assessment workshops (RAWs) centered on community residents. These workshops assessed environmental, economic, and social resilience, clarified key local issues, and explored ways for economic activity and ecological conservation to coexist, embodying the spirit of a Satoumi community.