This chapter of Conservation for the Anthropocene Ocean provides a discussion on experiences with using transdisciplinary approaches and ecosystem services to inform two government-led spatial planning processes in the Caribbean: Integrated Coastal Zone Management in Belize and Sustainable Development Planning in The Bahamas.
The authors describe the science–policy process in these two countries in light of three important components of transdisciplinarity: (1) solutions-oriented research, (2) coproduction of knowledge, and (3) multiple disciplines. By accounting for the ways in which communities depend on ecosystems, as well as affect them, this chapter explores how the governments of Belize and the Bahamas aim to reach a broader set of actors and to direct investments, planning, and decision making to promote conservation and foster human well-being.
Related Case Studies
This case study explores the decision-making process that led up to the design of Belize’s first integrated coastal zone management plan, officially approved by the government in August 2016. It involves ecosystem service modeling, stakeholder participation, and spatial planning, and it assesses risk to three coastal-marine habitats posed by eight human uses. The study quantifies current and future delivery of three ecosystem services: protection from storms, catch and revenue from lobster fishing, and tourism expenditures to identify a preferred zoning scheme.
This study introduces an approach for assessing the combined risk to marine habitats from multiple human activities, and applies it to coral reefs, mangrove forests, and seagrass beds in Belize to inform the design of the country’s first Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) Plan.
This case study applies an ecosystem services framework to understand how human activities affect the flow of benefits, including models that quantify services provided by corals, mangroves, and seagrasses. This information is then used within an extensive engagement process to design a national spatial plan for Belize's coastal zone. This process makes Belize's coastal spatial plan the first of its kind.
This publication captures the experiences and lessons learned of the GEF Small Grants Programme, implemented by UNDP, on plastics management.