Durante los años 60 se desarrollaron muchos vertederos en el Río de la Plata, Argentina. Estas acciones crearon un nuevo ecosistema de origen antropogénico.

En 1985, un movimiento estudiantil comenzó a trabajar para proteger este sitio que se conocía como La Reserva Biológica y Parque para la Difusión de la Ciencia.

La reserva fue el primer área urbana de Buenos Aires. Con el apoyo de las autoridades, comenzó un trabajo de tres décadas, y en 2011 el lugar fue designado por ley como un área urbana protegida llamada Ciudad Universitaria, Reserva Ecológica.

Este sitio juega un papel esencial en la universidad y la ciudad de Buenos Aires, brindando servicios ambientales estratégicos para la salud humana. Es un excelente ejemplo de cómo los parques urbanos son esenciales para el bienestar de las personas que viven en las ciudades.

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.

Dans le cadre du plan de gestion du domaine de la Tour du Valat, une méthode de hiérarchisation de la responsabilité patrimoniale a été définie.

Elle se base sur 6 critères :

• Valeur patrimoniale (sur la base des textes / lois) : notation de 0 à 4 (intérêt faible / régional / national / européen / mondial)
• Représentativité de la population du site : notation de 0 à 4.
• Etat de conservation de la population globale : notation de 0 à 2 (présumé favorable / défavorable inadéquate / mauvais).
• Etat de conservation sur le site : notation de 0 à 2.
• Irréversibilité : notation de 0 à 3 (nulle, faible, moyenne, forte). Equivaut à la probabilité de retrouver l’élément du patrimoine naturel après disparition.
• Importance de la Camargue (site fonctionnel) pour la conservation de l’espèce / habitat : notation de 0 à 3.

Ces critères une fois notés sont croisés selon une grille prédéfinie et permettent d’évaluer le niveau de responsabilité du site pour l’espèce ou l’habitat concerné.

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.

Since the 1950’s, the local authority of the French Southern and Antarctic Lands (TAAF) have been working hand in hand with the scientific community for the protection and the management of the French Southern Lands (TAF), leading to the creation of the TAF nature reserve in 2006 and its extension at sea in 2016 (672,969 km2). This very large MPA raises new challenges related to the lack of knowledge on marine ecosystems and the already visible impacts of global changes. The science-based model of TAF is key for the successful management of one of the largest MPAs in the world.

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.

In the upper Cogne Valley (Valnontey), one of the three pairs of Bearded Vulture Gypaetus Barbatus of the Gran Paradiso National Park has been breeding since 2015. The rocky nesting complex also constitutes an area internationally well known for icefall climbing. The activity of the climbers takes place during the same period (December-February) as the vulture’s initial and more delicate stages (laying and hatching) of nesting. Anthropogenic disturbances are a widely recognized cause, in the scientific world, of a high risk of reproductive failure for the Bearded Vulture. A “buffer” area (500 m around the nest) where any form of access is forbidden has been implemented in the Park to protect the reproductive success of the pair. These restrictive measures are planned as part of the “minimum conservation measures” provided for in the Park Plan, the main AP management tool.

Together with the regional environmental authority (Corpoguajira), the Ministry of the Interior and the Wayuu indigenous communities of La Guajira department, we have supported a dialogue process to declare a regional Marine Protected Area (MPA) following the Colombian Roadmap for MPAs. A pivotal step in this declaration is the prior consultation, where the vision and traditional knowledge of local communities is included. The future MPA of “Bahías Honda y Hondita” is located in the northeast of Colombia and is part of the indigenous reservation.

Within the dialogue process, we have enhanced agreements on the use and management of marine resources between the Wayuu and the authorities. Those agreements take into account the vision and cosmogony of the communities, which will be the basis for the management plan of the MPA. The MPA declaration is part of a broader strategy of integrated planning and management of coastal and marine areas developed by the MIMAC project.

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 the National Marine Sanctuaries Visitor Counting Process (NMS-COUNT), marine protected area (MPA) resource managers gain valid and reliable data and methods to advance predictive capability and understanding of visitors. The NMS-COUNT process is an iterative framework that allows local management and stakeholders to add knowledge of visitor use at an NMS unit through each phase.
Building off the US Interagency Visitor Monitoring Framework, NMS-COUNT facilitates local input on visitation and communication with managers and researchers to develop and implement the most efficient methodology. Understanding visitor use can help MPA managers create better policies, leading to more satisfied visitors and healthier coastal ecosystems. Visitation data helps to efficiently maintain and manage local ecological, economic and social resources. NMS-COUNT helps resource managers adhere to limits of resilience within MPAs, leading to sustainable use and maintenance for future generations.

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.

Changbai Mountain Nature Reserve contains the temperate mountainous forest ecosystem that is the most typical and best preserved in the same latitudes on the planet and also the most representative natural complex in the northern half of the Eurasia. It is a comprehensive nature reserve that integrates multiple functions of ecological protection, water conservation, public education, scientific research, ecotourism, and international exchanges and cooperation, and praised as the Ecological Lung of Northeast China. It is not only a hotspot for China’s biodiversity research, but also holds a very important position with its high ecological value in the global conservation field. In order to advance both conservation and development, Changbai Mountain actively explores a path that develops urban areas as scenic areas while protecting the ecological environment and seeks to promote the harmonious coexistence between man and nature.

The Changqing Nature Reserve is located in Yangxian County on the Southern slope of the middle section of the Qinling Mountains, which is also located at the source of the Youshui River, a tributary of the Han River, and is adjacent to 9 administrative villages. The community situation is complex and human activities occur from time to time. In order to improve this situation, since 2014, the reserve has innovatively applied far-infrared cameras to resource management and protection, and combined with community visits, daily inspections, laws and regulations publicity, project introduction and so on, which has greatly reduced the frequency of human access to the reserve in community, ensured the safety of wild animal and plant resources in the jurisdiction, and also alleviated the conflicts between communities and protected areas.

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.

El colibrí esmeralda hondureño (Honduran emerald – Amazilia luciae) es la unica ave endémica de Honduras. Habita en los bosques secos del interior donde se alimenta de una decena de nectar de flores de temporada. Los bosques Secos son los mas afectados por las actividades humanas, ya que solo contamos con el 7% del bosque original y un 3% en regeneracion. El ave se ha convertido en emblema de la zona y ha propiciado la creacion de las Areas protegidas de habitat por especie y de Reservas Naturales privadas, donde los propietarios son excentos de impuestos de propiedad a cambio del buen uso del bosque y recursos.

Se realizan monitoreos mensuales en los sitios aptos para colibri demostrado que la población de colibríes esmeralda se mantiene estable; tambien se han realizado plantaciones de espeices de plantas nectaríferas para colibries en areas degradadas.

En la actualidad la población esta conciente de la presencia y lo que significa la presencia de esta ave para la zona y para el país.

Qianjiangyuan National Park is situated in the Yangtze River Delta area with rich biodiversity. It is a rare area where the authenticity and integrity of the typical subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forest have been preserved despite long-term human activities. It is the distributional center of black muntjac and Elliot’s pheasant, Chinese endemic species. After becoming the first pilot program for China’s national park system, the Park adopts effective measures in good management, scientific research monitoring, protection and development and other aspects, such as implementation of easement reform for land management problems stressing on collectively owned forest, conducting biodiversity background investigation, and so on to build a model of national park construction in eastern China’s developed regions. These effective measures have guarded the window of the subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forest and realized a vivid pattern of harmonious coexistence between man and nature.

After decades of management, Huangshan has developed a plan system based on the Master Plan of Huangshan Scenic Area, the most important and basis plan with legal effect. The plan system is for every part of work and clear responsibilities and tasks for different departments, balancing protection and development. Multiple plans address different issues, including resource protection, finance and tourism, developed with expert input. Community cooperation is given top priority to ensure proper implementation. The legal status of the plan, concerted management with communities, and adequate government funding has ensured the full implementation of the plans.

La Réserve de biosphère du volcan Tacaná, située aux confins du Mexique et du Guatemala, constitue une grande richesse biologique et culturelle. La région est le berceau de la culture des Mames. S’ajoute à ce patrimoine culturel une incroyable biodiversité d’espèces endémiques menacées cependant par les activités humaines, principalement le feu de forêt. En effet, chaque année, des hectares entiers de forêt sont détruits par des incendies volontaires. Les gardiens de parc de la CONANP [Commission nationale des aires naturelles protégées du Mexique] dispensent une formation sur le combat des feux de forêt à des brigades de volontaires au sein des communautés de la région.

La Asociación Defensores del Chaco Pyporé (l’association défenseurs du Chaco Pyporé), au Paraguay, œuvre dans le domaine de la conservation des zones sauvages protégées et de la responsabilisation de la jeunesse au Paraguay. Une partie de son travail consiste à diriger l’initiative Voluntaria de Guardaparques (gardiens de parc bénévoles) et la campagne #SoyGuardaparque (je suis gardien de parc).

L’objectif principal de l’initiative consiste à reconnaître le travail des héros de la conservation et à impliquer la société civile dans la conservation de la nature en insistant sur la jeunesse.

Cette initiative a été créée en 2017 et, à ce jour, a réuni un total de 200 gardiens de parc bénévoles.

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.

The Asociación Defensores del Chaco Pyporé [Association to Protect Chaco Pyporé], in Paraguay, is committed to the conservation of protected wildlife areas and the empowerment of youth in Paraguay. As part of their work, they lead the Volunteer Park Ranger initiative, and the #IamaParkRanger.

The initiative’s main objective is to recognize the work of conservation heroes and involve civil society in nature conservation with an emphasis on youth.

This initiative was created in 2017 and to date, it has attracted a total of 200 volunteer park rangers.

Changbai Mountain Nature Reserve contains the temperate mountainous forest ecosystem that is the most typical and best preserved in the same latitudes on the planet and also the most representative natural complex in the northern half of the Eurasia. It is a comprehensive nature reserve that integrates multiple functions of ecological protection, water conservation, public education, scientific research, ecotourism, and international exchanges and cooperation, and praised as the Ecological Lung of Northeast China. It is not only a hotspot for China’s biodiversity research, but also holds a very important position with its high ecological value in the global conservation field. In order to advance both conservation and development, Changbai Mountain actively explores a path that develops urban areas as scenic areas while protecting the ecological environment and seeks to promote the harmonious coexistence between man and nature.

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.

The Tacaná Volcano Biosphere Reserve, on the Mexico-Guatemala border, is a region of great biological and cultural richness. The MAM culture was born there. This cultural heritage flourishes along with an incredible biodiversity where many of its species are endemic and threatened by human activities. Fire is the main threat to the reserve. Every year, hectares of forest are lost due to arson. CONANP [Comisión Nacional de Áreas Naturales Protegidas = National Commission of Protected Natural Areas] park rangers perform work training community brigades, teaching in the communities and fighting fires when they occur. 

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.

La Reserva Comunal Machiguenga alberga gran diversidad biológica y cultural,habitada por las comunidades nativas de las etnias Matsigenka, Ashaninka, Kaquinte y Yine-Yami, quienes son los guardianes del bosque y de sus riquezas desde tiempos ancestrales. El buen vivir de estas poblaciones necesita la articulación de los diferentes niveles de gobierno y actores locales, por ello los planes de vida, son las herramienta clave que permiten articular su visión de futuro con las actividades del Estado, la sociedad civil y el sector privado.

Las comunidades socias del Ejecutor de Contrato de Administración “MAENI”(ECA MAENI)  que cuentan con PDV son Chakopishiato, Koribeni, Poyentimari y Tangoshiari elaborados con el soporte del equipo del ECA y la Jefatura de la RC Machiguenga.

Los PDV se basan en 3 pilares para:

• Auto-reflexionar acerca del estado actual de la comunidad,
• Pensar y planificar el futuro de la comunidad y
• Conectar con actores externos a fin de alcanzar sus metas.

La gestión participativa es clave para Santuario Nacional Megantoni (SNM), por ello promueve los acuerdos de conservación (AC), con asociaciones de productores, comunidades nativas y la empresa privada como La Ibérica (empresa chocolatera) y PERHUSA (empresa exportadora de café), con la finalidad de promover la conservación de la biodiversidad del SNM y dinamizar el desarrollo local.

Actualmente se tienen 06 AC, que benefician a 248 familias y estas a su vez retribuyen protegiendo 58 367 ha del SNM y 33 459 ha en la zona de amortiguamiento mediante acciones de vigilancia comunal. El SERNANP acompaña en el proceso, capacita y reconoce a los vigilantes comunales. Las empresas compran el cacao y café a precios justos y hacen uso del sello “Aliado por la Conservación”, certificación que demuestra que los servicios o productos son elaborados bajo un esquema de buen uso y manejo

La promoción de la participación local, para garantizar el acceso a los recursos naturales en la zona colindate al Parque Nacional de Jaú; sumado a la aplicación de un enfoque de mosaicos de conservación, para consolidar un territorio protegido más extenso; y a la inclusión del Parque en un Programa Estatal de conservación de bosques tropicales, con financiamiento público, privado y de organismos internacionales, han sido factores clave para la conservación de la cuenca del Río Negro del Amazonas.

Siete pueblos indígenas conforman el Resguardo Indígena Yaigojé Apaporis en una zona de gran diversidad cultural en la Amazonía colombiana. Debido a que actividades mineras pone en riesgo su complejo de sitios sagrados, las Autoridades Tradicionales Indígenas de estos pueblos solicitaron a Parques Nacionales Naturales de Colombia (PNNC) la creación de un AP sobrepuesta al Resguardo. La Fundación Gaia Amazonas desarrolló una metodología para que los propios pueblos indígenas gestionen la creación, planificación y zonificación del Parque Nacional Natural – Resguardo Indígena Yaigojé Apaporis.

El marco regulatorio del Perú, que propicia la cogestión de áreas protegidas y modelos de asociación público-privado, permitió que la organización no gubernamental Centro de Conservación, Investigación y Manejo de Áreas Naturales (CIMA), se haga cargo de la administración del Parque Nacional Cordillera Azul (PNCAZ), en coordinación con el Estado. Esto originó un mecanismo innovador de gestión para canalizar fuentes de financiamiento externa para la conservación, y la implementación de un modelo de intervención participativo para el trabajo con comunidades locales en la zona de amortiguamiento.

La microcuenca de San Pablo, como bosque protector de nacimientos de agua, constituye una zona estratégica para el Municipio, el cual ha debido arbitrar medios necesarios para su protección a raíz de un nuevo escenario de producción: el cultivo de aguacate y sus consecuencias ambientales como la contaminación hídrica por los pesticidas y fertilizantes utilizados, la disminución de vegetación y bosques y la consecuente pérdida de conectividad ecológica con las demás microcuencas.
Entre las principales acciones de conservación implementadas se encuentran el aislamiento de los sitios de recarga hídrica para el control de daños por ingreso de ganado, la reforestación con especies nativas y la firma de acuerdos entre cultivadores de aguacate e instituciones del Estado en todos sus niveles, a fin de  reducir la presión sobre el recurso hídrico.

En el Área de Conservación Ambiental (ACA) “Páramos y Bosques Nublados de Cachiaco y San Pablo -Pacaipampa”, el manejo del área es respaldado por las poblaciones locales, con el interés de asegurar la conservación y el buen uso de los recursos naturales de la zona, principalmente del recurso hídrico. Los acuerdos entre la comunidad se gestionan a través de asambleas con la finalidad de disminuir la presión sobre el bosque y páramo. A su vez, se promueven actividades productivas sostenibles para apoyar a las familias cercanas al ACA y mejorar su calidad, dinamizando la inversión pública, privada y de cooperación para lo cual se ha trabajado y validado de manera articulada con los diversos actores relacionados al ACA, un plan de gestión para un desarrollo ordenado en un corto, mediano y largo plazo.

El Manglar de San Pedro de Vice es un tipo único de bosque tropical que cuenta con especies de flora y fauna protegidas a nivel nacional e internacional y representa un espacio de refugio y alimentación para la migración de aves, reproducción y crecimiento de invertebrados y ecosistema de algarrobal.

En el año 2008, el Manglar de San Pedro fue designado el 13° Sitio RAMSAR del Perú. Con este antecedente, en el año 2013, se inicia el Proyecto Piloto sobre la Administración Local a través de la formación de un Comité de Gestión Participativa. Dicho Comité tiene el propósito de velar por la conservación del manglar con base en el diseño de herramientas de gestión, convirtiéndose en una de las pioneras en el manejo de humedales en el país.

Este proyecto pone el foco en preservar los ecosistemas naturales de esa región, proteger especies endémicas, incentivar investigaciones científicas, conservar la cobertura del suelo, los servicios ambientales, el patrimonio ambiental, cultural, fomentar el turismo sustentable. Estas herramientas vienen a intentar contrarrestrar los efectos de problemas existentes y actuales tales como: Convencer al poder público y a la comunidad de la importancia de preservar los antes mencionados y establecer un área protegida- APA-, la situación ameritaba un imperioso y urgente plan de creación de APA a efectos de evitar ocupaciones clandestinas y establecimiento de redes criminales, deforestación ilegal, caza predatoria, contaminación y deterioro ambiental.

Ante este panorama de diversos y difusos problemas es que este proyecto ha tomado una enorme relevancia como un caso realmente exitoso, y pasible de ser replicado en otras zonas.

The coral reef around Europa island is one of the world’s rare reefs that remain in a near pristine condition. Its conservation is both a priority and a logistic challenge due to its remoteness. The frequency of visual surveys (a snapshot every 3 to 5 years) is insufficient to support its effective management. Indeed, accelerating effects of climate change and temporal dynamics of reef populations require frequent monitoring. Moreover, visual surveys are expensive and provide only partial information.

In April 2018, we installed an autonomous acoustic monitoring station on Europa’s reef at 12 m depth. A hydrophone continuously records the soundscape. Data are transmitted to a terrestrial station, providing a near real-time information about the state of the ecosystem. To understand how variations in soundscape relate to ecosystem state, ecoacoustic indices were determined by coupling acoustic and visual surveys (videos for fishes, 3D modelling for habitat) on 9 sites around the island.

L’Institut de développement durable Mamirauá a été fondé en 1999 en vue de proposer des connaissances scientifiques, technologiques et novatrices aux communautés de la région de l’Amazonie. Le mandat est exercé avec le plus haut niveau d’éthique et de responsabilité, en respectant les connaissances traditionnelles des habitants.

L’Institut a créé la Réserve de développement durable de Mamirauá. D’une superficie de 1 240 000 hectares, la Réserve abrite la plus grande zone humide de la planète, ce qui la place au premier rang des réserves de développement durable (de catégorie 6 de l’Union internationale pour la conservation de la nature) au Brésil.

Au cours des dernières décennies, la Réserve de développement durable de Mamirauá a été surexploitée par des entreprises privées. C’est pourquoi l’Institut travaille en étroite collaboration avec les communautés locales afin de veiller à l’utilisation durable des ressources halieutiques.

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

L’ONF a associé les cultivateurs de Vanille en sous-bois (+ de 200 à St Philippe) à la restauration écologique de certaines parcelles forestières très envahies situées en Réserve Biologique, en leur attribuant des concessions. Les concessionnaires ont réalisé un important travail de lutte contre les plantes invasives (en particulier contre Schinus et Psidium), tout en conservant les arbres indigènes pour servir de tuteurs à la Vanille. Les autres espèces indigènes sont aussi conservées et la disparition des espèces invasives a favorisé leur retour dans le sous-bois (fougères en particulier). Dans ces parcelles concédées, les espèces indigènes dominent à nouveau le couvert forestier, tout en permettant une production de Vanille en sous-bois. Ce dernier fait l’objet d’un entretien par le concessionnaire, qui est régi par un cahier des charges et contrôlé par les agents de l’ONF. Ce dispositif permet le contrôle des invasives telles que Clidemia hirta et limite leur invasion dans les reliques avoisinantes bien conservées.

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.

El proyecto de gestión del Área Ecológica de Conservación y Uso Sustentable (ACUS) Yunguilla ha sido el resultado de un proceso iniciado en el año 1995 , el cuál continúa en activo desarrollo. Se ha restaurado el ecosistema y su biodiversidad,  pasando de actividades no sostenibles y dañinas para el hábitat como el avance de la frontera agrícola, presión sobre los recursos naturales, tala de bosque y  quema indiscriminada a actividades sostenibles. La estrategia desarrollada en el ACUS ha permitido la implementación de sistemas agrarios más sostenibles y amigables con el ambiente, la explotación turística ecológica y responsable, la elaboración de productos artesanales y el consecuente mejoramiento de las condiciones sociales, económicas y  la calidad de vida de las familias en la comunidad, como así también, la continuidad de los servicios ambientales, lo que convierte a Yunguilla en  un  caso emblemático y potencialmente replicable  en otros lugares.

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.

A management unit and co-management structures were set-up involving 244 people from multiple groups of stakeholders (managing the Hin Nam No National Protected Area in Lao PDR). Earlier only 9-12 people worked on the management of the site of 82,000 hectares. Through the additional manpower and knowledge by local villagers, the total management effectiveness score of Hin Nam No NPA increased by 13% in two years. The solution was upscaled in other areas in Laos by the local organisation AFC.

Waterevolution promotes a new marine policy governance that creates a positive circle between maritime cluster companies and marine conservation. Eulabor Institute has developed a comprehensive model based on computational sustainability, an interdisciplinary field that applies techniques from computer and information science, operations research, applied mathematics and statistics to balance environmental, economic and societal needs for a sustainable development.

The legal framework in Peru encourages the co-management of protected areas and the application of public-private partnership models, enabling the NGO Center for Conservation, Research and Management of Natural Areas (CIMA) to take over the management of the Cordillera Azul National Park (PNCAZ) in coordination with the Government. This association created an innovative management mechanism that channeled external funding sources for conservation, and implemented a participatory intervention model, working with local communities in the park’s buffer zone.

Sugba Lagoon demonstrates that tourism need not be a choice between conserving the environment and earning a living:

1. 2 peoples organizations from Caub, where the lagoon is, and from nearby areas were tapped to provide transportation and guest relation services. They were trained on tourism management by the LGU and other government agencies, and SIKAT, a 28-year old NGO with significant experience in community-based coastal resource management trained them on basic ecology and Marine Protected Area Management.  The POs were registered as organization and environment management is part of their mandate.

2. The LGU declared the lagoon as no-fishing zone and intensified its enforcement of fisheries laws with help from POs and NGOs.

3. The LGU developed infrastructure and procedures,  providing support and guidance.

4. The communities are kept informed of policies and importance of environment conservation through regular community consultations.

The Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature (RSCN) is the national organization mandated to establish and manage protected areas in Jordan. Established in 1966, it manages 10 PAs totalling 3,000Km2, representing 3% of the country. Also, RSCN leads the national program on socioeconomic development of rural communities, living in and around PAs, focusing on sustainable resource management and ecotourism. With an area of ​​20 km2, the Yarmouk Forest Reserve (YFR) is located in the northern corner of the Kingdom. YFR aims to conserve the relic forests of the deciduous oak in Jordan. YFR embraces four vegetation types including 450 species of plants, 150 species of animals, a 100 of which are birds. Further, YFR is of high cultural importance including the Archaeological City of Um Qais and the living heritage in small towns with their traditional practices. Communities living around YFR are mainly rural and depend on seasonal farming and livestock herding for their livelihoods.

In late 1970’s, Kenya started witnessing rapid degradation of the community lands bordering the national parks and reserves.  Besides threat to wildlife, this degradation was also a threat to community livelihoods as it led to more poverty and ecological marginalisation. The founding of Ol Kinyei Conservancy was motivated by desire to stem this degradation and the need to conserve wildlife and habitats by partnering with the communities living on those lands and provide them with real and sustainable benefits from wildlife and wilderness areas.  This was the founding principle of Porini model, of protecting indigenous resources to generate income. In this model, you have a low-density ecotourism venture/s whose income goes towards the community as incentive to preserve ecosystem health. It is now widely accepted as a conservation solution beneficial to people and environment and is being used in several other places around Maasai Mara and rest of Kenya.

Pride conservation campaigns are implemented in four Latin American countries to generate community stewardship of marine resources, by adopting Fisheries Replenishment Zones (FRZ), alternative income activities and voluntary gear changes. Social marketing, fisheries technical assistance, capacity building and biological monitoring changed community behavior to reduce fishing threats and increase fish abundance, species diversity, and habitat health.

The UNDP supported GEF financed project “Community-based Conservation of Biological Diversity in the Mountain Landscapes of Mongolia’s Altai Sayan Eco-region” worked with local communities within the area to apply community-based management and conservation strategies that empower herder communities to resolve forest and grassland management problems through partnerships with governments and NGOs.

The Tanoé Forest in Ivory Coast harbors an exceptional wealth of biodiversity. It also is the only place where 4 of the rarest West African primate species are thought to still co-exist. Recently, the forest has been threatened by conversion into an oil palm plantation. Inza Koné started a campaign to save the forest, ranging from engagement with the local community to political campaigning, resulting in the development of a community-based conservation program.

The Parc Marin Mohéli, Comoros, was established in 2001 through a negotiated process agreed by the ten main village centers around the area. However, during political instability, external support dried up in 2005, and pressures on coastal ecosystem resources vital to the local economy have increased. The solution has been to revive the village dynamics around the protection of the park, and since 2014 to develop income generating activities for both local communities and the park’s management.

Community Conserved Areas (CCAs) formed with the help of WWF India in Arunachal Pradesh have helped local communities to better manage forests. Factors such as excessive use of forest resources and setting up of large infrastructure projects have led to forest loss across the region. CCA have helped reverse this trend with local communities setting aside large portions of the forest as conserved area and managing these areas for conservation and sustainable livelihood purposes.

“Connecting a coastal Reserve with its Surroundings” is a process that is addressing the problem of floods inside Monterrico Multiple Use Natural Reserve for the benefit of Reserve’s inhabitants, through the engagement and inclusion of new stakeholders, broadening the scope management and a setting a new scale of actions.

Seven indigenous peoples make up the Yaigojé Apaporis Indigenous Reserve in an area of ​​great cultural diversity in the Colombian Amazon. Due to the fact that mining activities jeopardize its complex of sacred sites, the Indigenous Traditional Authorities requested the Colombian National Natural Parks  (PNNC) to create a protected area overlapping the Reserve. In this contexts, the GAIA Amazonas Foundation developed a methodology for the indigenous communities themselves to manage the creation, planning, and zoning of the Yaigojé Apaporis Indigenous Reserve and Natural National Park.

Creating community protection addressed the problem of major deforestation in Assam, India forests due to a complex political problem of militants threatening government forestry staff. Community meetings, seminars for communities, NGOs and government and Biosphere celebrations helped communities form groups and become strong conservationist partners to support the Assam government. When an accord was signed community groups worked with the new tribal government.

Mandingalbay Yidinji (MY) people from the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area, Australia, have used Participatory 3 Dimensional Modelling (P3DM) to empower their community through the mapping and sharing of cultural and landscape knowledge. The project was facilitated by Wet Tropics Management Authority, and involved all of the MY community. Decision making about what to show, and what to exclude, was made entirely by the MY people.

In the Solomon Islands, conservation has a long history of use of traditional and customary practices known as “Hope” in Vangunu language. However since social and economic change and development, the communities experience huge change and undermining of traditional practices and customs. Our solution is empowering communities to have good governance and leadership, conservation activities and resource management, to be heard effectively by the national government.

Pilar Municipal Marine Park (PMMP) is on Ponson Island, Philippines between Lower Poblacion and Villahermosa villages. Located in what is considered a priority conservation area for reef fishes, the region was previously threatened by compressor fishing and illegal intrusion of commercial fishing boats. To address these threats, PMMP established an innovative multi-stakeholder management scheme with a no-take zone, driving people and nature impacts.

A unique partnership between a lodge, a university and the local communities (especially the CCP, Community Fishing Council), resulted in more than 12 years of protection of natural resources through the Locally Managed Marine Area (LMMA) of Vamizi Island, or as it is locally known: a sanctuary.

The solution focused on the mitigation of the two biggest problems of the local community: health and education. Supporting medical aid and capacity building for teachers of a local school were the “exchange currency” for starting an LMMA on the island.  After initial mistrust, fishermen were persuaded to cooperate: 6 years later, fisheries around Vamizi improved and became significantly better than those in surrounding waters.

Vamizi Island is now famous for its LMMA, a place where taking turtles, mosquito net fishing and illegal scuba diving are banned. The LMMA has increased the fisher’s catch rates and can count on the Fisheries Council to control illegal fishing around it.

This Environmental Education Program for a MPA was developed in south Brazil in a participatory way with federal and local governments, NGO´s and other civil society organizations. The MPA is the Marine Biological Reserve of Arvoredo (REBIO Arvoredo) with an area of 17,800 hectars, with an extremely rich and relevant biodiversity. The lack of participation of society in the creation process has generated strong opposition to the PA.

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.

Through interviews and focus group discussions with women and men in communities, this solution identified gender dimensions of MPA management in the villages of Maite, Bino-ongan, and Caticugan in Siquijor, Philippines. This helped to identify opportunities for gender mainstreaming in MPAs; inform organizations and agencies involved in coastal area funding and management of best practices, and empower women and recognize them for their important roles in MPA management.

While the Mt. Mantalingahan Protected Landscape was designed with input and consent from the indigenous communities living within and adjacent to the area, primarily indigenous leaders (all male) were consulted. We conducted an analysis through documents, interviews and surveys to identify how, and to what extent, both men and women were (and are) involved in management. We used these results to inform development of the new management plan, which is now more gender-informed.

Different strategies such as the Special Management Strategies of prevention, control and surveillance, as well as environmental education strategies are being implemented, both designed to resolve the problem of illegal fishing.

Provision of health centers, limited access roads, basic nursery/primary schools etc to local communities in Cross River National Park. Most communities around the national park have little or no access to government health and basic educational facilities which are situated in urban areas far from them. Some have no access roads. Park management sourced funds from budgetary allocations as well as from external donors such as WWF, EU etc. to fund the projects.

The Ruvuma Elephant Project addresses the dramatic decline in elephant numbers due to poaching in an area spanning 2.5 mio. hectares including the Selous-Niassa Wildlife Corridor, on the Tanzanian side of the border. It acknowledges the socio-economic causes of poaching while increasing patrolling capacity, by involving local communities in PA management. Activities include joint patrol teams, financial incentives, education and training.

The Blue and John Crow Mountains National Park and World Heritage Site (BJCMNP), in protecting the natural and cultural heritage of the site just inscribed on the World Heritage List, works closely with the Windward Maroons who revere these mountains which provided all they needed to establish their culture and secure their sovereignty through guerilla warfare and eventual signing of a Peace Treaty in 1739. The Park provides capacity building and support for alternative livelihoods and projects.

El proceso preparatorio para el reconocimiento de áreas protegidas dentro de la Lista Verde de la UICN ha cobrado un especial significado frente a la gobernanza territorial en Colombia, a fin de conservar efectivamente los valores de la naturaleza, la cultura y la sociedad, el cual ha permitido ir más allá de un proceso de certificación a uno de verdadera asociación pro-biodiversidad. A partir de recorridos históricos, análisis de principios para la buena gobernanza de los territorios y la identificación de beneficios ecosistémicos, los actores estratégicos de la sociedad civil, instituciones del Estado, entes territoriales y comunidades han confluido para reflexionar sobre factores de éxito, lecciones aprendidas y oportunidades que fortalezcan esta gobernanza, integrando visiones y saberes, llevando a revalorar las áreas protegidas como espacios claves para la vida y a reafirmar vínculos colectivos dentro de los territorios mediante el ejercicio efectivo de la gobernanza

The Legado das Águas (Water Legacy), the largest private reserve of the Brazil’s Atlantic Forest, with 31,000 hectares, is one of Votorantim Company’s environmental assets. Located in the Vale do Ribeira region in the south of the São Paulo State, the area was acquired in the 1940s and has since been conserved with the objective of guaranteeing, in the long term, the water resource of the Juquiá River water basin.

Today, Legado das Águas is managed by the company Reservas Votorantim LTDA, created to establish and implement a new model of environmental asset management.

In this sense, the Legado das Águas was structured in such a way as to promote actions within four central axes: Institutional Management, Human and Social Capital, Economic Capital and Natural Capital, demonstrating that the sustainable use of the natural resources of private protected areas makes possible the investiment in the maintenance of the area, as well as social and economic benefits.

Empower tribal leaders through their tribal governance networks as a tool for resource mobilization, management and conservation. Their participation is important. Our approach recognizes that healthy natural environments are more resilient to climate impacts and that the communities where we work are largely dependent on healthy ecosystems for their livelihoods and food security.

Endangered species, particularly rhinos, continue to face pressure from poaching and loss of habitat across the continent. The Lewa Wildlife Conservancy’s solution to these challenges is to adopt a community-centric conservation model that recognises that conservation efforts can only be successful and long-term if the local people are involved, participate and derive value that supports their day to day livelihoods. Over the years, Lewa has used conservation as a platform to protect and grow populations of endangered and threatened wildlife species, carry out research and monitoring programmes, promote a safer landscape by providing security for both people and wildlife, initiate and support livelihood programmes, run low-impact tourism, and catalyse conservation across northern Kenya. As a result of its successes, Lewa has become one of the learning grounds of integrated private-community conservation practices, and how conservation can benefit both people and wildlife. 

This solution promotions local participation, to guarantee access to natural resources in the zone adjacent to the Jaú National Park. This coupled with the application of a conservation mosaic approach, to consolidate a more extensive protected territory; and the inclusion of the Park in a State Program for the conservation of tropical forests, with public, private and international funding, have been key factors for the conservation of the Black River basin of the Amazon.

The long-term partnership at Damaraland Camp between Wilderness Safaris (private sector; WS) and the Torra Conservancy (community) in Namibia illustrates that tangible benefits from such joint venture partnerships play an important role in development and poverty reduction, with intangible benefits improving social welfare, biodiversity conservation and local economic development.

This project seeks to demonstrate the local and global benefits of legally recognising indigenous peoples’ and community conserved territories and areas (ICCAs) in natural resource management. ICCAs combine biodiversity conservation, sustainable development and the pacification of conflicts around existing protected areas and this initiative seeks to lobby for their legal recognition within the national law

To ensure the participation of women in conservation, a gender-based approach is being utilised in Rwanda. The Rwandan government has started to mainstream gender in protected area management and natural resource use. ARECO is a member of IUCN and supports community-based initiatives which focus on women’s participation in conservation, and lobbies for integrating specific participation of women in national policies

The Lower Mekong River Region is a biodiversity hotspot. Forests, rivers, flood planes and wetlands support innumerable species, and are the foundations of rural livelihoods and local economies. Over the past 30 years, human development has forced many of these ecological systems to exist within landscapes and seascapes of anthropological pressures. Recognizing that communities and economies are better suited to adapt to climate change if natural systems remain intact, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, and Viet Nam formed a region-wide partnership to adopt action plans for the strategic expansion of the region’s protected area (PA) network, and to formally integrate PAs into national, sector and regional development. The collaborative effort of governments, NGOs and corporations continues to study the nexus of conservation and development, examining the role of PAs in poverty reduction and climate change mitigation.

The role of traditional knowledge and application of diverse knowledge systems for wildlife management is demonstrated by Indigenous and local trackers and rangers e.g. in Bwabwata National Park in north east Namibia. The indigenous trackers and rangers are using a rigorous, culturally appropriate methodology for assessment and certification of tracking skills and competence. This knowledge is applied in wildlife monitoring and documenting scientific observations.

 With a rights-based approach and working in close partnership with the region’s indigenous peoples and federations, the Amazon Sacred Headwaters Initiative seeks to establish a bio-cultural sanctuary in the heart of the Napo-Marañon watersheds. In Ecuador and Peru, indigenous organizations have declared their territories as “No-Go Zones” for industrial-scale resource extraction and where indigenous co-governance, alternative well-being indicators, and all activities are judged by the extent to which they foster a mutually enhancing human-Earth relationship.

Here, the ancestral territories of more than a dozen indigenous nations are adjoined by a number of protected areas, together forming a vast contiguous mosaic containing the most biologically diverse terrestrial ecosystem on Earth.  These rainforests are critical carbon sinks and help to stabilize our global climate and rainfall and yet, they are facing a chronic and ever increasing risk from extractive industries. 

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).

„WWF Nature Academy“ is an 8 months long environmental education program that aims to develop key competencies of teachers and their students that lead to active citizenship for nature conservation. Each school participating in the program implements an environmental project in cooperation with the management of the protected area in their close proximity. Since 2016 we have engaged 20 schools in Serbia that became Ambassadors for one of the 5 protected areas involved in the program. During the program, participants learn about protected areas, ecological footprint, project-based and experiential learning, as well as about media relations in order to promote their results. Within the 20 implemented school projects 110 teachers and 333 students were actively involved in the implementation of various activities and approximately 3900 students benefited from these activities.

Sustainability and conservation are important goals at Le Golf National in France, host of the annual French Open and the 2018 Ryder Cup, and scheduled to host the 2022 World Amateur Team Championships and the 2024 Paris Olympic golf events. Located just outside of Paris at the confluence of natural, industrial and urban land uses, the 139-hectare course extends an existing large habitat patch and provides diverse, high-quality habitat in addition to the three courses on-site. The original construction of the course in early 1990 converted former intensive agricultural land with little biodiversity value into a premier sports facility capable of supporting a range of species. The French Golf Federation and the Natural History Museum collaborate to conduct biodiversity surveys at the course and identify indicators of ecological quality. The conservation initiatives at Le Golf National help to conserve a range of species while providing a special and unique venue for golfers and spectators to enjoy.

In Odaesan National Park, many roadkills happen on the National Road No. 6. During spring (March to April), many roadkills take place when Dybowski’s brown frog and salamanders move to spawning ponds. Efforts are being made to conserve the ecosystem and enhance biodiversity with the local community. An agreement on Functional Ecological Space Development for Conservation of National Park Biological Resources (Amphibians) has been made between residents of Samson-ri in Yeongok-myeon, Gangneung-si and Odaesan National Park Office. Support for wild animal rescue and ecological path construction has been made through voluntary cooperation with the local community. Promotion of scientific surveys and partnership activities with the residents has been made (e.g. installation of sensor cameras and thermometers, joint spawning monitoring and training for residents etc.)

Citizens’ University in Seoraksan National Park aims for park managers and local residents to objectively examine national park policies and their realities together and understand each other (the goal is to conserve national parks while making nearby villages into more livable places). Through the program, local residents will begin to see their communities as being happier because of national parks, and national park authorities will be able to create national parks that are managed through the support of local residents and their pride. The program has enhanced the partnership between national park authorities and local communities to coexist and prosper together.

The Mamirauá Institute for Sustainable Development was created in 1999 to provide science, technology and innovation to communities in the Amazon region. This is done with a high level of ethics and responsibility, respecting their traditional knowledge.

The Institute is responsible for the creation of the Mamirauá Reserve. With 1,240,000 hectares, the reserve has the largest wetland area on the planet and is the first Sustainable Development Reserve (IUCN category 6) in Brazil.

In recent decades, Mamiraua has been over-exploited by private companies, so the Institute works closely with local communities to ensure the sustainable use of fisheries resources.

SeaSketch is a software service for participatory and collaborative mapping. Using simple tools, users may (1) visualize and query maps, (2) contribute knowledge and identify valued areas using map-based surveys, (3) sketch and evaluate prospective zoning scenarios and (4) share and discuss zoning plans in a map-based discussion forum. The platform has been used in many cases to develop comprehensive zoning scenarios that reflect stakeholder values in Marine Spatial Planning (MSP). The tool is currently propriety and requires a purchased license but in January 2022, a new version will be released as free and open source. 

Taking Badagongshan Conservation area as an example, this paper analyzes and summarizes the conservation easement project being implemented in the conservation area, so as to explore the way to balance the conservation of protected land and the development of community. This paper summarizes the positive role of project implementation, the problems encountered in the process of project implementation, the necessary conditions of project implementation, and the summary of project implementation experience.

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 focuses on the Soqotra Heritage Project, a multidisciplinary programme addressing the needs of tangible and intangible cultural heritage on Soqotra, one of the most unique island ecosystems in the world and its unique biodiversity is at the heart of its World Heritage status. Through the establishment of a partnership of local and international institutions and organizations, the project combines multidisciplinary expertise in the documentation and conservation of Soqotra’s heritage which is a key element of identity for Soqotri communities. The project enhances previous projects and programmes which focused on biodiversity conservation, and works on raising awareness and building local capacity for the conservation of tangible and intangible heritage as an element for future sustainable local development.

The project focuses on strengthening community-based approaches to heritage conservation, as well as safeguarding the unique bio-cultural heritage of Soqotra.

The solution looks at the long-standing experience of the Pile Dwelling Museum of Ledro and its work in establishing virtuous networks of museums, private and public stakeholders, and communities. The museum is in charge of promoting and interpreting the pile dwelling site of Lake Ledro, part of the 111 sites of the World Heritage site of the Prehistoric Pile Dwellings around the Alps.

The museum has an increasingly important role in the life of the Ledro Valley and its communities: it became the heart of a valley-wide multidisciplinary museum network which is active in the economic life of the valley, it contributed in raising awareness on the natural and cultural characteristics of the territory, and it contributes to strengthening the network between museums, public administration, private sector (including tourism) and local communities.

The inclusion in the framework of MUSE has offered the museum the chance to enhance its capacities and the presence of the museum in the Valley.

From a zero rating on the MPA Management Effectiveness Assessment Tool, Tambaliza is now pegged as a ‘bright spot’ MPA not only in the municipality of Concepcion but in the whole Northern Iloilo – it is the first legally established MPA with a 200-ha No-take Zone in the province. Tambaliza MPA is proving that bigger MPAs entail more community and stakeholders’ involvement and bigger funding requirements but the local community is up to the challenge of sustaining the management of a protected area through their own contributions. Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLA, locally known as CoMSCA) in Tambaliza are currently generating up to $1,500 in a year as Environmental Fund (EF) to support the implementation of the management plan of the protected area. ZSL’s Net-Works (TM) programme is keen on replicating the success of Tambaliza MPA in other sites. 

The Denali region of Interior Alaska faces social and environmental pressures related to rapid landscape change. Although the communities there are tight-knit and linked by their shared connection to the area, local stakeholders can feel excluded from regional decision-making to address resource management issues. One potential pathway toward more inclusive decision-making is having residents learn from and adapt to one another in discussions about landscape change, thereby strengthening underrepresented voices through collective knowledge building. Community deliberation can be challenging to get started, but social learning is a conservation tool that can facilitate shared dialogue based on understanding the many and diverse values related to public land management through community deliberation. This solution is based on the concept of socially inclusive conservation, which aims to represent how people value nature to improve protected area management. 

After decades of management, Huangshan has developed a plan system based on the Master Plan of Huangshan Scenic Area, the most important and basis plan with legal effect. The plan system is for every part of work and clear responsibilities and tasks for different departments, balancing protection and development. Multiple plans address different issues, including resource protection, finance and tourism, developed with expert input. Community cooperation is given top priority to ensure proper implementation. The legal status of the plan, concerted management with communities, and adequate government funding has ensured the full implementation of the plans.

The Cote Bleue Marine Park (PMCB, France) was created in 1983. This bottom up initiative is based on an experimental cooperation between local public authorities and professional small scale fisheries, in order to implement a program for sustainable development of fishing activity, marine environment protection, experimental scientific research and public awareness and education. The territory represent 9.873 ha on 42 km of rocky coastline including 2 no-takes reserves of 295 ha, where all kind of fishing, mooring and scuba diving are prohibited.The originality is the use of no-takes reserves and artificial reefs (both for production purposes and protection against illegal trawling) as a complementary tools for conservation of exploited resources and sensitive habitats.

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.

Kuruwitu Conservation and Welfare Association(KCWA) was set up in 2003 by members of the community concerned about the degradation of their seas. Over-fishing and effects of climate change needed to be addressed before the marine ecosystem was damaged beyond repair. Fishers and concerned residents who remembered how healthy and productive the sea had been in the past felt it necessary to act before it was too late. In 2005 they took the unprecedented step of setting aside a 30-hectare Marine Protected Area (MPA). This was the first coral based Locally Managed Marine Area (LMMA) in Kenya. Twelve years on, the area has made a remarkable recovery. With fishing prohibited within the MPA, fish have grown in abundance, size and diversity. Fish catches in the area have improved,and alternative income generating enterprises have been introduced. Kuruwitu has become a model for sustainable marine conservation. The KCWA share their knowledge with other local and regional coastal communities.

Los Sitios Sagrados y Rutas de Peregrinación de las Montañas Kii fueron inscritos en la Lista del Patrimonio Mundial en 2004, bajo los criterios (ii), (iii), (iv) y (vi). El bien incluye partes del Parque Nacional Yoshino-Kumano y el núcleo de la Reserva de la Biosfera de la UNESCO Monte Odaigahara, Monte Omine y Osugidani, y Lugares de belleza escénica, Sitios históricos, Tesoros nacionales y Monumentos naturales que están protegidos por la Ley para la protección de los bienes culturales. El bien está compuesto por los núcleos de 3 de las religiones más importantes de Japón: el sintoísmo en Kumano-Sanzan, el budismo Shingon en Koyasan y Shugendo en Yoshino y Omine, y las rutas de peregrinación que las conectan. La gestión de un bien tan complejo donde los valores naturales y culturales y los sistemas de protección se interrelacionan se basa en su valor sagrado y la administración continua de las comunidades religiosas y locales presentes en el área.

El Área de Laponia fue inscrita en 1996 en la Lista del Patrimonio Mundial según los criterios (iii), (v), (vii), (viii) y (ix). Está compuesta por 4 parques nacionales y 2 reservas naturales que contienen dos tipos de paisajes dominantes: una llanura oriental que comprende marismas, cientos de lagos y bosques mixtos; y un paisaje montañoso occidental con valles escarpados y ríos poderosos, que contiene alrededor de 100 glaciares. Este mosaico de áreas protegidas está situado en Sápmi, región asentada hace unos 7.000-8.000 años, y utilizada por muchas generaciones por los Sámi como áreas de pastoreo de verano para sus renos, una cultura que ha dado forma al paisaje suavemente. En 2012, Laponiatjuottjudus se constituyó para encargarse de la administración del bien y la implementación del plan de gestión adoptado en 2011. Este consejo de administración, compuesto en su mayoría por representantes Sámi, funciona mediante la toma de decisiones por consenso.

Hablar del uso de sus recursos naturales, es hablar desde las culturas prehispánicas, quienes lograron armonizar el aprovechamiento de los recursos marinos y terrestres con sus necesidades. En la actualidad, directa o indirectamente, la comunidad loretana vive del Parque Nacional. Los usuarios, conscientes de ello, impulsaron su creación en 1996. La modificación del segundo Programa de Manejo en 2019, fue a través de un amplio proceso de participación activa de los diferentes sectores: pescadores, prestadores de servicios turísticos, instituciones de gobierno, académicos, organizaciones de la sociedad civil y público en general. Las opiniones y sugerencias obtenidas en mesas de trabajo, fueron incorporadas a su Programa. Este documento se diseñó en colaboración con los diferentes sectores involucrados y con la población, estableciendo las actividades permitidos y no permitidas, a través de una zonificación. Los usuarios son quienes propusieron al gobierno nuevas reglas de uso.

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.

1. Review of the earlier strategy and action plan.

2. Identification of gaps and issues vis a vis the National Biodiversity Targets, Sustainable Development Goals and Aichi Targets.

3. Mobilisation /training /consultation programmes with all the important Stake holders.

4. Framing of achievable targets taking into consideration all the possible National and International Targets. 
5. Resource assessment on implementation of the Targets identified/ set.

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.

 With a rights-based approach and working in close partnership with the region’s indigenous peoples and federations, the Amazon Sacred Headwaters Initiative seeks to establish a bio-cultural sanctuary in the heart of the Napo-Marañon watersheds. In Ecuador and Peru, indigenous organizations have declared their territories as “No-Go Zones” for industrial-scale resource extraction and where indigenous co-governance, alternative well-being indicators, and all activities are judged by the extent to which they foster a mutually enhancing human-Earth relationship.

Here, the ancestral territories of more than a dozen indigenous nations are adjoined by a number of protected areas, together forming a vast contiguous mosaic containing the most biologically diverse terrestrial ecosystem on Earth.  These rainforests are critical carbon sinks and help to stabilize our global climate and rainfall and yet, they are facing a chronic and ever increasing risk from extractive industries. 

The indigenous San bushmen of Bwabwata National Park, Namibia, established the TEKOA Academy. The Academy aims to restore dignity, social cohesion and renewed pride in traditional knowledge and culture. It creates opportunities to transfer traditional knowledge by getting elders involved in training younger generations in tracking and hunting methods. It also allows outsiders to learn about the indigenous communities.

Indigenous communities of the lower Apaporis River – traditional owners of +1 mio ha of Amazon territory – worked with Colombian national park authorities on a solution to the threat of mining. Yaigojé Apaporis became Colombia’s 55th national PA in 2009. A special agreement respects the autonomy and traditional practices of indigenous communities. It hinges on work by local communities to record, document and transfer traditional knowledge for protecting the forest.

In the 1970s and ‘80s, the provincial government of British Columbia had clear cut a significant area of Clayoquot Sound, when the Tla-o-qui-aht Indigenous Peoples established the first Tribal Park in 1984. During the 31 years since then, several additional Tribal Parks have been declared by Indigenous Peoples in BC culminating in 2014 with the Dasiqox Tribal Park declaration, based on a precedent setting Supreme Court of Canada decision on Aboriginal Title to Land.

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).

The Kayas and the sacred forests of the Mijikenda community are a unique place for the conservation of botanical species endemic of the East African coastal forests and they considered as the carriers of group identity due to their status as sacred places and home to the Mijikenda.

The solution focuses on preserving the natural environment surrounding the Kayas through the continuation of a management approach based on the traditional knowledge of the Mijikenda and the principles of self-restrain supervised by spiritual leaders and the Council of Elders (Kambi). The protection of these outstanding sites is further supported by the National Museums of Kenya which protects the sites at the institutional and legal levels.

This unique connection of nature, culture and sacredness has led to the inscription of the Sacred Mijikenda Kaya Forests in the World Heritage List and the Mijikenda traditions and practices on the list of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding.

The solution focuses on the management arrangements for the World Heritage property of the Heart of Neolithic Orkney and the recognition of the need to enhance community and stakeholder engagement. The site plays an important role in shaping the identity of Orcadians and over the years it has become a major element in supporting the local economy of the archipelago as a key driver for tourism to Orkney. The protection of the natural and cultural features of the place and its role in the development of tourism and business opportunities on the island has called for cooperation between agencies, local government and charities as well as for the enhanced involvement of local communities and businesses for the development of an effective management strategy for the conservation of Orkney. The key actors in this solutions are Historic Environment Scotland, Orkney Islands Council, NatureScot (former SNH), the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, and Highlands and Islands Enterprise .

The Budj Bim Cultural Landscape lies within the Country of the Gunditjmara and is comprehensively managed and protected under a system comprising Gunditjmara customary knowledge and practices in conjunction with National and State legislation, management plans and associated policies and programs. The management system combines Traditional Owner and adaptive management approaches, in which governance and decision-making is shared.

In the early 19th century, Gunditjmara Country was occupied by British colonists and access to Country became increasingly denied to Traditional Owners until the late 20th century. The Gunditjmara retained connections to the aquaculture system through knowledge of the stories of Budj Bim and associated land-use practices. In recent years, the work of the Gunditjmara within Budj Bim has increasingly turned to the renewal and transmission of cultural traditions and practices through the access to and control of those parts of Country owned and managed by them.

El Parque Natural Municipal Bañado de Emperatriz y Jardín Botánico de San Leopoldo son áreas de inmenso valor ecosistémico y de gran biodiversidad, además de constituir una enorme fuente de conocimiento científico e investigaciones.

Esta zona ha estado bajo una gran presión generada por la ocupación precaria de varias familias, falta de educación y conciencia ambiental, presencia de residuos sólidos, actividades de caza y pesca furtiva de especies, incendios, problemas de índole biológico como invasión de especies exóticas, entre otras.

Consciente de esta situación , la Secretaría Municipal de medio Ambiente, en conjunto con otros actores, ha logrado dar a la zona el status de “Parques Protegidos” tendiendo así a la recuperación del área poniendo el foco en el equilibrio y la mejora en la calidad de vida de la población local como así también en la protección y la preservación del medio ambiente.

The Laponian Area was inscribed in 1996 in the World Heritage List under criteria (iii), (v), (vii), (viii) and (ix). It is composed of four national parks and two nature reserves containing two dominant landscape types: an eastern lowland comprising marshlands, hundreds of lakes, and mixed woodlands; and a western mountainous landscape with steep valleys and powerful rivers, which contains about 100 glaciers. This mosaic of protected areas is situated in Sápmi, region settled about 7,000-8,000 years ago, and used by Sámi people as summer-grazing areas for their reindeers for many generations, a culture which has shaped the landscape in a smooth way. In 2012, Laponiatjuottjudus was established to be in charge of the management of the property and the implementation of the management plan adopted in 2011, allowing an integrated management of cultural and natural values. This management board, composed in its majority by Sámi representatives, functions by consensus decision-making.

The Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes of the Kii Mountain Range in Japan were inscribed as a cultural landscape in the World Heritage List in 2004, under criteria (ii), (iii), (iv) and (vi). The inscribed property includes parts of the Yoshino-Kumano National Park, IUCN Protected Area Category II and core of the Mount Odaigahara, Mount Omine and Osugidani UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, and places of scenic beauty, historic sites, national treasures and natural monuments which are protected under the Japanese Law for the Protection of Cultural Property. It is composed of the cores of three of the most significant religions in Japan: Shintoism in Kumano-Sanzan, Shingon Buddhism in Koyasan and Shugendo in Yoshino and Omine, and the pilgrimage routes connecting them. The management of such a complex property where natural and cultural values and protection systems interrelate relies on its sacred value and the continuous stewardship of the religious and local communities present in the area.

Sceilg Michíl is one of the world’s most spectacular example of early medieval extreme monastic sites located on the Great Skellig, a sandstone island raising 218m above the Atlantic Ocean. The site was inscribed on the World Heritage list in 1996. Additionally, the two Skelligs (Great and Litte Skellig) are also internationally recognised as Key Biodiversity Areas as one of the most important breeding grounds for seabirds.

The management of this place requires an integrated nature-culture approach taking into consideration both the rich natural and cultural values of the place.

The island is managed on the basis of the wider recognition of its multiple values (natural, cultural, social and economic) and access to the island is regulated to ensure the protection and conservation of the place’s natural and cultural values. This is put in place through a system of inter-agency cooperation and constant consultation with local actors and communities living on the Iveragh Peninsula.

Pimachiowin Aki (the Land That Gives Life) was inscribed in 2018 on the World Heritage List as Mixed Cultural and Natural Heritage under criteria (iii), (vi) and (ix). Composed of Atikaki Provincial Park, Woodland Caribou Provincial Park, the Eagle-Snowshoe Conservation Reserve, and four First Nations’ Traditional Use Planning Areas, Pimachiowin Aki, is an exceptional example of the global boreal biome and a cultural landscape that provides testimony to the tradition of Ji-ganawendamang Gidakiiminaan (Keeping the Land). Anishinaabe First Nations signed an Accord in 2002 to protect and care for ancestral lands and way of life, and to seek inscription of a World Heritage site. In 2006, First Nations and provincial governments created the Pimachiowin Aki Corporation, a not-for-profit charitable organization to prepare the nomination and develop a management plan according to principles of mutual respect and collaboration.

The Kromme Rijn area is a dynamic cultural landscape, shaped by multiple uses and different elements of typical Dutch landscapes. Utrechtse Heuvelrug National Park within this landscape includes important forest areas and biodiversity values, but is also of historical and recreational significance. The region needs to be multifunctional given the dense population and many expectations towards the landscape, but different use interests are not always compatible.

In order to develop new solutions, identify new directions for policy and help society move towards synergetic options, an „inclusive conservation“ approach is being applied. As a first step, different visions for the use and development of the landscape have been identified through stakeholder interviews. These will provide the basis for modelling the consequences of these different stakeholder vision. Finally, stakeholders will discuss the visions and their consequences, deciding on a joint vision and pathways towards it.

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.

The Essonne Departmental Council manages natural sites with high flora and fauna stakes, several of which are developed and open to the public.
In order to guarantee a quality reception on these sites, the Department has developed, in 2017 with the start-up E Citiz, an original mobile application “Veille nature 91”.
This application, accessible from the stores (Apple, Android), can be downloaded free of charge and used by all users (Department staff, walkers, fishermen, naturalists, etc.) of the Department’s natural areas and hiking trails.
 In just 3 clicks, anyone can thus report an anomaly observed on a natural site, and allow the Conservatoire des Espaces Naturels Sensibles to take note of it, almost in real time.
These observations can concern a wide variety of themes such as wild deposits and other incivilities (tags, deliberate damage, etc.), safety issues (threatening trees, dangerous equipment, maintenance faults, etc.), etc…
 

Through the National Marine Sanctuaries Visitor Counting Process (NMS-COUNT), marine protected area (MPA) resource managers gain valid and reliable data and methods to advance predictive capability and understanding of visitors. The NMS-COUNT process is an iterative framework that allows local management and stakeholders to add knowledge of visitor use at an NMS unit through each phase.
Building off the US Interagency Visitor Monitoring Framework, NMS-COUNT facilitates local input on visitation and communication with managers and researchers to develop and implement the most efficient methodology. Understanding visitor use can help MPA managers create better policies, leading to more satisfied visitors and healthier coastal ecosystems. Visitation data helps to efficiently maintain and manage local ecological, economic and social resources. NMS-COUNT helps resource managers adhere to limits of resilience within MPAs, leading to sustainable use and maintenance for future generations.

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.

Project MARE is a unique experience created with the aim to help marine conservation programs and promote culture. The  project was born to support the conservation activities of the Marine Protected Area (MPA) Punta Campanella, thanks to the involvement of volunteer activists from all over Europe and beyond, who have been working constantly for 9 months, at defining and practicing sustainable initiatives to be carried out in contact with nature.

Since 2013, the MPA of Punta Campanella has hosted international volunteers, funded by the European Commission through the Erasmus+ program, and since 2019, through the European Solidarity Corps program (ESC) that supports the management activities of the MPA’s operators. Volunteers collaborate for a medium term period (from March to December). A group of volunteers do different activities throughout the project: sea and land monitoring; environmental education laboratories; the promotion of environmental awareness and also underwater research. 

The prospect of securing long-term co-financing from Prespa Ohrid Nature Trust (PONT) has propelled the Protected Area (PA) management authorities in the Wider Prespa Area in Albania and North Macedonia to overhaul planning and implementation of their core operations. They are now regularly using the Management Effectiveness Tracking Tool (METT) as a decision-support tool to achieve more transparent, evidence-based, and adaptive management, tied to the annual management cycle. The findings and results of the METT assessment inform the development of the operational plans using a template developed by PONT. PONT’s co-financing enables PA managers recruit new staff and deploy adequate resources to sustain the core management functions over the long-term, such as biodiversity monitoring, environmental education or visitor management that were often neglected in the past or contingent on projects or other forms of intermittent external support.