On May 5 and 11, Sciaena organized the Democracy Labs, a collaborative workshop that brought together various stakeholders—including national institutes, researchers, civil society organizations, and fishermen’s associations—to identify joint solutions to a local problem as well as to foster a space for dialogue among different local actors to identify and prioritize necessary measures.
Given the specific nature of the methodology used, participants engaged in various exercises. On the first day, they were challenged to share experiences and insights regarding local challenges, particularly those related to the Ria Formosa Natural Park (PNRF), followed by a discussion and the development of solutions to an issue presented concerning the PNRF. On the second day of the workshop, the groups identified and prioritized solutions to the Park’s problems, with the primary goal of improving management capacity through the involvement of local communities.
The input gathered during the sessions will support the development of solutions to local problems, particularly those occurring in the Ria Formosa Natural Park, enabling the priorities identified by the community to inform future regional decision-making bodies on environmental protection and climate action.
By testing these types of methodologies, the INCORE-MED project aims to help make decision-making processes more collaborative by designing joint solutions for better management of coastal areas, making them more resilient and inclusive.
