IPSI Case Study Summary Sheet
Basic Information
Title of case study
Enhancing knowledge of socio-ecological production landscapes and seascapes in Vava’u, Kingdom of Tonga
Submitting IPSI member organization(s)Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP)
Other contributing organization(s) (IPSI members and/or non-members)
International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)
Author(s) and affiliation(s)Stuart Chape, Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP); James Atherton,
Environment Consultant, Apia, Samoa; Jacob Salcone, International Union for Conservation of Nature, Suva,Fiji; Amanda Wheatley, Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP)
Format of case study (manuscript or audiovisual) Manuscript
Language
EnglishKeywords (3-5 key concepts included in the case study)
Vava'u, Tonga, biodiversity, socio-economic assessments, BIORAP
Date of submission (or update, if this is an update of an existing case study)
22 December 2015
http://www.sprep.org/publications/rapid-biodiversityWeb link (of the case study or lead organization if
available for more information)assessment-biorap-of-the-vavau-archipelago-kingdom-of-tonga

Geographical Information
Country (where site(s) or activities described in the case study are located – can be multiple, or even “global”)
Kingdom of Tonga
Location(s) (within the country or countries – leave blank if specific location(s) cannot be identified)
Vava’u ArchipelagoLongitude/latitude or Google Maps link (if location is identified)
https://www.google.com/maps/@-18.5999989,-174.0175096,11z
Ecosystem(s)Forestx
Grassland
Agricultural
In-land water
Coastalx
Dryland
Mountain
Urban/peri-urban
Other (Please specify)
Socioeconomic and environmental characteristics of the area
Surrounded by deep oceanic waters, Vava’u has a wide range of marine habitats and species, most notably its
coral reefs and migrating humpback whales which are attracted by the sheltered deep lagoons. About 15,000
people live in Vava’u. 2009 Household Income and Expenditure Survey estimated 3,447 households in Vava’u.
Description of human-nature interactions in the area
The Vava’u Archipelago is a prime example of SEPLS where communities live closely connected to thenatural environment. Dependence on the goods and services provided by marine, coastal, and terrestrial
ecosystems remains high. Freshwater, timber, fish and agriculture are important for subsistence purposes anda major component of national economies, especially tuna fishing, cash crops, and commercial logging.

Contents
Status (“ongoing” or “completed”)
Completed
Period (MM/YY to MM/YY)
02/14 to 07/14
Rationale (why activities or policies described, or information shared in the case study are needed)
This paper focuses on the project work undertaken in Vava’u to establish the ecological and socio-economic
knowledge base essential for determining the best options for long term conservation, management anddevelopment of this important area.
Objectives (goals of activities or policies described, or of producing the case study)
To provide a basis for medium to long term decision making by the people of Vava’u and the Government ofTonga to improve the environmental management of land and seascapes for the benefit of local and national
economies and for biodiversity. It is intended that the approach will be replicated in other Pacific island
countries.
Activities and/or practices employed1) The Biological Rapid Assessment Programme (BioRAP) involved assessments of land and sea birds, bats,plants, reptiles, land snails and insects while the marine survey included assessments of coral reef fish andcommercial fish, corals and other marine invertebrates, sea turtles and cetaceans. 2) The socio-economic
assessment analyzed household activities, subsistence and monetary, and quantified the magnitude of key
ecosystem services in the Vava’u group.
Results
The surveys have greatly enhanced the knowledge base for sustainably managing the land and seascape of
the Vava’u archipelago, confirming the value and linkages between natural ecosystems and the livelihoods
and economic development of local people and the country as a whole.
Lessons learned (factors in success or failure, challenges and opportunities)
Both the biological and economic surveys have provided invaluable information that has substantially
increased the level of environmental and socio-economic knowledge of the Vava’u archipelago, which can beapplied to improve policy decisions and management interventions of this important land and seascapewhere the livelihoods of the local people are dependent on ecosystem services.
Key messages
A set of convergent recommendations emerged from these complementary assessments that can be applied not
only to Vava’u, but also similar tropical island land and seascapes: • Develop socio-economic and ecologicalinformation gathering methods together, to meet joint objectives • Conserve sites of significant conservation value• Recognize community dependence upon natural areas for horticulture and animal husbandry and value ofagroecosystems • Improve conservation of threatened species • Improve management and use of marineresources, including by implementing marine spatial planning processes • Manage threats to key sites frominvasive species • Raise public awareness on conservation and linked economic values of the Vava’u Archipelago •Raise awareness on and enforce existing environmental laws • Improve knowledge of the ecology and biodiversityof the Vava’u Islands • Ensure ecotourism, including whale watching, is managed sustainably • Reduce runoff,
pollution and sedimentation • Establish environmental quality monitoring systems
Relationship to other IPSI activities (if the case study is related to any other IPSI collaborative activities, case studies, etc.)
This case study originally appeared in the Satoyama Initiative Thematic Review v. 1.
Funding (any relevant information about funding of activities or projects described in the case study)
The BioRAP was coordinated by SPREP, the Vava’u Environmental Protection Association (VEPA), the Waitt
Foundation (which provided a ship for the marine survey work) and the then Tongan Ministry of Lands,Environment, Climate Change and Natural Resources (MLECCNR). Staff from the Ministry of Agriculture, Food,Forestry and Fisheries (MAFFF) also participated in the survey. Specialist support was provided by scientists fromBirdLife International, the New Zealand Department of Conservation, and the United States Geological Survey. The
socio-economic assessment was commissioned by SPREP and funded by the Australian International Climate
Change Initiative component implemented by SPREP. The implementation of the survey falls under the umbrella ofthe MACBIO project, a five-year regional project funded by the German Federal Ministry for the Environment,
Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety to support and strengthen conservation and management ofmarine and coastal biodiversity through economics, marine spatial planning, and protected area policy. The Vava’u
Environmental Protection Association (VEPA) was a key partner in the assessment.

Contributions to Global Agendas
CBD Aichi Biodiversity Targets (https://www.cbd.int/sp/targets/)
The table below shows based on the self-evaluation by author(s).  and  indicates the “direct” or “indirect” contributions to theCBD’s Aichi Biodiversity Targets respectively to which the work described in this case study contributes to.

Strategic Goal A

Strategic Goal B

Strategic Goal C

Strategic Goal D

Strategic Goal E

UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) (https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/sdgs)
The table below shows based on the self-evaluation by author(s).  and  indicates the “direct” or “indirect” contributions to theSDGs respectively to which the work described in this case study contributes to.
