Le Bois du Loc’h est une réserve biologique intégrale (RBI), seul statut spécifiquement conçu pour assurer la libre évolution d’un échantillon représentatif des habitats forestiers présents en France et valoriser le réseau ainsi constitué.  A la protection déjà importante assurée par la maîtrise foncière (forêt de l’Etat) et par le plan de gestion durable de la forêt dont fait partie le Bois du Loc’h, la RBI ajoute une garantie de pérennité de l’absence d’exploitations et un plan de gestion spécifique.

Ce plan de gestion intègre des dispositions communes à l’ensemble des RBI : protocoles d’études standardisés, principes de sécurisation de sentiers balisés, de régulation des ongulés par la chasse en l’absence de prédateurs naturels, d’élimination d’espèces exotiques. Ces principes, adaptés à l’environnement plus ou moins anthropisé de la plupart des forêts d’un pays comme la France, ont été compatibles avec la reconnaissance en catégorie UICN Ia, au regard de la finalité de la RBI.

Le gestionnaire de la Réserve Naturelle Marine de Cerbère-Banyuls avait pour objectif la mise à jour de la cartographie des herbiers de Posidonie, une espèce protégée identifiée comme habitat prioritaire. Ce suivi à long terme, prévu dans le plan de gestion de la Réserve en 2018 a permis d’évaluer l’état de conservation des herbiers en y intégrant de nouvelles technologies mais également de compléter les lacunes observées dans les cartographies de petits fonds côtiers.

L’intégration de ces nouvelles technologies était essentielle pour obtenir des cartographies fines de nos habitats et pouvoir les comparer sur le long terme.

La reconduction de cette étude était nécessaire pour pouvoir déceler un potentiel impact sur l’habitat et proposer des mesures de gestion. La réalisation de cette cartographie fine a permis de mesurer l’évolution des herbiers de la Réserve et d’anticiper les pressions sur ce milieu par la réalisation d’aménagements et outils adaptés.

Worldrise, an Italian NGO founded and run by young professionals, has designed and developed the Full Immersion Cinque Terre project to encourage the appreciation of the Cinque Terre MPA environmental values while empowering professionally marine science students. The project, entirely coordinated by Worldrise, established a partnership between the MPA management authority, the diving centres that operate in the MPA and the University of Genova.

A pilot was implemented to underpin the incorporation of an EbA approach into the planning tools for natural protected areas. The necessary methodologies and tools were developed, the vulnerability assessment was completed, the specific areas and the measures to be implemented were identified, including the communal management of native grasslands, vicuñas management (a wild relative of the llama), the expansion and conservation of wetlands and the restoration of water infrastructure.

The Great Barrier Reef (GBR) is an amazing natural treasure and one of the most precious ecosystems on Earth. In light of increasing pressures, and concerns raised by the World Heritage Committee on the impacts of development, the GBRMPA and other government agencies undertook a comprehensive strategic assessment, taking a look at the Reef’s values, the threats to those values and what is needed to manage and protect them.

This solution addresses snorkeler impacts and dissatisfaction in the Mombasa Marine Park and Reserve (MMPR). James Cook University (JCU) and CORDIO delivered interpretive training to the snorkel industry to encourage pro-environmental snorkel behavior, enhance visitor experience and build sustainability. A major output was the creation of a code of conduct created by members of the snorkel industry. Results included more pro-environmental snorkel behaviors and enhanced visitor experience.

The Almaty Nature Reserve in Kazakhstan is an attractive destination for ecotourists due to its rich biodiversity, modern tourism infrastructure in nearby city of Almaty and international flight connections. Although met with some local resistance when created due to imposed restrictions, a three pronged strategy focusing on environmental, educational and public engagement has improved relations with communities and the reserve now welcomes ecotourists every year and hosts annual eco events.

In 2013, SMART was launched in ten pilot PAs covering three geographical regions of Vietnam. The tool is aimed to improve patrolling quality and data collection on forest resources and biodiversity. Lessons learned from four years of successful implementation are the following: (1) SMART provides support of PA managers in evaluating staff performance; (2) SMART can be implemented with little costs as it is easy to use and to integrate into existing patrolling plans.

An ecosystem valuation analysis of St Maarten’s coral reefs quantifies the value of these ecosystems. The results were used to support the establishment of St Maarten’s first Marine Protected Area and to implement further management actions connected to the MPA. Moreover, the results were incorporated in climate change response strategies. The communication of the valuation’s outcome supports awareness rising among coastal communities and a growing understanding of the importance of coral reefs.

This solution addresses achieving effective MPA management, especially with resource limitations, in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, Australia; it is primarily aimed at MPA managers, but also others who need to understand MPA management.

Through a 10-step system, the Convention-Check method applies a bottom-up approach to assess the contribution of large-scale protected areas to the implementation of Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs), allowing to overcome deadlocks in MEA implementation, contributing to improved global PA governance. The Convention Check was carried out in Thaya Valley National Park, Austria, demonstrating that the park contributes significantly to implementation of 5 MEAs.

South Africa identified protected area expansion as a key tool to ensuring the persistence of its biodiversity and ecosystems essential for its people and economy. Approximately 75% of South Africa is held in private ownership. Landowners bear the responsibility of managing protected areas and face financial commitments as a result. The Fiscal Benefits Project was launched to test biodiversity tax incentives as a financial benefit for landowners declaring protected areas. This began with the introduction of a new tax incentive into legislation. The impact of the incentive was tested at pilot sites across the country, resulting in the successful inclusion of the tax break in a tax return. This has paved the way for other privately owned protected areas to receive financial recognition and ensure the continued governance and management of South Africa’s protected areas, utilising building blocks of policy and grassroots engagement, niche expertise and a supportive community of practice.

Starting from their territorial contiguity, the common natural and cultural heritage, the two parks have created a unique protected area of about 1000 km² across the F/I border. A long partnership process, at first generated by the need of common wildlife management, lead then to sustainable development and common visual identity. Thanks to more and more integrated projects, they developed a shared vision, and have finally created a common juridical structure following a new EU regulation: EGTC.

We describe our collective efforts to transform Ikh Nart Nature Reserve in Mongolia from a “paper park” (existed only on paper with no active management) into a model protected area. Five overlapping and complementary aspects of our work included: 1) rigorous research; 2) a management structure, plan and process; 3) building local capacity; 4) cultivating local support; and 5) creating sustainable administrative policies and funding. Lessons learned may offer guidance for other protected areas.

Following the sharp decline in the population of vultures, the Ossau Nature Reserve was created in 1974 on the territory of the Pyrenees National Park to save the couple dozen remaining vultures. 40 years later, hundreds of vultures live in the reserve, and nearly 825 in the French Pyrenees. This increase in population has led to the development of nature tourism and the development of plot rendering agreement with the local farmers.

La carencia de un convenio de desarrollo fronterizo y la gran diversidad de actores son parte de los retos de gobernanza de la cuenca del Río Goascorán (2.345 km2), compartida entre Honduras y El Salvador. Para adaptarse ahí al cambio climático, se necesita de una gobernanza multidimensional (multinivel y multisectorial), participativa, flexible y ecosistémica, es decir, que integre a todos los actores de la cuenca, evalúe periódicamente las estrategias y medidas de adaptación implementadas, y gestione los servicios ecosistémicos prioritarios. En esta solución se facilitó la coordinación transfronteriza, instaurando Mesas Técnicas Ambientales (El Salv.) y promoviendo su acercamiento al Consejo de Cuenca del Río Goascorán (Hond.). A nivel local, se formaron los Consejos de Microcuenca del Río Lituy (Hond.) y Río Honduritas (El Salv.), creando capacidades mediante el “aprender haciendo”. Estas experiencias permitieron escalar acciones de adaptación y reforzar la gobernanza de la cuenca.

This is the first volume in the WCPA Good Practice Guidelines that is predominantly by rangers, for rangers. The editors worked with partners to collect good practices and stories from rangers worldwide, reflecting global experience and lessons learned. The text focuses on actions that rangers, and to a lesser extent managers, can do themselves. It does not address institutional changes that would need intervention at government level. Whilst the latter are often necessary, decisions are out of the hands of individual rangers. Nor is the guide the last word on the state of play, another global ranger survey is being carried out simultaneously with the production of these guidelines and we will continue to learn about ranger needs, strengths and challenges in the future.

AFC scaled up a model for communities to participate in protected area management developed with GIZ between 2013-2016 in the Hin Nam No NPA. AFC supported three civil society organizations to implement the model elsewhere, including through co-management training modules, national-level awareness raising, exchange visits to Hin Nam No, local capacity building and policy advocacy. There are now 21 officially approved village co-management agreements, covering 204,747 ha of village forests.

The development and use of protected area competences at different levels have taken place in local and Regional scales with good results in all continents. The ASEAN Regional Centre for Biodiversity Conservation competences published in 2003 by Appleton et al. ‘Competence Standards for Protected Area Jobs in Southeast Asia’ has been used in various ways to develop local competence based approaches in more than 20 countries.

We describe our collective efforts to transform Ikh Nart Nature Reserve in Mongolia from a “paper park” (existed only on paper with no active management) into a model protected area. Five overlapping and complementary aspects of our work included: 1) rigorous research; 2) a management structure, plan and process; 3) building local capacity; 4) cultivating local support; and 5) creating sustainable administrative policies and funding. Lessons learned may offer guidance for other protected areas.

Nech Sar National Park is one of Ethiopia’s oldest protected areas, conserved for its diverse flora, fauna, and unique landscapes. However, unsustainable use of resources poses a significant threat to the park. The absence of standardised protocols and systems for recording illegal human activities and threats hinders the effective use and management of the park. The poor enforcement of planning, decision-making and resource allocation processes further fuels the issue.

To address these challenges, the BMZ-funded and GIZ-implemented Biodiversity and Forestry Programme introduced the Spatial Monitoring and Reporting Tool (SMART). SMART is a tool that simplifies and enhances data collection, analysis, and reporting in protected area management. It supports various conservation activities such as protection of biodiversity, law enforcement, natural resources utilisation, and tourism management. With its easy-to-use features, SMART offers powerful options for effective management and protection of natural resources.

In some parts of the world, whale products play an important role in the nutritional and cultural life of native peoples.  Four IWC member countries conduct aboriginal subsistence hunts today: Denmark (Greenland), Russia (Chukotka), St Vincent and the Grenadines (Bequia) and the United States (Alaska and also potentially a resumption of hunts previously undertaken by the Makah Tribe of Washington State).

From the outset, the IWC recognised that indigenous or aboriginal subsistence whaling is not the same as commercial whaling. Aboriginal whaling does not seek to maximise catches or profit.  It is categorised differently by the IWC and is not subject to the moratorium.  The IWC recognises that its regulations have the potential to impact significantly on traditional cultures, and great care must be taken in discharging this responsibility.

In summary, the IWC objectives for management of aboriginal subsistence whaling are to ensure that hunted whale populations are maintained at (or brought back to) healthy levels, and to enable native people to hunt whales at levels that are appropriate to cultural and nutritional requirements in the long term.

DECISION ADOPTED BY THE CONFERENCE OF THE PARTIES TO THE CONVENTION ON
BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY

14/17. Integration of Article 8(j) and provisions related to indigenous peoples and local communities in the work of the Convention and its Protocols

An Ecosystem Approach for Fisheries (EAF) was adopted by municipalities in Misamis Occidental, Philippines, to improve small-scale fisheries management for poverty reduction. They belong to Iligan Bay Alliance of Misamis Occidental (IBAMO), an initiative providing governance frameworks for LGU collaboration. It aims to be a proactive, committed, dynamic alliance for sustainable coastal resource development and seeks to foster the wellbeing of the environment and the people depending on fishing.

The Galera-San Francisco Marine Reserve is one of the most important zones for biodiversity conservation in coastal Ecuador. Local residents are heavily dependent on it, with artisanal fishing as a core activity. The fishing association Arte Langosta and the Nazca Institute created a participatory management system which promotes the protection of biodiversity and sustainable local development. Stakeholders and authorities develop an effective governance model with fair economic alternatives.

AFC scaled up a model for communities to participate in protected area management developed with GIZ between 2013-2016 in the Hin Nam No NPA. AFC supported three civil society organizations to implement the model elsewhere, including through co-management training modules, national-level awareness raising, exchange visits to Hin Nam No, local capacity building and policy advocacy. There are now 21 officially approved village co-management agreements, covering 204,747 ha of village forests.

The Public Use and Recreation Program (PURP) addresses the problem of destructive recreational activities in Cabo Pulmo National Park. The Program provides guidelines to local tour operators to reduce negative impacts of tourism activities on the Parks’ habitats and ensures their economic sustainability. As a result limits on water sports practiced in the Park are set, which dramatically reduces the impacts on the reefs resulting from these activities.

Fisheries and Aquatic Resource Management Councils (FARMC) constituted by representatives from local fisherfolk, government, academia, civil society and private sectors serve as a legal forum to jointly discuss and decide solutions for the sustainable use of municipal marine resources. Through the FARMC resource users have a legal status and are actively involved in the management of fisheries and aquatic resources and take part in the decision making process.

Costa Rica faces enormous challenges in ensuring the sustainability of conservation endeavours. A shortage of sustainable finance continue to exert pressure on protected areas. To ensure the long-term funding of conservation, SINAC, together with its partners, created the public-private conservation initiative Forever Costa Rica. This non-profit association aims to complement state and private efforts to preserve biodiversity e.g. through the implementation of management plans for fourteen MPAs.

We describe our collective efforts to transform Ikh Nart Nature Reserve in Mongolia from a “paper park” (existed only on paper with no active management) into a model protected area. Five overlapping and complementary aspects of our work included: 1) rigorous research; 2) a management structure, plan and process; 3) building local capacity; 4) cultivating local support; and 5) creating sustainable administrative policies and funding. Lessons learned may offer guidance for other protected areas.

Several factors contributed to the consolidation of the Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve in Ecuador. One of them was the empowerment of indigenous organizations to establish “Use and Management Agreements” with the State. Besides that, the government defined policies for the conservation of protected areas, such as the Socio Bosque Program, the National Environment Fund, and investments in sustainable tourism. Finally, the availability of funds and technical assistance from international cooperation was key to support an initiative integration across borders (Colombia–Ecuador–Peru).

Due to its spectacular marine life, Cozumel is a main tourist destination for diving. Poorly planned and managed tourism development has critically damaged Cozumel’s coastal and marine habitats. Strengthened cooperation and coordination among key public and private stakeholder groups are necessary to more effectively implement the environmental management plan. In addition, information campaigns raise the local population’s awareness and involve them in protection and conservation strategies.

This solution aims to create a better governance (shared governance) of natural resources in the coastal zone of Soc Trang Province, Mekong Delta, Vietnam to protect its first line of coastal defence (mangroves) and to improve the livelihood of local communities through resource conservation. This approach also ensures climate justice through participative stakeholder processes and benefits for all affected stakeholders.

In some parts of the world, whale products play an important role in the nutritional and cultural life of native peoples.  Four IWC member countries conduct aboriginal subsistence hunts today: Denmark (Greenland), Russia (Chukotka), St Vincent and the Grenadines (Bequia) and the United States (Alaska and also potentially a resumption of hunts previously undertaken by the Makah Tribe of Washington State).

From the outset, the IWC recognised that indigenous or aboriginal subsistence whaling is not the same as commercial whaling. Aboriginal whaling does not seek to maximise catches or profit.  It is categorised differently by the IWC and is not subject to the moratorium.  The IWC recognises that its regulations have the potential to impact significantly on traditional cultures, and great care must be taken in discharging this responsibility.

In summary, the IWC objectives for management of aboriginal subsistence whaling are to ensure that hunted whale populations are maintained at (or brought back to) healthy levels, and to enable native people to hunt whales at levels that are appropriate to cultural and nutritional requirements in the long term.

DECISION ADOPTED BY THE CONFERENCE OF THE PARTIES TO THE CONVENTION ON
BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY

14/17. Integration of Article 8(j) and provisions related to indigenous peoples and local communities in the work of the Convention and its Protocols

The solution establishes a nationwide framework that empowers communities to designate and manage marine and terrestrial protected areas in cooperation with partners. It provides standards, criteria, application processes, and technical and financial assistance for management and monitoring of sites.

An Ecosystem Approach for Fisheries (EAF) was adopted by municipalities in Misamis Occidental, Philippines, to improve small-scale fisheries management for poverty reduction. They belong to Iligan Bay Alliance of Misamis Occidental (IBAMO), an initiative providing governance frameworks for LGU collaboration. It aims to be a proactive, committed, dynamic alliance for sustainable coastal resource development and seeks to foster the wellbeing of the environment and the people depending on fishing.

The Galera-San Francisco Marine Reserve is one of the most important zones for biodiversity conservation in coastal Ecuador. Local residents are heavily dependent on it, with artisanal fishing as a core activity. The fishing association Arte Langosta and the Nazca Institute created a participatory management system which promotes the protection of biodiversity and sustainable local development. Stakeholders and authorities develop an effective governance model with fair economic alternatives.

AFC scaled up a model for communities to participate in protected area management developed with GIZ between 2013-2016 in the Hin Nam No NPA. AFC supported three civil society organizations to implement the model elsewhere, including through co-management training modules, national-level awareness raising, exchange visits to Hin Nam No, local capacity building and policy advocacy. There are now 21 officially approved village co-management agreements, covering 204,747 ha of village forests.

Fisheries and Aquatic Resource Management Councils (FARMC) constituted by representatives from local fisherfolk, government, academia, civil society and private sectors serve as a legal forum to jointly discuss and decide solutions for the sustainable use of municipal marine resources. Through the FARMC resource users have a legal status and are actively involved in the management of fisheries and aquatic resources and take part in the decision making process.

Several factors contributed to the consolidation of the Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve in Ecuador. One of them was the empowerment of indigenous organizations to establish “Use and Management Agreements” with the State. Besides that, the government defined policies for the conservation of protected areas, such as the Socio Bosque Program, the National Environment Fund, and investments in sustainable tourism. Finally, the availability of funds and technical assistance from international cooperation was key to support an initiative integration across borders (Colombia–Ecuador–Peru).

Fishing gear used around the world is sometimes abandoned, lost, or discarded at sea. It impacts marine life and the livelihoods of coastal communities that rely on healthy oceans and is called “ghost fishing gear”.

The communities from the Gulf of Tribugá understand this problem and are collaborating with ECOMARES in the participatory design of a management strategy to prevent, mitigate, and remediate the damages caused by ghost fishing gear on biodiversity.

Fishers are identifying simple but effective measures to prevent or mitigate the loss of fishing gear. A local group is using diving as a tool to maintain rocky reefs and mangroves free from ghost fishing gear.

After cleaning events, the big challenge is to recycle the materials retrieved, and we are making progress thanks to the sum of efforts by different stakeholders, institutions, and project allies.

Improving communication between fishers and divers is another challenge.

IMET is a Protected Area Management Effectiveness (PAME) tool that allows an in-depth assessment of marine and terrestrial protected areas, regardless of their management categories and governance type. It is also a decision support tool that helps protected area managers take analysis-based management decisions for improved conservation outcomes. 

Conservation Assured | Tiger Standards (CA|TS) started with a simple aim – tocontribute to the many efforts around the world to secure wild tigers. But such tasks are never so simple to implement. Developing CA|TS over the last ten years has involved a huge collaborative effort in standard setting, advocacy, software development, training, fundraising and much more. For the sites and people involved it has represented a major commitment in supporting national systems to implement CA|TS.

This report tells the story of the CA|TS journey from an idea to a global partnership of countries, sites, experts and conservation organisations implementing this mission across the tiger range.

Through a 10-step system, the Convention-Check method applies a bottom-up approach to assess the contribution of large-scale protected areas to the implementation of Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs), allowing to overcome deadlocks in MEA implementation, contributing to improved global PA governance. The Convention Check was carried out in Thaya Valley National Park, Austria, demonstrating that the park contributes significantly to implementation of 5 MEAs.