Socio-economic information provides an understanding of the social, cultural, economic and political characteristics and conditions of individuals, households, groups, organizations and communities. It can help coastal managers identify potential problems and focus management priorities accordingly.
The objectives of this study were to:
develop research methods to monitor socioeconomic indicators in MC/PAN (Micronesia Challenge/Protected Areas Network) sites of Palau that can be used as a protocol for future MC and PAN socio-economic monitoring;
conduct a study that includes MC indicators, Palau Indicators, the Ongedechuul System of Conservation Areas (OSCA) Indicators and questions relevant to PICRC research agenda;
conduct a series of workshops on data collection, entry, analysis, and write up to increase local capacity for socioeconomic research in Palau;
refine methods used in pilot study and implement in remaining MC and PAN sites in Palau; and
give presentations back to community and government stakeholders on our preliminary findings.
Through this study we will be able to devise a socioeconomic monitoring protocol for Palau's PAN sites, as well as for MC jurisdictions. The methods and indicators that were used in this study will be refined and will be further implemented across PAN and MC sites.
Citation: Kleiber, D., Koshiba, S. (2014). Micronesia Challenge: Socio-economic Pilot Study, Palau. PICRC Technical Report 14-08. Palau International Coral Reef Center, Palau, Republic of the Marshall Islands. Prepared for National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Coral Reef Conservation Program. 55 p.
