Coastal Resources Center
University of Rhode Island
Narragansett, RI 02882
USA
The project “Collaborative Management for a Sustainable Fisheries Future in Senegal” (the USAID/COMFISH project) is a five-year initiative supported by the U.S. Agency for International Development and implemented by the University of Rhode Island with local government, NGO, University, civil society, and private sector partners. The goal of this initiative is to promote sustainable fisheries management and support the Government of Senegal’s efforts to achieve reform of its fisheries sector. Key features include strengthening capacity for fisheries co-management; fisheries management planning; enhanced artisanal fisheries value chains; and, climate change vulnerability assessments and adaptation responses in fishing communities.
The Integrated Coastal and Fisheries Governance (ICFG) Initiative for the Western Region of Ghana is a four-year project contributing to the goal of ensuring that the coastal and marine ecosystems of Ghana are being developed and conserved in a sustainable manner, and that the goods and services produced by coastal ecosystems and fisheries are generating a diversity of long-term socio-economic benefits for coastal communities while sustaining biodiversity.
The "Building Actors and Leaders for Advancing Community Excellence in Development" or BALANCED Project is expanding the number of organizations and practitioners being trained in and using the integrated population-health-environment (PHE) approach, tools, and methodologies in developing countries around the world—especially in those areas with significant biodiversity in Asia and Africa. The Project produces PHE research briefs, technical publications, training manuals, an e-newsletter, champion/success stories, and videos for wide dissemination.
The Pwani Project aims to sustain the flow of environmental goods and services; reverse the trend of environmental destruction of critical coastal habitats; and improve the well being of coastal residents in the Bagamoyo- Pangani and Menai Bay Seascapes,
The Gambia-Senegal Sustainable Fisheries Project is a five-year regional initiative supported by the U.S. Agency for International Development and implemented by the University of Rhode Island in partnership with The World Wide Fund West Africa Marine EcoRegional Program, The Gambia Department of Fisheries, and other fisheries stakeholders in The Gambia and Senegal. The goal is to promote sustainable fisheries management including the shared marine and coastal resources between The Gambia and Senegal with an emphasis on sole, sardinella, shrimp and oyster fisheries.
The Sustainable Coastal Communities and Ecosystems (SUCCESS) Program is a ten year initiative of the Coastal Resources Center supported through a Leader with Associates Cooperative Agreement with the U.S. Agency for International Development. The Program’s first five years (2005 - 2009) focused on implementation of field activities in selected regions and countries with an emphasis in East Africa and Latin America. This was complemented by activities in capacity building, livelihoods, and climate change adaptation. The original five-year award was extended for an additional five years (2009 - 2014) and has three areas of emphasis: 1) finalizing and helping others replicate a program for certifying marine protected area professionals; 2) finalizing and testing the application of the Climate Change Adaptation Guide developed in the first five years of the Program; and 3) capturing and disseminating global learning on livelihoods.
The Coastal Management Institute at the Coastal Resources Center is dedicated to building the next generation of coastal leaders. The institute offers several training courses delivered in US and internationally. The Institute has over 200 alumni from 60 countries. Courses include Integrated Coastal Management, Advanced Coastal Management, Leadership in Sustainable Fisheries Management, Large Marine Ecosystems, and Coastal Adaptation to Climate Change.
CRC is supporting the Government of Indonesia and partners by building their capacity to assess their impacts to climate change and develop adaptation options. The Indonesia Marine and Climate Support Project (IMACS) is a four year project funded by USAID - CRC is a subcontractor of Chemonics. CRC will be focusing on building the capacity of a select number of Indonesian universities to provide extension services to local government related to coastal vulnerability and adaptation to climate change.
The Sea Grant Coastal Community Development Program realizes a significant step-up in the Rhode Island Sea Grant Program\'s engagement at the coastal community decision-making level by providing the enhanced science-based support needed to balance environmental, social, and economic considerations.
CRC is supporting the six countries in the Coral Triangle (Indonesia, Philippines, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, The Solomons and Eastern Timor) to build their capacity for responding to climate change. To achieve this CRC is coaching training alumni as they develop their climate initiatives and developing a coastal adaptation short course for cooperative management coastal planning. CRC received a subcontract from the US Coral Triangle Initiative Support Program based out of the USAID Asia Regional Office.
The Rhode Island Ports & Harbors Inventory is funded by the RI Statewide Planning Challenge Grant Program. The project will provide new statewide data that will inform the waterborne-freight, marine transportation and land use planning decision-making process.
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The Coastal Resources Center (CRC) promotes volunteerism. Our Rhode Island-based program for volunteer citizen water quality monitoring served as a national model. Volunteers have also served in many of our international field programs. International volunteer assignments are geared toward working professionals with at least five years of experience and who are willing to spend several weeks on an overseas assignment in a developing country. In 2005, The Coastal Resources Center's International Volunteer Program was highlighted in the annual Volunteers for Prosperity report to the White House.