SM Lite Goals and objectives
Typhoon Yolanda wreaked havoc to the coastal communities of Tacloban in Leyte in November 2013
Improved communities’ mindset and behaviour towards coastal biodiversity protection and climate change adaptation Social marketing is about an exchange of value and benefits. Changing behaviour is hard and social marketing is about identifying a deficit or need that is detrimental to society or the environment and educating the community about the need and solution. The challenges we all must face in adapting to climate variability and change present themselves with increasing urgency. Nowhere will these challenges be greater than in the coastal and marine sector, where often weak institutions and governance systems struggle to deal with mounting pressures from population growth, inadequate infrastructure, and diminishing or already depleted natural resources. In this context, the unique ecosystem processes and extraordinary development pressures within the coastal zone require that both national and local governments, give special urgency to the task of helping to build resiliency against the impacts of climate change in and with coastal communities. The changes are many and already underway. They include rising sea level, increasingly intense cyclones, altered precipitation and runoff, elevated sea surface temperature, and ocean acidification. SM Lite was applied to make “downstream” changes. For downstream changes this means that there are environmental policies in place (e.g., declaration of an MPA as an official protected area) but local coastal communities often lack the knowledge on or are apprehensive towards following the rules and regulations pertaining to the MPA. It may also be useful to consider applying SM Lite for “upstream” changes, wherein environmental and policy changes can be the primary goal rather than individual level behavior changes for conservation. This knowledge product cites the pilot experience on SM Lite, which focused on steering levels of knowledge, attitudes and practices at the individual level in a positive direction.
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Social Marketing Lite Adaptation to Climate Change in Coastal Areas ACCCoast Project
