“Stephen is a Human Ecologist and the Co-founder and Deputy Director of Hen Mpoano (Our Coast), a local non-profit organization in Ghana that specializes in coastal and marine ecosystem governance. He is also a PhD student at the Institute for Geosciences and Geography, Martin Luther University, Halle-Wittenberg in Germany, where his research focuses on mapping, assessing and modelling land use impacts on ecosystem services in the coastal landscapes of Southwestern Ghana. Stephen’s work has led to the creation of small-scale fisheries co-management associations and community-based institutions for long-term conservation of more than 50,000 hectares of peat swamp, mangrove forests, estuaries and lagoons in Southwest Ghana. More recently, Stephen’s work involves supporting national and community level stakeholders to explore the potential for the creation of Ghana’s first marine protected area. And the co-development of tools and approaches for integrating Ocean Literacy into the processes of MPA establishment and implementation. In 2011, Stephen received an award from the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO in recognition of his contribution to long-term adaptation to climate change in the ocean and coastal zones of Africa”.
Hen Mpoano’s website: www.henmpoano.org.
