Directorate of Socioeconomics Research
Socioeconomics Research
The directorate aims at undertaking socioeconomics research to promote sustainable use of Blue Economy resources including marine and freshwater fisheries, aquaculture, and other living and non-living aquatic resources for sustainable development and community empowerment.
It is responsible for socioeconomic assessment and monitoring, economic valuation, benefit sharing and marketing, economic analysis and community development, and conflict resolution to address cross-cutting issues that influence the management of aquatic resources and environment.
Core Mandate
Promoting sustainable use of Blue Economy resources through socioeconomic research, assessment, monitoring and community empowerment across marine and freshwater ecosystems.
Key Areas
Socioeconomic assessment and monitoring, economic valuation, benefit sharing, market research, economic analysis, community development, and conflict resolution.
Three Departments
Research is delivered through three technical departments: Socioeconomic Assessment and Monitoring, Economic Valuation and Marketing, and Economic Analysis and Community Development.
Our Three Technical Departments
The Directorate operates through three specialised departments addressing socioeconomic assessment, economic valuation and community development across Kenya's aquatic resources sector.
Socioeconomic Assessment and Monitoring
Responsible for conducting studies on cultural and religious practices, marine cultural heritage, ocean governance, indigenous knowledge, gender dynamics and special interest groups, conflict resolution, social and economic setting, aquatic resource users and impacts of anthropogenic activities to promote sustainable use of Blue Economy resources for national development.
Economic Valuation and Marketing
Undertakes economic valuation of aquatic resources, research on benefit sharing, cost-benefit analysis of alternative technologies and livelihood sources among aquatic resource users, development and up-scaling the use of cost-effective market information systems, and market research to inform policy and guide investments.
Economic Analysis and Community Development
Undertakes livelihood studies, economic analyses to support investments in Blue Economy and related developments, value-chain analyses of fisheries and other aquatic products, provides a forum for linkages with national, regional and international agencies, and participatory management of aquatic resources to enhance social development.
Key Functions
The Directorate of Socioeconomics Research is charged with the following roles across policy advisory, research, capacity building, partnerships and knowledge dissemination.
- Advising management on policies and strategies related to marine and freshwater fisheries, aquaculture and aquatic environment for community empowerment and sustainable development.
- Advising the Board on collaboration and partnerships with research bodies, institutions of higher learning, county governments and public and private agencies within and outside Kenya.
- Developing guidelines for planning and implementation of Socioeconomics research and review of policies on participatory fisheries and aquatic resources management.
- Building stakeholder capacity across the fisheries and aquatic resources sector.
- Disseminating research findings to promote outreach of Socioeconomics programmes to the public, government agencies and research institutions locally and internationally.
- Conducting Socioeconomics research and linking with other Directorates in the development and implementation of multidisciplinary research.
- Coordinating development of policy briefs to support participatory management and sustainable use of marine and freshwater resources.
- Mobilizing resources for socioeconomics research and development, and leading research planning, implementation and monitoring across all three technical departments.