The payoffs of initiatives for sustainable development can feel abstract to coastal communities. Whether they aim for the conservation of marine environments (for example, a fishing ban) or for the adoption of more sustainable business models (for example, crafting tourism experiences from fishing expeditions), these interventions tend to have long-term benefits far into the future, but demand investments of time and resources right here and now. UNDP teams across the planet deploy methods from collective intelligence and participatory design to build interventions that reconcile environmental protection with community prosperity.