Document Type
Article Restricted
Publication Date
2017
Journal Title
Conservation for the Anthropocene Ocean Interdisciplinary Science in Support of Nature and People
First Page
333
Last Page
357
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-805375-1.00016-7
Abstract
Globally, the human population is fast approaching 10 billion people, with nearly a third located within 100 km of the sea. As the list of environmental ills facing the ocean and coasts grows longer, it becomes increasingly important to understand the cumulative effects of anthropogenic stressors and the most promising interventions to bolster ecosystems. In this chapter we share our experience using transdisciplinary approaches and ecosystem services to inform two government-led spatial planning processes in the Caribbean: Integrated Coastal Zone Management in Belize and Sustainable Development Planning in The Bahamas. We describe the science–policy process in these two countries in light of three important components of transdisciplinarity: (1) solutions-oriented research, (2) coproduction of knowledge, and (3) multiple disciplines. By accounting for the ways in which communities depend on ecosystems, as well as affect them, we explore how the governments of Belize and The Bahamas aim to reach a broader set of actors and to direct investments, planning, and decision making to promote conservation and foster human well-being at the same time.