IUCN, the International Union for Conservation of Nature

Mangrove species diversity in the Solomon Islands is varied and comprises 28 mangrove species. Current mangrove classification in the country is based on Professor Tomlinson’s Classification as published in “The Botany of Mangroves”.

Mangroves provide goods and services which most people in Solomon Islands do not fully realize. These goods and services include; a food source, firewood, building materials, tools (coconut huskers, digging tool) a place to fish and collect shells, medicines and dyes.

MESCAL Solomon Islands was established through a Memorandum Of Understanding between the Environment Conservation Division of the Ministry of Environment, Conservation, Climate Change Disaster Management and Meteorology (MECDM) and IUCN Oceania. The MECDM is the focal point for MESCAL Project in Solomon Islands. The project will focus on the following measures to ensure project goals are met:

•  Mainstreaming of Mangrove issues into planning process
• Strengthening of national capacity
• Strengthening of existing coordinating mechanism and collaboration
• Promoting good governance

 The initial stage of the project is to assess existing strategies, plans, legislation pertaining to mangrove ecosystem in the Solomon Islands. The analysis identified gaps and measures to improve the management of mangroves in order to have a robust mangrove management.

The Acts, plans, program and projects that currently exist in Solomon Islands do provide an opportunity for protection and sustainable management of mangroves, however gaps including mapping, database, inventory and gaps in legislation must be reconsidered in order to have a robust management system for mangrove. The government will need to strengthen its national capacity, collaboration, coordinating mechanism, mainstream mangrove issues into planning process and promoting good governance to carry out any programs pertaining to resource management or management of mangroves. 

Sectoral issues – Land utilization; agriculture; logging; marine, coastal resources and fisheries; mining and quarrying.