Building adaptive fisheries governance capacity

Having decision-making systems and knowledge to help people involved in fisheries adapt to climate change is essential for livelihoods and food security in many countries of the Global South.

Yet, there are limited examples of decision-making and information generation systems having the capacity to enable adaptation to climate change, and for that adaptation to be done in a way that is fair to all and improves biodiversity and ecosystems.

This research will take place in Malawi and Uganda, and will involve the departments of fisheries, fishing communities and non-governmental organizations working in the sector in assessing the existing capacity for adaptation within the governance systems and how that capacity can be strengthened.

In both countries, co-management forms the basis of the governance system, but is not working consistently well across all water bodies and over time. The research will work with stakeholders to assess how co-management can be strengthened, but in a way that takes into account challenges associated with climate change and enables the fisheries sector to better protect and enhance biodiversity.

Aims and objectives

Project aims

  1. Assess adaptive fisheries governance capacity for biodiversity protection, climate resilience and poverty alleviation from community to national government level.
  2. Address key challenges to developing adaptive capacity for climate resilience in fisheries governance and how those challenges could be overcome.
  3. Develop communities of learning for inclusive and sustainable adaptive fisheries governance in sub-Saharan Africa.

What we’re hoping to achieve

The research aims to assist the fisheries sectors in:

  • Forming plans for progressing towards adaptive fisheries governance;
  • Having systems and structures in place for inclusive adaptive fisheries governance;
  • Delivering on reduced drivers of biodiversity loss and strengthened protection of biodiversity
  • Greater integration of biodiversity protection, climate resilience measures and poverty alleviation in fisheries governance

Academic partners

Deputy Project Lead: Professor Mafa Hara, Institute for Poverty, Land and Agrarian Studies, University of the Western Cape, South Africa

Malawi: Dr Judith Kamoto (Country Lead) and Dr Friday Njaya, Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources

Uganda: Laban Musinguzi (Country Lead) and Bwambale Mbilingi, National Fisheries Resources Research Institute

Funding

Funded by UK International Development through the Global Centre on Biodiversity for Climate

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