The Solomon Islands has marked a groundbreaking achievement by becoming the first Pacific Island nation to initiate the IUCN Green List certification process for a community-managed marine area. This development represents a crucial step forward in regional conservation initiatives aimed at preserving marine ecosystems.
As part of the certification process, IUCN technical experts conducted a two-day workshop in Honiara, where they raised awareness and provided training on the IUCN Green List Standard and the certification process. The Ministry of Environment, Climate Change, Disaster Management and Meteorology (MECDM) coordinated these valuable sessions, which included participation from key stakeholders such as the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources (MFMR), Global Fish, and the Coral Triangle Initiative on Coral Reefs, Fisheries and Food Security (CTI-CFF) Regional Secretariat. Representatives from the Arnavon Marine Protected Area and Ecological Services Solomon Islands (ESSI) were also present.
Following the training, the IUCN team traveled to Munda in Western Province to engage with communities and site managers of the Munda Lagoon Locally Managed Marine Area (LMMA). This visit was essential for conducting a Green List Self-Assessment, a vital evaluation of how the site meets globally recognized conservation standards. Munda, located on New Georgia Island near Roviana Lagoon, encompasses five coastal communities—Nusa Roviana, Dunde, Kekehe, Lodumaho, and Kindu—under a system of customary stewardship and collaborative management, which protects crucial habitats like seagrass meadows, coral reefs, and fish spawning areas.
During the assessment, IUCN experts identified strong alignment between the Munda LMMA and several key elements of the IUCN Green List Standard, particularly concerning community governance, the recognition of customary rights, adaptive management, zonation, and participatory rule-making. Rahul Chand, the Protected and Conserved Areas Programme Coordinator for IUCN Oceania, expressed optimism about the area’s potential to receive Green List certification.
Chand commented, “We are here to use the IUCN Green List Standards and help the community undertake a self-diagnostic assessment to better understand and be informed about their site, particularly around the management effectiveness, sound design and planning, governance, and conservation outcomes which can help build a world-class conservation site.”
Dr. Olivier Chassot, an IUCN Green List expert, acknowledged Munda as a promising candidate for certification but noted the need for targeted improvements to achieve this goal. He provided site managers with specific recommendations for enhancements.
Looking ahead, IUCN plans to return to Munda in early 2026 to continue aiding site-level managers and to conduct a similar assessment at the Arnavon Marine Protected Area. Both Munda and Arnavon were nominated by the Solomon Islands Government under the CTI-CFF regional program, with support from the SOMACORE Project. This initiative aims to apply the IUCN Green List Standard across six Coral Triangle nations—Indonesia, Timor-Leste, Malaysia, the Philippines, Papua New Guinea, and the Solomon Islands—by providing a recognized framework for effective management of marine protected areas. It also focuses on empowering local communities and facilitating regional collaboration through platforms like PANORAMA Solutions.
By merging customary marine stewardship with established international conservation standards, the Solomon Islands is not just fostering local environmental protections but also setting a significant example for community-led marine conservation efforts throughout the Pacific. The SOMACORE Programme, backed by the German Federal Ministry for Environment, Climate Action, Nature Conservation, and Nuclear Safety (BMUKN) through the International Climate Initiative (IKI), merges diverse expertise from ten organizations active across the Coral Triangle, marking a hopeful stride toward sustainable marine management and conservation.
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