Case Studies UNDP: NAMDRIK ATOLL LOCAL RESOURCES COMMITTEE, Marshall Islands

7/27/2019 Case Studies UNDP: NAMDRIK ATOLL LOCAL RESOURCES COMMITTEE, Marshall Islands

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/case-studies-undp-namdrik-atoll-local-resources-committee-marshall-islands 1/13

Equator Initiative Case StudiesLocal sustainable development solutions for people, nature, and resilient communities

The Marshall Islands

NAMDRIK ATOLL LOCALRESOURCES COMMITTEE

Empowered live

Resilient nation



UNDP EQUATOR INITIATIVE CASE STUDY SERIES

Local and indigenous communities across the world are advancing innovative sustainable development solutions that wo

or people and or nature. Few publications or case studies tell the ull story o how such initiatives evolve, the breadth

their impacts, or how they change over time. Fewer still have undertaken to tell these stories with community practition

themselves guiding the narrative.

To mark its 10-year anniversary, the Equator Initiative aims to ll this gap. The ollowing case study is one in a growing ser

that details the work o Equator Prize winners – vetted and peer-reviewed best practices in community-based environmenconservation and sustainable livelihoods. These cases are intended to inspire the policy dialogue needed to take local succ

to scale, to improve the global knowledge base on local environment and development solutions, and to serve as models

replication. Case studies are best viewed and understood with reerence to ‘The Power of Local Action: Lessons from 10 Years

the Equator Prize’, a compendium o lessons learned and policy guidance that draws rom the case material.

Click on the map to visit the Equator Initiative’s searchable case study database.

EditorsEditor-in-Chief: Joseph Corcoran

Managing Editor: Oliver HughesContributing Editors: Dearbhla Keegan, Matthew Konsa, Erin Lewis, Whitney Wilding

Contributing WritersEdayatu Abieodun Lamptey, Erin Atwell, Jonathan Clay, Joseph Corcoran, Sean Cox, Larissa Currado, David Godrey, Sarah Gordon,

Oliver Hughes, Wen-Juan Jiang, Sonal Kanabar, Dearbhla Keegan, Matthew Konsa, Rachael Lader, Erin Lewis, Jona Liebl, Mengning Ma

Mary McGraw, Brandon Payne, Juliana Quaresma, Peter Schecter, Martin Sommerschuh, Whitney Wilding

DesignSean Cox, Oliver Hughes, Dearbhla Keegan, Matthew Konsa, Amy Korngiebel, Kimberly Koserowski, Erin Lewis, John Mulqueen, Loren

de la Parra, Brandon Payne, Mariajosé Satizábal G.

AcknowledgementsThe Equator Initiative acknowledges with gratitude Namdrik Atoll Local Resources Committee, and in particular the guidance and inp

o Mattlan Zackhras. All photo credits courtesy o Namdrik Atoll Local Resources Committee. Maps courtesy o CIA World Factbook a

Wikipedia, except or map on p. 4, provided by Namdrik Atoll Local Resources Committee.

Suggested CitationUnited Nations Development Programme. 2013. Namdrik Atoll Local Resources Committee, The Marshall Islands. Equator Initiative C

Study Series. New York, NY.

http://www.equatorinitiative.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=747:10years&catid=189:2012-events




http://www.equatorinitiative.org/index.php?option=com_winners&view=casestudysearch&Itemid=685



PROJECT SUMMARY To reduce dependence on declining sheries andvulnerability to the impacts o climate change, Namdrik Atoll Local Resources Committee is promoting a modelo community sel-suciency, local ood security andadaptation. Traditional crops such as breadruit, taro andnative pandanus have been reintroduced to protect andrestore soil, improve ood security and open value-addedsecondary processing industries or local communities.

A pearl arm provides jobs and a revenue stream to undcommunity development projects in education and health.

Training in rainwater harvesting is providing the communitywith access to sae drinking water, and access to solartechnology is providing the community with a source o renewable energy. The initiative is community-owned,ueled by local leadership and has provided a sustainabilitymodel that has been replicated in other atoll communitiesacross islands in the Pacic.

KEY FACTS

EQUATOR PRIZE WINNER: 2012

FOUNDED: 2007

LOCATION: Namdrik Atoll, western Marshall Islands

BENEFICIARIES: Namdrik’s 600-strong population

BIODIVERSITY: Marine Protected Area, mangrove forests

3

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Background and Context 4

Key Activities and Innovations 6

Biodiversity Impacts 8

Socioeconomic Impacts 9

Policy Impacts 10

Sustainability 11

Replication 11

Partners 12

NAMDRIK ATOLL LOCAL RESOURCESCOMMITTEEThe Marshall Islands



4

Namdrik Atoll is located along the western reaches o the Republic the Marshall Islands, in the archipelago’s Ralik (Sunset) chain o

slands. The Atoll is situated 240 miles west-southwest o Majuro, the

Marshall Islands’ main centre o population. Namdrik Atoll consists

just two low-lying islands, Namdrik and Madmad, which house

he eight villages o Zulu, Betol, Majol, Jinai, Rantak, Elmon and

Madmad. The two islands have a combined land area o just 1.07 sq.

miles and encircle a 3.25-sq. mile lagoon.

he majority o the Atoll’s approximately 600-strong population

s concentrated in the south-western part o the larger Namdrik

sland, where a reshwater lens is located. The majority o the Atoll’s

ssets and buildings are located on the lagoon side o Namdrik. The

Namdrik community relies heavily on local natural resources to meetaily needs. Marine resources provide or subsistence needs and a

mall amount o income generation, but the Atoll’s main sources o

ncome are copra production and the sale o handicrats to the main

Marshallese centres o Majuro and Kwajalein.

he Marshall Islands’ isolation and relatively low population mean

hat the region harbours some o the world’s most pristine coral

ees and richest terrestrial biodiversity. The Marshall Islands

e within Conservation International’s Polynesia-Micronesia

iodiversity Hotspot with the northern Marshall Islands orming the

Key Biodiversity Area o Kabin Meto. A wealth o marine biodiversity,

ncluding over 1,000 species o sh, 362 species o coral, 40 sponges,

,655 molluscs, 728 crustaceans, 128 echinoderms, 27 marine

mammals and ve turtle species, has already been recorded in the

slands, with new species undoubtedly remaining to be discovered.

About 700 land animals (mostly insects) have also been identied.

Namdrik Atoll is no exception to this abundance o biodiversity,

arbouring a wide array o marine and terrestrial species. The Atoll is

lmost unique among Marshallese atolls in exhibiting concentrated

umbers o the black-lipped oyster (Pinctada margaritifer a) which

re believed to thrive in Namdrik’s lagoon due to the Atoll’s unusual

ormation. Three mangrove swamps (Ajelto, Lobat and Madmad)

can also be ound in Namdrik Atoll, which provide habitat

mangrove crabs. The Atoll is also home to a number o ca

species, the amphibious mudskipper and the Mantis sh

(Lysiossquillina maculate). Mangrove swamps and surroun

systems support tree species including the kanal (Pisonia gra

kojbar (Neissosperma oppositifolium), wop (Barringtonia asiatica

(Bruguiera gymnorrhiza) and bulabol (red mangrove), some o w

are rare or endangered. The Atoll also supports a number o die

species o banana.

Threats from climate change

Atoll islands such as Namdrik consist o accumulations o sedim

on top o coral rees, and typically have highly dynamic shore

that are constantly being reshaped by the orces o erosion

accretion. The Marshall Islands are thought to have breached

Background and Context



55

ea’s surace between 2,000 and 4,000 years ago as a result o a

light lowering o the sea level. Local stories and recent climatic

ecords together indicate that the Marshall Islands’ biodiversity,

and and people have endured constant pressure rom typhoons

nd droughts ever since. The low elevation and ragile equilibrium

atoll islands make them some o the most vulnerable landorms

with regard to the impacts o climate change.

t is now widely accepted that climate change poses a major threat toow-lying island states such as the Marshall Islands. In the near term,

torm surges and fooding threaten inrastructure and livelihoods,

while longer term threats include rising sea temperature and ocean

cidication with resultant coral bleaching. Ultimately, islands such

s the Marshalls could ace complete inundation as a result o sea

evel rise. Sea level rise also threatens reshwater sources through

he encroachment o saltwater into the ragile reshwater lenses that

ustain agriculture and ecosystems. As one o the lowest-lying atolls

n the Marshall Islands, Namdrik is particularly vulnerable.

n 2007, Namdrik’s tribal chies, elders, and local government

uthorities reached out to government and NGO partners to request

upport in initiating a community-based resource management

ction plan in order to address a number o issues that were leading

o environmental degradation and aecting the quality o lie on

he Atoll. During that year, Namdrik was selected to participate in

marine and socioeconomic assessments led by the Secretariat o

he Pacic Community (SPC). Due to logistical diculties, however,

hese surveys never took place.

he ollowing year, the atoll’s leadership requested the development

a community-based resource management project under the

Marshall Islands Marine Resources Authority (MIMRA) and other

artners in the Coastal Management Advisory Council (CMAC)

uch as the College o the Marshall Islands and the Marshall IslandsConservation Society. Initial eorts as part o this partnership

ncluded the revival o community-based pearl harvesting, with

upport rom New Zealand Aid, the UNDP-implemented GEF

mall Grants Programme, and research institutes rom Hawaii and

Micronesia, as a rst step in encouraging conservation o the Atoll’s

esources.

During 2009, these early conservation and livelihoods activities

volved into a ully-fedged natural resources management initiative.

n partnership with relevant government agencies, a Resources

Management Plan or Namdrik Atoll was developed, inormed by a

eries o community workshops involving representatives o dierent

roups rom the Atoll community. Held over the course o a week n September 2009, successive workshops brought together local

overnment representatives, Namdrik Council, key landowners, and

he Atoll’s Men’s and Women’s Groups or a series o participatory

lanning and mapping exercises.

he resultant plan puts mitigation o the impacts o climate change

t the centre o development planning, while simultaneously aiming

o address a range o environmental threats that were identied

hrough consultation with the community. The issues identied

nclude waste management, declining sheries, erosion and

fooding, invasive species, threats to mangroves, and the imp

o shits in the seasons. Although many o these issues are natu

occurring, they have the potential to be signicantly worsene

the impacts o climate change.

Namdrik Atoll Local Resources Committee

Under the leadership o the Mayor o Namdrik (Clarence Luther

Senator (Mattlan Zackhras), representatives o local governmand tribal leaders, the community as a whole engaged in a proce

dene the issues and identiy concrete actions that could be tak

address them. This process led to the development o the Resou

Management Plan or Namdrik Atoll, and the establishmen

the Local Resources Committee, charged with management

oversight o the plan’s implementation. The Committee is comp

o the Mayor o Namdrik, three representatives o Namdrik Co

(or Alaps – a group o the community’s elders), two representa

o the Atoll’s Women’s Group, two representatives o the M

Group, one representative o the Teachers’ Group, one y

representative, and one representative each o the Atoll’s Lijabka

and Wut Kajdo Groups. The Committee works closely with

Marshall Islands Marine Resources Authority (MIMRA), the Mar

Islands Conservation Society and the College o the Marshall Isl

or advice and technical support.

The specic responsibilities o the Committee include:

• Developing an annual work plan to guide the y

implementation o the plan’s activities and the achieveme

its objectives;

• Making sure that the responsibilities o the community u

the plan are carried out properly;

• Working closely with MIMRA and CMAC partners to ensure

obligations are carried out;• Reporting on the progress o the Resources Management P

development to the community and to Namdrik Governm

Council;

• Arranging community workshops and gatherings;

• Representing the interests o the Namdrik communit

national and regional gatherings in matters concerning m

environment and shery resources;

• With assistance rom MIMRA, establishing processes that

to the ormulation and approval o Fisheries Managem

Ordinances; and

• With assistance rom MIMRA, determining conditions

licensing ees or consideration and approval o the L

Government Council.

The ocus o the Committee’s work is on resilience and adaptab

Despite being in one o the most vulnerable nations in the wor

the impacts o climate change, the Namdrik community has t

a strong and proactive leadership position and is taking dec

action to ensure that both their natural resources and their wa

lie are as resilient as possible to whatever uture challenges

may ace.



6

Key Activities and Innovations

As a small and isolated community, highly dependent on

ocal natural resources, threats to Namdrik’s ragile ecological

quilibrium inherently threaten the health and sustainability o

ts community members’ livelihoods. In order to build resilience

o environmental threats and to climate change in particular, the

Resources Management Plan ocuses on core issues including ood

ecurity, sustainable livelihoods, and the creation o opportunities

or young people, within the context o improving natural resource

management. Since 2007, Namdrik’s leaders and community

members have developed and implemented a set o actions to

ddress the most pressing o the community’s concerns.

Securing basic needs

el-suciency was deemed to be a key goal in achieving ood

ecurity or Namdrik. Where previous generations o the community

rew much o their own ood, dependence on external shipments

as grown, leaving the community vulnerable i ood deliveries are

elayed, or example during bad weather. To diversiy ood sources

nd reduce reliance on imported ood, gardens growing traditional

ood crops are being re-established. Species include breadruit

which can be stored or many months), taro, more varieties o

banana, and native varieties o pandanus which are now harvested

xclusively on Namdrik. With these crops at hand, the community

ims to be able to survive three to our months without a supply

hipment i necessary, rather than three weeks as was previously thease.

Water security is also an issue, as the community previously relied

lmost exclusively on the Atoll’s small and ragile reshwater lens.

he incursion o saltwater, exacerbated by sea-level rise, has already

ontaminated many o the Atoll’s wells. To improve water security,

ainwater tanks, each holding around 1,500 gallons, were installed

hroughout the community. O Namdrik’s 120 households, 110

ow have a water tank, which signicantly reduces pressure on the

reshwater lens. Combined with training in water management,

these tanks have reduced the incidence o waterborne diseases

as diarrhoea (which was previously commonplace on the Ato

act, since the water programme was implemented, there have

no cases o waterborne illness at the hospital. The community

aims to be able to survive or at least three months without ra

necessary.

Renewable energy has been promoted across the Atoll. W

previously generators were the main source o power, almost e

house now has solar panels. The elementary school also rece

a 10,000 kW solar panel system to provide or the electricity n

o the school. This initiative, achieved with nancial support

the French government and the European Union, has provcheap, clean, low-maintenance energy and reduced the pollu

expense and uncertainty associated with the use o generators

community was also able to install 33 solar-powered reezer sys

with unding rom Taiwan and the United States Departme

Agriculture (USDA). Other solar-powered systems include the D

TeleCenter, recently installed by the National Telecommunic

Authority, which provides internet access and voice calls to

outside world.

Waste management was identied as yet another area requ

urgent attention. Waste and pollution pose serious threat

biodiversity through excessive nutrient loading o water, and p

managed landlls on the Atoll provide habitat or invasive spsuch as rats. Without action to address ood security, the comm

eared that changes in climate would require more ood to be ship

in, thus exacerbating the waste problem through the introduc

o greater volumes o packaging. To address this threat, meas

were undertaken to promote recycling, in particular with re

to car batteries and old solar power units. Steps are being take

ormalise a community-based integrated solid waste managem

system that would serve as a model or other atolls throughou

Marshall Islands.



77

Developing sustainable livelihoods

ustainable livelihood options were identied as a pressing need

or community members, particularly given the risk o declining sh

tocks and the lack o local employment opportunities or young

eople. Declining sh stocks have been noted throughout the

Marshall Islands as the erosion o traditional resource management

echniques and a lack o enorcement o traditional conservation

ractices have led to unrestrained harvesting o marine resources,hreatening marine biodiversity and sh populations.

n innovative action plan combines the creation o opportunities

or Namdrik’s younger generation with improved stewardship o

atural resources. Opportunities have been developed or young

ommunity members to study natural resource management at

he College o the Marshall Islands. Upon completion o the course,

hese students undertake marine surveys, coastal and erosion

monitoring, and vulnerability assessments, which then inorm the

toll’s planning. These students also engage in the implementation

sustainable sheries policies.

n addition, a pilot black-lipped oyster Pearl Farm was established,with its rst harvest undertaken in October 2010. This harvest yielded

17 pearls which brought signicant revenue to the community. The

earl Farm will provide a valuable and reliable income on an on-going

asis, reducing dependence on copra production or cash income. A

cholarship programme is planned to allow community members

o learn specialised pearl grating and harvesting techniques in the

ook Islands.

he replanting and improved management o pandanus trees across

he Atoll has acilitated the development o Namdrik’s handicrats

ndustry by the women o the community. The pandanus trees’

piny leaves make a good bre or weaving, as they are long, thick,

nd durable, and are used to make a variety o woven handicrat

roducts popular across the Marshall Islands. Namdrik’s women

ave ocussed on producing mats and traditional clothing, which

an sell or up to USD 100 each. The University o the South Pacic,

with the support o the RMI National Training Council, has extended

he successul Apprenticeship Jaki-ed Weaving programme to target

eenage girls who are unemployed and out o school.

s an atoll island, Namdrik is highly susceptible to erosion and

ooding, which the community noted were occurring with increasing

requency. Both climate change and locally-induced stressors are

cknowledged to drive coastal changes, posing hazards to homes

nd inrastructure along coastlines. Although rising sea level iseyond the infuence o the Namdrik community, they took action

o address a number o local activities that were likely exacerbating

he erosion problem. Sand-mining (or construction) was banned

rom the lagoon-side shore where the majority o homes and

nrastructure are situated. The community has demonstrated a

esire to learn land surveying skills to help identiy the most suitable

reas or construction and relocation o houses and to employ

lternative building techniques to reduce the impact o construction.

Conserving biodiversity

The Committee has undertaken a number o additional activ

specically to address biodiversity loss and protect impor

habitats. These activities include the implementation

conservation measures to reduce overshing, through the us

sustainable sheries tools such as sh aggregation devices

seasonal no-take zones. The Committee worked successully

Seacology, an international marine conservation NGO, to the establishment o an education, surveillance and monito

centre and provide additional support to the Pearl Farm as pa

an agreement to designate 86 acres within the lagoon as a ma

protected area (MPA). Better human waste management will

improve the health o the Atoll’s lagoon and thus the health o it

populations. Shoreline vegetation is also being restored, speci

targeting the Atoll’s mangrove orests. The Namdrik mangrove

the largest mangrove system in the Marshall Islands and provid

important nursery area or many marine species. Such improvem

simultaneously enhance protection rom fooding and erosion.

As one o the countries most vulnerable to the eects o clim

change, much o the Marshall Islands is predicted to becuninhabitable within 50 to 100 years as a result o sea-level

Despite this disheartening prospect, the people o Namdrik A

are implementing a holistic and wide-reaching managem

plan to ensure the maximum wellbeing and sustainability o

community or as long as external circumstances allow. Their

is innovative in combining a ‘back-to-basics’ approach, emphas

sel-suciency and the protection o local resources, with the

o modern technology and external knowledge through a rang

national and international partnerships.



8

Impacts

BIODIVERSITY IMPACTSMost o the activities undertaken by the Resources Management

Committee are inherently benecial to the local environment and

biodiversity, although some have been undertaken specically

o address environmental degradation or threats to biodiversity.

or example, actions to address waste management issues and

he conversion o the Atoll’s energy use to renewable sources are

major steps towards reducing local pollution o the Atoll. New

power sources are cleaner, while improved waste management will

educe contamination o soil and water sources and help to address

problems surrounding invasive species.

The restoration o shoreline vegetation through the planting o native and traditionally-used species not only helps to mitigate

erosion and fooding o the Atoll but regenerates a crucial habitat.

Namdrik’s mangroves are the last sizeable such system remaining

n the Marshall Islands, and they provide important nursery areas

or marine species. The mangroves support some 150 species o

sh, including the endangered Napoleon or Humphead Wrasse

Cheilinus undulatus), and is home to breeding populations o the

ritically endangered Hawksbill Turtle (Eretmochelys imbricate) and

endangered Green Turtle (Chelonia mydas). As such, the restoration

nd sustainable management o the mangroves has positive

mplication or the Atoll’s wider biodiversity.

n late 2012, the entire Namdrik Atoll including the lagoon andocean ree fat (a total area o 5,435.5 acres) was designated by the

Government o the Republic o the Marshall Islands as a Wetland o

nternational Importance under the Ramsar Convention. In doing

o, Namdrik became the Convention’s 2,050th Ramsar site, and the

Marshall Islands’ second. Within this area, 286.5 acres is designated

s MPA, including an 86-acre, ten-year no-take zone that was

established by the Local Resources Committee under the Resource

Management Plan in partnership with Seacology.

Steps have also been taken to establish gardens, which prodiversied ood crops and also support the conservation o n

species, including the pandanus, which is endemic to the re

Breadruit, taro, and various species o banana are also b

cultivated and conserved in these gardens. With support

the Asian Development Bank, the community will undertak

atoll-wide coconut replantation project to replace the old coc

trees that no longer bear ruit. This will also create an opportu

to develop a coconut lumber industry as well as encourage i

cropping o various ruit-bearing trees as a ood security initiati

Under the Management Plan, measures are being undertake

address invasive species which threaten Namdrik’s terrestria

marine biodiversity. Invasive species already established inMarshall Islands include the plants Merremia peltata and We

trilobata, the long-legged (or ‘yellow crazy’) ant ( Anoplo

gracilipes) and the Red-vented Bulbul bird species. A study by

Ministry o Resources and Development on both Namdrik

Madmad identied new weeds locally named as ‘likatoltol’

‘kiloklok’. The community was advised to pull these by the

and burn to protect gardening projects. The presence o whi

and a local termite was also noted in some areas. Locally-abun

insects such as the black beetle, mealy bug and Encarsia form

were introduced during the survey process to control inv

species. Training on how to address worst case scenarios invo

the invasive species identied was also conducted as pa

an agricultural programme unded by the government. Wmanagement measures will help to address invasive species to s

extent, by reducing opportunities or rats (another invasive spe

to inhabit poorly managed landlls.

A number o measures related to sustainable sheries managem

will help to strengthen sh stocks and marine biodiversity. As

as the mangrove restoration activities outlined above, these inc

addressing human waste management to improve the health o

Atoll’s lagoon, and enorcing a seasonal no-take zone to allow

stocks to regenerate.



SOCIOECONOMIC IMPACTS

The greatest benet o this initiative to the community o Namdrik

s through its holistic strengthening o the community’s long-termesilience and adaptability to the anticipated impacts o climate

change. Although the long term uture o the Marshall Islands is

uncertain, the people o Namdrik Atoll are taking action to ensure

hat they are as prepared as possible in crucial areas such as ood

and water security, and are securing their uture livelihoods by

developing diversied sources o income and new educational and

ivelihood opportunities or the younger generation. The resulting

activities are providing socioeconomic improvements in the short

erm, or example by enhancing access to resh drinking water, while

helping to ensure the longer term survival and wellbeing o the

Namdrik community.

The establishment o ood gardens and the promotion o tradit

and native ood crops are diversiying Namdrik’s ood sources

reducing reliance on expensive imports. The crops that are b

promoted, such as pandanus and breadruit, can be stored or m

months and provide improved ood security or the commuby allowing them to stockpile provisions or times when su

shipments are delayed by bad weather. Given Namdrik’s isola

such a system provides a great deal o reassurance. By redu

reliance on imports, these gardens can also reduce the cost o

leaving more income available or other necessities. In the lo

term, diversiying ood sources will improve ood security i ce

crops are negatively impacted by changes in climate.

Water security measures, too, have both short and long term ben

In the short term, the installation o rainwater tanks in almost

the Atoll’s households has reduced pressure on the reshwater

and on wells that are increasingly contaminated with saltwat

9

“When I was a boy over 50 years ago, we ate our own fish and grew our own food. We couldn

rely on the supply ship which only came maybe twice year. But now if the supply ship doesn

come for three weeks we are worried – what will we do, what will we eat? So I am helping m

community become more sustainable through the initiatives we are developing and implementin

with help from government and partners.”

Clarence Luther, Mayor of Namdrik Atoll



as also signicantly reduced the incidence o waterborne diseases

uch as diarrhoea. It is reported that there have been no new cases

waterborne illnesses at the hospital since the rainwater tanks were

nstalled. In the longer term, the tanks will increase the community’s

esilience to changes in rainall patterns, allowing them to survive up

o three months without rainall i necessary.

Measures to develop sustainable livelihood opportunities on

Namdrik through the development o the Pearl Farm, sustainablesheries management, and the handicrats industry, have provided

ew sources o income, more numerous options or the younger

members o the community, and diversied livelihoods, which build

he community’s economic resilience by reducing reliance on copra

roduction as the main source o cash income. The Pearl Farm’s

rst harvest was a resounding success, indicating a clear prospect

signicant revenue to the community in the uture. Young

ommunity members have been supported to undergo education

t the College o the Marshall Islands, where they are trained in

ustainable sheries management, a skill that can be put to use in

he implementation o the Resources Management Plan upon their

eturn to Namdrik.

Namdrik’s women in particular have been involved in the

evelopment o the Atoll’s handicrats industry. This involves the

roduction o house mats rom a native species o pandanus. The

mats sell or about USD 100 each, providing a source o cash income

o the women and again reducing overall dependence on copra

roduction. This nancial security, combined with the community’s

ncreasing reliance on local ood sources, locally generated power

nd locally harvested water are increasing the decision-making

ower o women in the community.

As a matrilineal society, land and hereditary titles on Namdrik

re passed down through women, and thus women are already

mpowered and respected within Marshall Islands society. This

was refected and respected throughout the consultative process

eading to the development o the Resources Management Plan. As

well as being well represented on the Local Resources Committe

groups within the community, including Namdrik’s Women’s G

have separate meetings as well as partaking in group consulta

to identiy major challenges and contribute to the developme

optimal solutions. This consultative process o developing a sh

vision or Namdrik and its uture has ultimately strengthened

community by bringing its members together in pursuit o a sh

goal.

POLICY IMPACTS

The main policy benet o the work undertaken on Namdrik

been through its value in demonstrating to policy makers

practitioners the types o activities that are most success

building the resilience o atoll communities such as Namdrik

strong partnership between Namdrik’s leadership, its comm

members, and their array o national and international partner

helped to engage government and NGO groups to get involved

has inspired other atoll communities to consider taking similar s

National policy rameworks, such as the Marshall Islands’ ‘Reimaa(Way Forward) National Conservation Area Plan, are being dir

inormed by lessons learned through the implementatio

Namdrik’s Resources Management Plan. For example, at a spec

convened Parliamentary session in August 2011, the Exec

Director o the Marshall Islands Conservation Society (Mr. A

Ishoda) presented Namdrik Atoll’s work on community-b

adaptation, emphasizing how such work could be used to in

planning or the Marshall Islands more widely. This presenta

was attended and supported by the President o the Repub

the Marshall Islands and the First Lady. The Mayor o Namdrik

attended and spoken at regional meetings on adaptation to cli

change. He has also shared his expertise with other Marsha

and Micronesian communities that nd themselves acing si

challenges, and even more broadly, with communities rom o

regions such as the Caribbean, Melanesia and Polynesia.

10



11

Sustainability and Replication

SUSTAINABILITYhe development and implementation o a natural resources

management plan by the Local Resource Management Committee

re sustainable or a number o reasons. First, the initiative is very

much led and owned by the community. Rather than being imposed

y external actors, the Resources Management Plan was initiated and

eveloped by the community itsel. The community was involved in

he Plan’s development through a series o consultations with the

Atoll’s various groups.

econd, the initiative benets rom strong local leadership and

olitical support rom a number o levels: the Senator and Mayor o Namdrik, as well as tribal chies, national government representatives

nd even the President o the Republic o the Marshall Islands

ave voiced support or the Plan and have actively supported its

evelopment. The initiative operates in coordination with local

overnment and tribal leaders. The local government authority has

mandate to manage and protect resources within a o ve miles’

adius rom the Atoll, while the Iroij , (tribal chie), Iroij -drik ro, Alaps

tribal elders) and dri-jerbal (traditional leaders) play advisory and

eading roles pertaining to economic and social development issues.

hird, Namdrik’s Resources Management Plan, which orms the basis

or the Local Resources Committee’s activities, is strongly aligned

with national policy, including the national strategy or resourcemanagement (Reimaanlok) which has received strong endorsement

rom Parliament. This lends legitimacy and a sense o purpose to the

ommunity’s endeavours.

ourth, a team o local and international partners have committed

heir ongoing support to the initiative, with roles and responsibilities

learly dened in the management plan, which is intended to

ecome a statutory document. Such support rom partners is

ocused on building Namdrik’s sustainability by transerring skills to

he community, thus reducing dependence on external assistance.

Finally, the activities being undertaken under the Plan have

short- and long-term benets, which allow community mem

to see the results o their eorts now as well as knowing that

are strengthening their long-term resilience to uture challen

This helps to bolster local support or the plan and to provide

going incentives or its implementation. The plan also has a st

emphasis on sel-suciency and sustainability, placing high v

on reducing Namdrik’s reliance on imports, while valuing solutions to local problems. The plan oers a vision or the u

that keeps Namdrik’s community connected with their natura

cultural heritage.

REPLICATION

The Namdrik initiative has inspired other atoll communities w

and beyond the Marshall Islands to take similar action to build

own resilience to climate change. This has taken place through

ormal and inormal channels. Namdrik has become somethin



1212

benchmark or the climate change adaptation strategies o other

Marshallese atolls and islands, and has inormed ocial guidance to

ther atoll communities, as well as the ‘Reimaanlok’ national resource

management strategy. Namdrik is viewed as a working model in

trategies to build climate change resilience, improve ood security,

nd enhance natural resource management. The Namdrik initiative

as also been presented to Parliament and receives widespread

upport rom policy makers and high-level government ocials, as

well as the President.

One o the benets o Namdrik’s work is as a demonstration site

o policy makers and practitioners involved in supporting the

evelopment o climate change adaptation strategies in other

Marshallese atolls. With support rom the Coastal Management

Advisory Council, communities across the Marshall Islands are

uilding on the successul programme initiated at Namdrik. Strong

eadership rom Namdrik’s Mayor and Senator has helped to inspire

ther atoll leaders to consider similar action. For example, the Mayor

Namdrik has attended and spoken at regional meetings on climate

hange adaptation. He has also shared his expertise with Marshallese

nd Micronesian communities that ace similar challenges, as well

s with communities rom other regions such as the Caribbean,

Melanesia (e.g. Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands) and

olynesia. The Mayor has also participated in international meetings

ocusing on sustainable development at the community level in

oth Brazil and India.

PARTNERS

Although geographically isolated, the Namdrik Atoll Local

esources Committee takes advantage o a range o partnerships

with government agencies, NGOs and educational institutions. The

onsultative process o developing Namdrik’s Natural Resources

Management Plan has united the community in pursuit o a sharedoal. Their vision has benetted rom the engagement o external

artners who have provided expertise, nance and support.

The Marshall Islands Conservation Society (MICS) and the Coastal

Management Advisory Committee assisted in the drating o

Namdrik Atoll’s Resources Management Plan. MICS has also assisted

he Committee in coordinating conservation eorts, including solid

waste management, climate vulnerability assessment, coastal and

marine monitoring and training.

he Committee works closely with the Marshall Islands Marine

Resources Authority and other partners in the Coastal Management

Advisory Council including, importantly, the College o the Marshallslands (CMI) or advice and technical support.

he UNDP-implemented GEF Small Grants Programme provided

grant o USD 50,000 to support the development o Namdrik Atoll’s

earl Farm. The Nature Conservancy, with endorsement rom the

Australian Government, is supporting training and scholarship

pportunities or younger community members to learn how to

manage the Pearl Farm, led by MICS.

Seacology provided USD 34,000 or the construction o

education, surveillance, and monitoring centre, and has prov

continued support or the Pearl Farm and unding support o

Committee’s operation, in return or the allocation o 86 acres w

the lagoon as a no-take marine protected area. Seacology agre

und continued surveillance, monitoring and protection o this

in exchange or the Atoll communities designating it as a no-

zone or ten years. The Local Resources Committee may appr

Seacology or urther support in protecting the rest o NamdMPAs

MIMRA and other partners assisted Namdrik’s eort to develop

pearl project and orge connections with other partners such a

Maria Haws and Simon Ellis o Pacifc Aquaculture and Co

Resources Center (PACRC) at the University o Hawaii in

the Marine and Environmental Research Institute o Poh

(MERIP), and CMI and MIMRA’s Pearl Farm project.

The installation o solar panels in each household and at

elementary school to provide renewable energy on Namdrik

supported by the European Union. The solar-powered re

systems were unded by the USDA and People’s Republic o C

(Taiwan). The installation o water catchments on Namdrik was

supported by the Taiwanese government, along with the Euro

Union.

University o the South Pacifc (USP) and the Marshall Isla

National Training Council supported the extension o the succe

Jaki-ed Apprenticeship Weaving Program to training targeted yo

girls that are considered unemployed and out o school.

The Ramsar Convention recently recognised Namdrik Atoll a

2,050th Wetland o International Importance. Eorts are ta

place to take ull advantage o the various programmes to awareness and continuously promote the wise use o mangrov

an adaptation measure to climate change.

The Marshall Islands National Telecommunication Auth

(MINTA) helped install a solar-powered satellite system (DAMA

centre which provides access to internet and voice calls with

outside world.

In 2009, the Coastal Resources Center at the University o Rh

Island’s Graduate School o Oceanography and the United St

Agency or International Development (USAID) initiate

partnership with the Marshall Islands to pilot an internat

programme to mainstream climate change adaptation into comanagement initiatives. This involved working directly with

Namdrik community to demonstrate assessment and adapta

activities, and to integrate this within the larger national p

ramework. In 2010, a specialist rom the Coastal Resources Ce

visited the community to provide technical support and advic

the Local Resources Committee.



Equator Initiative

Environment and Energy GroupUnited Nations Development Programme (UNDP)

304 East 45th Street, 6th Floor

New York, NY 10017

Tel: +1 646 781 4023

Email: [email protected]

www.equatorinitiative.org

UNDP partners with people at all levels o society to help build nations that can withstand crisis, and drive and sustain the

o growth that improves the quality o lie or everyone. On the ground in 177 countries and territories, we oer global pers

ive and local insight to help empower lives and build resilient nations.

The Equator Initiative brings together the United Nations, governments, civil society, businesses and grassroots organizatio recognize and advance local sustainable development solutions or people, nature and resilient communities.

©2013 by Equator Initiative

All rights reserved

Click the thumbnails below to read more case studies like this:

FURTHER REFERENCE

Namdrik Atoll Local Resources Committee Equator Initiative prole page: http://www.equatorinitiative.org/index.php?option=c

winners&view=winner_detail&id=113&Itemid=683

Reimaan National Planning Team (2008) Reimaanlok: National Conservation Area Plan or the Marshall Islands 2007-2012. Availab

http://www.sprep.org/att/irc/ecopies/countries/marshall_islands/63.pd

An interview with the Mayor o Namdrik, Clarence Luther: http://community.eldis.org/.5a4706a4

http://www.equatorinitiative.org/index.php?option=com_winners&view=winner_detail&id=113&Itemid=683


http://community.eldis.org/.5a4706a4

http://community.eldis.org/.5a4706a4



http://www.equatorinitiative.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=442&Itemid=709



http://www.equatorinitiative.org/images/stories/winners/149/casestudy/case_1370356629.pdf

http://www.equatorinitiative.org/images/stories/com_winners/casestudy/case_1348163605.pdf

http://www.equatorinitiative.org/images/stories/com_winners/casestudy/case_1348152340.pdf

Documents

Case Studies UNDP: NAMDRIK ATOLL LOCAL RESOURCES COMMITTEE, Marshall Islands