Won by Namdrik Atoll Local Resources Committee - The Marshall Islands is one of the most vulnerable nations in the world to the impacts of climate change and has economies that are dependent on declining fisheries. Namdrik Atoll Local Resources Committee is promoting a model of community self-sufficiency, local food security and adaptation. Traditional crops such as breadfruit, taro and native pandanus have been reintroduced to protect and restore soil, improve food security and open value-added secondary processing industries for local communities.
2008 - Equator Prize
The Conservation Society of Pohnpei, an SGP grantee, received the award for its work to create linkages between a healthy environment and a healthy economy. CSP's main activities include: supporting artisanal fishing and small-scale mariculture projects (such as sponge and coral farms); advocating for the reinstatement of state-sanctioned marine protected areas within Pohnpei Lagoon; and maintaining a network of seven community-based marine protected areas. Enforcement and monitoring combine traditional techniques with modern technology. Conservation information is disseminated to local schoolchildren and Pohnpei's 34,000 residents through interactive education campaigns.
