GEF Dugong & Seagrass Conservation Project

The Dugong and Seagrass Conservation Project (2015-2019) was a flagship regional initiative designed and initiated by the CMS Dugong MOU and funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF). Executed by the Mohamed bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund (MbZ Fund), the project brought together governments, civil society organizations, research institutions, and local communities across eight participating countries: Indonesia, Madagascar, Malaysia, Mozambique, Solomon Islands, Sri Lanka, Timor-Leste, and Vanuatu. 

 

Globally, dugong populations and their seagrass feeding grounds face degradation driven by unsustainable coastal practices, poverty, and severe site-specific data deficiencies. As the first coordinated effort of its scale focused on dugong and seagrass conservation, the project sought to address the interconnected challenges of habitat degradation, unsustainable resource use, limited conservation capacity, and significant knowledge gaps. Through a combination of community engagement, scientific research, policy development, and regional cooperation, the project laid the foundation for long-term conservation action across the dugong’s range.  

 

Project Scope  

  • Geographic Reach: Eight countries spanning the Indian and Pacific Ocean regions.  
  • Implementation Network: 43 local projects delivered by 42 implementing partners, supported by a wider network of government agencies, NGOs, and technical experts. 
  • Core Focus: Community-based conservation, sustainable livelihood incentives, research and monitoring, policy development, and regional knowledge exchange.   

  • Institutional Framework: Coordinated by the MbZ Fund in technical partnership with the Secretariat of the Dugong MOU to align ground-level field data with international commitments for migratory species and coastal biodiversity conservation. 

     

Developing a Field-Based Foundation 

Working through a consortium of 57 implementing and supporting partners, the project delivered field-based interventions, research activities, and capacity-building initiatives across a diverse range of coastal ecosystems. Achieved through four core pillars: 

  1. Community Stewardship and Local Governance: Strengthened community participation in the monitoring, management, and conservation of dugong and seagrass ecosystems through locally led governance and stewardship initiatives. 
  1. Sustainable Livelihoods and Incentive Mechanisms: Developed and tested alternative livelihood and incentive-based approaches - including seaweed farming, mariculture, ecotourism, microfinance initiatives -to support conservation outcomes while enhancing local economic resilience.  
  1. Research, Monitoring and Knowledge Generation: Addressed critical information gaps through dugong surveys, bycatch assessments, habitat mapping, threat analyses, and socio-economic studies, creating a stronger evidence base for conservation planning and decision-making. 

  1. Regional Cooperation and Capacity-Building: Enhanced collaboration among participating countries through technical capacity-building, peer learning exchanges, and South-South cooperation, helping to strengthen long-term research and conservation capacity across the region. 

     

Mainstreaming Conservation into Policy 

A key objective of the project was to ensure that scientific evidence and community-based conservation approaches informed national policy and planning processes. This evidence base contributed to: 

  • National Action Plans: Supporting the development, implementation, and updating of conservation strategies for dugongs and their habitats.  
  • National Facilitating Committees (NFCs): Bringing together government agencies and stakeholders to improve coordination and strengthen cross-sectoral, multi-agency decision-making. 

  • Marine and Coastal Planning: Including the integration of dugong and seagrass conservation priorities into marine protected area management, coastal development planning, and national biodiversity strategies. 

     

Project Legacy 

The project established a lasting foundation for dugong and seagrass conservation across the Indo-Pacific region. Beyond its direct conservation outcomes, it strengthened partnerships, built local and national capacity, improved understanding of dugong populations and their habitats, and demonstrated the value of community-led conservation approaches. 

Many of the tools, reports, datasets, training materials, and lessons generated through the project remain publicly available, providing an enduring resource for governments, researchers, practitioners, and coastal communities. 

By fostering collaboration across countries, sectors, and disciplines, the project helped elevate dugong and seagrass conservation within national and regional policy agendas and paved the way for subsequent initiatives, including the IKI Seagrass Ecosystem Services Project (2019-2026). 

 

Learn More 

Explore project activities, technical reports, datasets, country profiles, field stories, photographs, and key achievements from across the eight participating countries.  

 

Get in Touch  

For historical project information, technical resources, or partnership enquiries, please contact: [email protected]