Coastal communities in low-income countries of the dugong range often depend on marine resources for their livelihoods.
In the context of a rapidly changing climate, coastal communities become more and more vulnerable as their resources become scarcer, which can trigger unsustainable use. We believe that providing opportunities for livelihood diversification is a key step towards building community resilience and empowering coastal people to sustainably manage their marine resources.
As these coastal communities become more resilient and less reliant on marine resources, we develop mechanisms to fund seagrass conservation by linking entrepreneurs and businesses to community conservation groups that manage marine resources and protected areas.