Bridging Science and Local Knowledge to Increase Climate-Resilience of MPAs In Senegal and Kenya

In many African countries, marine protected areas (MPAs) sustain marine life, protect livelihoods, and enrich surrounding habitats with abundant biodiversity. But as climate change alters ocean patterns and dynamics, existing marine protections may not be enough to sustain healthy habitats and biodiversity. Two projects taking place in Senegal and Kenya aim to understand the risks climate change poses to MPAs and surrounding communities. To do so, researchers are working with management agencies and community members to combine scientific methods and local knowledge to describe changes in the environment and inform management strategies for these areas.

Monitoring is Essential for Climate Change Management

“For climate change monitoring, we need longer-term monitoring of changes to temperatures, salinity, and acidification to inform sustainable management of MPAs,” says Richard Dacosta a project coordinator in Senegal with GRID-Arendal. Physical changes in ocean temperatures and chemistry will lead to environmental impacts in marine habitats. But these changes need to be distinguished from naturally occurring climate variability in existing MPAs. This project aims to equip the Senegalese government and local communities with the information and long-term tools they need to assess and inform climate-ready management decisions.

Global satellite monitoring data offers a wealth of long-term information and has been used to characterize climate change impacts on a large scale, but it does not provide the accuracy needed to infer regional impacts. To make this dataset more useful, the Laboratory of Physics of the Atmosphere and Ocean (LPAO-SF) is establishing methods to downscale global datasets to data that can be used in models that project regional-level scenarios. In doing so, the research team can now study seasonal climate cycles and characterize marine heatwaves in Senegalese MPAs that can be included in management plans.

In combination with these models, the research team is also identifying and deploying acoustic doppler observation systems in strategic locations and beginning “ocean measurement campaigns” that will help train local scientists and community members how to extend monitoring efforts long-term. To start, they are focusing on two key MPAs- Cayar, in the North and the first MPA established in Senegal, and Ufoyaal Kassa-Bandial, in the South and relatively new.

Diverse Knowledge Makes Management Better

In both projects, stakeholder engagement is key, as governance of these MPAs is strongly intwined with the activities and priorities of local communities. For example, in the Kenya project “the reality is on the ground,” says Kyle Zawada, a project collaborator with Macquarie University, “if you want to be effective in conservation, you cannot rely only on science.” This is the research team is working with community members in Kenyan villages across the country. Known as beach management units (BMUs), these are the local community members that co-manage small-scale fisheries with the national government. To increase communication and build a stronger network of BMUs, the research team is holding community meetings and workshops to discuss their scientific results and bring in local knowledge to management plans.

This process is critical to the end-result. “It’s part of the trust-building needed to implement small-scale fisheries closures for effective management practices,” explains Joseph Maina with Macquarie University. The peer-to-peer learning offers a place for BMU leaders to learn from each other’s mistakes and understand the benefits of voluntary closures. And on the scientific side “community members are giving us information that we cannot find in the literature,” says project lead Remy Oddenyo with Wildlife Conservation Society Kenya. Using both scientific methods and lessons learned in these workshops will allow the research team to produce a blue-print and framework for manuals that consider the factors communities should consider when implementing SSF closures.

The Path Ahead

These projects offer not only essential information in the management of climate impacts, but also a framework from which managers, scientists, and communities can work together to build stronger pathways for climate-resilience. "By actively involving local communities, we ensure that solutions are grounded in lived experience and traditional knowledge. Their engagement is crucial for creating sustainable, long-term strategies that truly address the unique challenges posed by climate change,” says Dieynaba Seck at the ecological monitoring center CSE, a project partner in Senegal. As climate change continues to impact oceans and waterways, it will be essential to work across sectors for practical and equitable solutions.