Community at the heart of conservation
As part of the USAID-funded Heshimu Bahari (Respect the Ocean) Activity, ASUTA delivered community-based work designed to prepare coastal villages to undertake and own marine resource management. The programme ended in February 2025 after the US government stop-order on USAID-funded projects globally.
Scope
Work engaged local communities, marine resource managers, NGOs, local government authorities and fisheries institutions across two key seascapes:
Approach
ASUTA structured the work around three components: capacity-building programmes, data-gap analysis, and the development of localised intervention strategies — all co-designed with community actors.
We assessed the effectiveness of two Marine Managed Areas — DMRSF and MBREMP — and strengthened community-led management measures for 17 BMUs across Dar es Salaam and Mtwara.
Training programmes delivered
Sustainable coastal and marine resource use
Climate resilience for coastal communities
Leadership and co-management
Inclusivity in natural resource management
Gender-based violence (GBV) mitigation
Socio-economic development & finance linkages
Socio-economic strengthening
ASUTA identified and evaluated socio-economic groups across both seascapes — linking five groups in Dar es Salaam and two in Mtwara to potential financial institutions to unlock sustainable livelihood pathways.
