About the Solomon Islands

History of WWF in the Solomons

Since 1991, WWF has carried out a program of community-based conservation in Solomon Islands. With initial funding from Australia and the European Commission, technical and financial assistance were provided by WWF to support customary landholding groups in Marovo Lagoon in the Western Province to plan and manage the conservation and development of their land and sea resources. The early emphasis was on developing an appropriate approach and techniques for local communities to engage in resource planning and management activities, building on traditional knowledge and practices. The work was successful in assisting a number of rural village communities to assess natural resource management issues, confirm local values and needs, implement their own rules for the use and conservation of resources, and initiate resource development ventures.

Several years later, WWF extended and strengthened its work in Solomon Islands through the Community Resource Conservation and Development Project (CRCD), coordinated by WWF South Pacific Programme. In 1995, funding was obtained from the UK Overseas Development Administration's Joint Funding Scheme with WWF UK, to support project implementation for a period of five years. Secure funding for the SI CRCD project enabled the expansion of activities into the northern section of Western Province and into Choiseul Province.

WWF Solomon Islands programme is carried out with the support of the national government and seeks involvement of officials from the national agencies responsible for forestry, fisheries, conservation, tourism, education and commerce. The Western Province Government and Department of Forests, Environment and Conservation have endorsed and supported the program since 1994. The program is coordinated from the programme office in Gizo; a branch office in the nation's capital, Honiara, supports the policy and advocacy work.

The Marovo Region Integrated Planning Project

The Marovo Project, the forerunner to the WWF Solomon Islands Community Resource Conservation & Development (SICRCD) Project, was a major effort to address the issues of resource overuse. The Project was initiated in 1991 in response to landholders' concerns. Through the Marovo Project, WWF provided technical and financial support in partnership with local community-based organisations. Individual landholding clans or associations have been central participants, engaged in resource planning and management activities. WWF facilitated the process, assisting participating groups with specialist advice on marine resource management, coastal and forest ecology, clan participation, planning and development.

The WWF Marovo Project relied on annual funding which did not permit an ongoing commitment to be made to participating clans and groups, allow staff and technical support services to be properly developed, and limited the ability of the project to invest sufficient resources in some areas. As a result of the lessons learnt, and local partnership formed, the WWF SICRCD project was initiated.

WWF Solomon Islands Community Resource Conservation & Development Project (CRCD)

WWF extended, expanded and strengthened its work in Solomon Islands through the Community Resource Conservation & Development Project for a period of five years, 1995 to 2000, in partnership with rural communities, government and NGOs.

The overall goal of the CRCD Project was: to conserve and protect the natural environment and biodiversity of Solomon Islands by assisting customary resource owners to meet their development needs through the ecologically, socially and economically sustainable use of their natural resources.

The project had four programmatic components that formed linked stages in a process designed to contribute towards achievement of the overall goal:

• Awareness and information: to increase understanding among customary resource owners of the need for resource conservation and their role in effective resource management.
• Community resource planning and management: to assist participating community groups adopt sound natural resource management practices by providing relevant resource materials, training opportunities, facilitation and technical assistance.
• Community resource development ventures: to assist participating communities design, implement and monitor specific sustainable resource development ventures that meet their development needs and serve as demonstrations of effective rural development.
• Strengthening local institutions: to establish mechanisms for continuing support of community-based conservation and resource management by strengthening the skills and capacities of local institutions.

A fifth component of Project Management was concerned with the effective organisation and coordination of the project's operations within the planned framework and budget and linkages to other projects in WWF's South Pacific Programme.

The project was designed to have an impact on the way rural landholders and resource users in the Solomon Islands view, plan for, manage and use their resources and environment. The fundamental philosophy underpinning the project was that conservation in Solomon Islands occurs within the community context, not necessarily within the boundaries of a declared conservation area. The project resulted in a number of viable conservation initiatives, controlled and managed by communities: centres of excellence that can be used as demonstration models for replication in other communities.

Tetepare Island Community Resource Conservation and Development

Tetepare Island lies to the west of Marovo Lagoon, Western Province. Tetepare is the largest uninhabited island in the South Pacific, covering an area of approximately 130 square kilometres, and supports lowland rainforest and a rich inshore marine area. Human settlement ceased on the island in the late 1800s. Only one small area of forest has been disturbed for a coconut plantation; in the main, there has been very little impact on the island's terrestrial and marine resources, making it unique in the world. The island has been recognized by the National Government through the Department of Forestry, Environment and Conservation, the Western Provincial Government and the South Pacific Regional Environmental Program (SPREP) for its natural inheritance significance and archaeological values.

Commencing in 1996, a working partnership was established between WWF and Friends of Tetepare (FOT) to discuss the future use and management of the island. FOT is a local NGO, composed of Tetepare descendants who support the island to be given special protection and reserved in its natural state. Much of the project involved engaging other Tetepare landholders in discussions on the future use and management of the island, and developing a conservation strategy.

» Read more on current activities in Tetepare

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Geographical Information Systems Community Resource Mapping

Through WWF's GIS project introduced in 1999, communities in Solomon Islands now have access to maps which will assist immensely in the way customary land and sea boundaries are documented. The GIS facility is designed to bring useable maps to communities to support the management of their resources at village levels. It allows the wishes of local people over access of their land and sea areas to be respected in decision-making at the provincial and national levels. The mapping facilities also support the management and prioritisation of conservation areas by WWF and other partners.

WWF spent several days with staff of the mapping unit of the department responsible for mines. Staff were trained in basic GIS and computer mapping. As well, WWF cleaned up and reconfigured their computer facilities to enable them to better utilise their available software.

Legal and Policy Review of Mining Project

The goal of the project was to determine necessary legal, technical and policy actions required to strengthen the capacity of landholders in the Solomon Islands to make informed decisions over the future and use of customary forests and lands in relation to mineral exploration and development.

WWF’s review of mining in Solomon Islands was run concurrently with a national government review of national mining legislation. The relevant government departments were neither able to facilitate a consultative process of review.

WWF spent several days with staff of the mapping unit of the department responsible for mines. Staff were trained in basic GIS and computer mapping.

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