IPSI Case Study Summary Sheet
Basic Information
Title of case study
Ensuring conservation, good governance and sustainable livelihoods through landscape management ofmangrove ecosystems in Manabí, Ecuador
Submitting IPSI member organization(s)Fundación para la Investigación y Desarrollo Social (FIDES)

Other contributing organization(s) (IPSI members and/or non-members)
Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES); Conservation International Japan

Author(s) and affiliation(s)Jairo Díaz Obando (FIDES), María Dolores Vera (FIDES), Ikuko Matsumoto (IGES), Devon Dublin (ConservationInternational Japan), Yoji Natori (Conservation International Japan), Andrea Calispa (FIDES)
Format of case study (manuscript or audiovisual) Manuscript
Language
EnglishKeywords
Landscape approach, mangrove ecosystem, livelihoods improvement, strengthening governance, resilience
Date of submission (or update, if this is an update of an existing case study)
30 October 2018
Web link (of the case study or lead organization if
available for more information)

Geographical Information
Country (where site(s) or activities described in the case study are located – can be multiple, or even “global”)
Ecuador
Location(s) (within the country or countries – leave blank if specific location(s) cannot be identified)Manabí Province
Longitude/latitude or Google Maps link (if location is identified)
https://www.google.com/maps/@-0.7219333,-80.4914278,10z
Ecosystem(s)Forestx
Grassland
Agriculturalx
In-land water
Coastalx
Dryland x
Mountainx
Urban/peri-urban
Other (Please specify)
Socioeconomic and environmental characteristics of the area
The study area is a mangrove ecosystem, production landscape and seascape, located within two estuaries, theChone River Estuary and Portoviejo River Estuary of Manabí Province, Ecuador, and the dry forest of Bálsamo
Mountain Range between these estuaries. The Portoviejo River Estuary is shaped by a mangrove forest, saltevaporation ponds (salt pans), beaches, and is the product of the confluence of the sub-basins of the River
Portoviejo and Estero Bachillero, it is part of a communitarian area, with a total coverage of the Mangrove
forest of 57.72 ha. The Chone River Estuary drains the area of San Vicente surrounding the islands of Corazón
and Fragatas, which are wildlife sanctuaries of estuarine islands full of mangroves and a state-owned protectedarea; this fresh water wetland possesses an exceptional richness of avifauna, with a bird count over 190,000,making it a true coastal bird sanctuary. The Balsamo Mountain Range is made up of approximately 9,500
hectares of dry tropical forest, very dry tropical forest, and spiny tropical shrubland located in the central partof the Manabí Province. It presents a wide number of endemic species of deciduous forest remnants including
two primates, namely the capuchin monkey (Cebus albifrons) and the sub-specie Cebus aequatorialis, endemic
to the central coast of Ecuador (Tirira, 2011). This location encompasses eight private natural reserves.
Description of human-nature interactions in the area
The local communities engage in fishing (sardines, mackerel, sawfish, pampanos, cara, snapper, seabass andgrunt); harvesting of mollusks and crustaceans including black shell, red crab and blue crab; tourism due to thebeautiful landscape and beaches; agricultural activities including rice, onions and coconut production; saltextraction; and sand extraction, among others.

Contents
Status (“ongoing” or “completed”)

Completed

Period (MM/YY to MM/YY)

09/2016 to12/2018

Rationale (why activities or policies described, or information shared in the case study are needed)
Despite the environmental, social, economic and cultural importance of the mangroves, as well as theexistence of a legal framework for protection, more than 80% of the mangroves in the Chone River Estuary andPortoviejo River Estuary in Manabí Province have been destroyed by the shrimp industry. This destruction has
deteriorated living conditions for families that have lived off such ecosystem services for generations, mainly
due to the decline and loss of species that have been part of the local community’s food security.
Objectives (goals of activities or policies described, or of producing the case study)
The aim is to strengthen community production activities that alleviate the pressure on natural resources andcontribute to the conservation of biodiversity and the ecosystems, as well as the food sovereignty of thecommunities, the utilization of traditional knowledge and practices, and the incorporation of innovative andsustainable production technologies.
Activities and/or practices employed

Local communities have been implementing restoration processes in certain areas through red mangrove
reforestation, and recovery of mangrove species such as shells and mouthless crab with 4,000 seedlings
planted in an area of two hectares. In the state-owned protected area, 8,000 seedlings of mangrove species
were planted with the support of park rangers and members of the communities.
Results
As a result of the resilience assessment workshops, the local communities and organizations outlined the important
events in recent history to their livelihoods and ecosystems. Likewise, they shared their knowledge on the strengths andweaknesses in the SEPLS, adjusted their existing plans, and developed priority action plans to strengthen the resilience of
the SEPLS following the communities’ interests and needs.

Lessons learned (factors in success or failure, challenges and opportunities)
The comprehensive landscape approach encompassing the mouth of the rivers Chone and Portoviejo andincluding the dry tropical forest of the Bálsamo Mountain Range makes conservation of the critical mangrove
ecosystem possible. This is due to the fact that the area can be adequately managed by available resources,including human capital, and is large enough for revitalizing the affected species in the area.
Key messages
The resilience evaluation helped the local communities and organizations to 1) share knowledge on strengths
and weaknesses of the SEPLS; 2) provide opportunities for the debate and analysis of SEPLS between membersof the communities; 3) develop priority action plans to strengthen the resilience of the SEPLS; and 4) rethink
and recognize how the project would help to address key threats and weaknesses so it can better address theneeds of local communities.
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. 4.
Funding (any relevant information about funding of activities or projects described in the case study)

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.
