STAR: Seagrass Training, Awareness and Restoration Program

In Kiribati, rising seas and growing pressures threaten vital seagrass ecosystems that support food security, livelihoods, and coastal protection. This project restores degraded seagrass areas in South Tarawa through community training, pilot restoration sites, and school awareness programmes. By strengthening local capacity and co-management, it promotes long-term protection while delivering climate and biodiversity benefits. Discover how nature-based solutions can help safeguard communities and ecosystems for future generations.

Context

In Kiribati, this project strengthens seagrass restoration as a practical nature-based solution to climate change, while addressing coastal degradation, biodiversity loss, and human pressures. It builds local capacity within MELAD and communities through hands-on training in restoration and monitoring, ensuring skills remain in-country for long-term impact. The project tests best-practice restoration techniques through pilot sites across Tarawa, generating evidence for future scaling and replication.

At the same time, it raises awareness among school children and communities through creative, place-based learning that connects people to the value and fragility of their marine environment. Scientific assessments, including baseline surveys and risk analysis, help identify key drivers of seagrass loss and guide effective interventions.

By restoring seagrass habitats and developing community-led co-management plans, the project promotes stewardship, reduces pressures, and supports sustainable use. This integrated approach combines science, local knowledge, and education to protect ecosystems, strengthen resilience, and improve livelihoods for present and future generations.

Project objectives

• Objective 1: By Q2 2025, determine the main threats to seagrass ecosystems, the drivers of their decline, and the conditions that support successful restoration through analysis of historical data, satellite imagery, community insights, and site assessments, culminating in a comprehensive summary report of the findings.
• Objective 2: By the end of Q3 2025, increase awareness of the importance of seagrasses among 300 school children, 20 teachers, and 200 community members in Tarawa through a series of field activities, art workshops (including photography, drawing, and painting), and celebratory events conducted across three local schools, with strong participation and engagement achieved.
• Objective 3: By the end of Q4 2025, 30 MELAD staff and 30 community members will have completed training in seagrass restoration and monitoring techniques, demonstrating proficiency through post-training assessments.
• Objective 4: By the end of the project, 3 hectares of seagrass habitat will have been rehabilitated across three pilot sites through excavation and replanting efforts, with seagrass survival and expansion monitored over a 22-month period and interim reports submitted at 0, 6, 12, and 22 months.
• Objective 5: By the end of the project, secure the long-term protection of the three pilot seagrass restoration sites through community consultations and the formal establishment of protected status, supported by the finalization of Integrated Environment and Natural Resources Co-Management Plans (IENRMP) and associated by-laws.

This project delivers tangible results for local communities and contributes to broader environmental resilience in Kiribati:

• Strengthened local capacity, with 20 MELAD staff and 10 community representatives trained in seagrass restoration and monitoring, alongside improved understanding of ecosystem health and sustainable management practices.
• Increased awareness and behavioural change among ~150 school children, teachers, and communities through hands-on education, fostering long-term stewardship of marine ecosystems and biodiversity.
• Restored and protected seagrass habitats across ~3 hectares through pilot sites, supported by scientific assessments and community-led co-management plans, providing a scalable model for national restoration and climate adaptation efforts.

Social inclusion and gender equity

The project integrates inclusive approaches through targeted training, consultations, and community engagement activities:

• Gender-inclusive participation ensured, with up to 30 trainees (20 MELAD staff and 10 community representatives) selected with attention to gender balance, receiving certified training in seagrass restoration, monitoring, and reporting methods.
• Targeted consultations conducted across three communities to develop co-management plans, including engagement with elders, teachers, parents, and local government representatives, ensuring diverse voices inform decision-making.
• Disaggregated community engagement through tailored awareness activities reaching school children, teachers, and wider community groups via art-based workshops, assemblies, and community events, strengthening inclusive participation and shared ownership of conservation outcomes.