One Island, One Management: Collaborative Marine Protected Area Governance for Climate Resilience in Atauro Island, Timor-Leste

Atauro Island, Timor-Leste, hosts globally significant coral reefs, seagrass beds and mangroves within the Coral Triangle. To address biodiversity loss, climate change impacts, unsustainable resource use and fragmented governance, the Government of Timor-Leste, local communities and partners established the Atauro Island Marine Protected Area (MPA) using a ‘One Island, One Management’ approach. The 13,252-hectare MPA integrates scientific assessments, ecological connectivity principles and the traditional Tara Bandu marine tenure system. The island is managed as a single ecological unit through co-management involving government agencies, NGOs, traditional leaders, and representatives from villages. The MPA includes multiple No-Take Zones, sustainable use zones and ecosystem rehabilitation areas, enhancing biodiversity conservation, fisheries sustainability, shoreline protection and climate resilience. The approach contributes to national and global 30×30 targets while strengthening local stewardship and adaptive management

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Calamianes Island Group MPA Network: Towards a Resilient MPA Network

The Calamianes Island Group Marine Protected Area Network (CMN) is an inter-LGU alliance of Busuanga, Coron, Culion, and Linapacan in northern Palawan, established in 2017 to jointly manage and conserve shared marine resources. Covering 44 Marine Protected Areas with a total of 44, 213 hectares, the network safeguards vital ecosystems such as coral reefs, seagrass beds, and mangroves.

The CMN was created to address pressing issues including Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing, climate change, habitat degradation, and overfishing. Through coordinated governance, strong advocacy, community engagement, and multi-sector partnerships, it strengthens marine protection, sustainable fisheries, and enforcement efforts. As a result, the network has improved ecological conditions, increased fish biomass, enhanced climate resilience, and generated socio-economic benefits through ecotourism and community-based initiatives, while promoting inclusive participation among local stakeholders.

From Reef Builders to Conservation Leaders: Empowering Coastal Communities for Coral Reef Restoration in Tun Mustapha Park

Tun Mustapha Park (TMP), Malaysia’s largest multiple-use marine protected area (MPA), faces challenges in restoring and monitoring degraded coral reefs due to its remote location and limited technical capacity. Through the Coral Restoration Project, Sabah Parks and WWF-Malaysia partnered with coastal communities, equipping them with the skills to co-lead coral reef restoration and monitoring. Community members were trained in reef restoration techniques, maintenance of project site, ecological monitoring, and data analysis through the Mars Assisted Reef Restoration System (MARRS). Through continuous mentoring and hands-on experience, they progressed from restoration volunteers to citizen scientists, reef builders, trainers, and conservation leaders. Today, these communities independently manage restoration sites, secure external funding, educate visitors, and support the replication of coral restoration in other seascapes, demonstrating a scalable model for community-led marine conservation.

Promoting Climate Resilience through Traditional Sasi and Climate-Smart MPA Design in Ay and Rhun Islands, Indonesia

The Ay and Rhun Islands Marine Protected Area (MPA) in Maluku, Indonesia, demonstrates how climate adaptation and traditional management can be integrated into marine conservation. Part of the globally significant Banda Islands, the area supports diverse coral reefs, seagrass, sea turtles, napoleon wrasse, tuna, and marine mammals, including blue whales. The Coral Triangle Center (CTC), together with the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries, the Maluku Provincial Government, customary leaders, and local communities, conducted ecological and socio-economic assessments, stakeholder consultations, and participatory zoning that led to the MPA’s establishment in 2021. The design incorporates climate resilience principles, including protection of resilient reefs, habitat connectivity, replication, and upwelling systems, while revitalizing the traditional Sasi system. This science-based and community-led approach strengthens biodiversity conservation, food security, climate resilience, and effective ecosystem management.

Community-Based Whale Shark Ecotourism and Conservation in Saleh Bay, Indonesia

Saleh Bay (Teluk Saleh), West Nusa Tenggara, is one of the world’s most critical whale shark aggregation sites and the second most important in Indonesia after Cenderawasih Bay. Despite its ecological significance, only 23% of the whale shark hotspot area was formally protected. KI, in partnership with Sirkula Indonesia and local government, achieved a landmark milestone on 28 April 2026: the Governor of West Nusa Tenggara officially nominated a 73,165.05 ha Whale Shark Conservation Area; a legally binding first step toward full MPA establishment under Indonesian law. Simultaneously, KI is building an inclusive community-based ecotourism model with 9 community groups across 7 coastal villages in Sumbawa, Bima, and Dompu regencies. The solution integrates long-term scientific research, community grant disbursement, participatory MPA zoning, regulatory advocacy, and business development to ensure conservation benefits are equitably distributed.

Wildlife farm management and policy advice to reduce risks to human health from wildlife products in Viet Nam

This initiative was part of the Support Project for the International Alliance against Health Risks in Wildlife Trade which was implemented in Viet Nam by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH together with the One Health Partnership Secretariat hosted by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

The extensive wild animal farming and trade in Viet Nam poses risks of zoonotic disease emergence and spillover. To mitigate these risks, the project in Viet Nam aimed to enhance policies, strengthen the basis for responsible management of wildlife farms and improve the understanding on gaps in regulations and implementation including strengthening biosecurity in policy and legislation. Challenges are a lack of a uniform definition of what biosecurity exactly entails and the large variety of wildlife farm sizes in Viet Nam. A framework of seven biosecurity categories was proposed. This provides a base to assess gaps in legislation, to develop further policy as well as education initiatives.

Agave Restoration Initiative: Restoring a Bi-National Agave Corridor for Migratory Bats and People

The Agave Restoration Initiative, led by Bat Conservation International, is the world’s first landscape-scale foraging habitat restoration effort for migratory bats.

To offset agave loss and fragmentation across Mexico and the U.S. Southwest, the initiative is creating a climate-resilient, bi-national agave corridor that supports recovery of three pollinating bats, including the endangered Greater (Mexican) long-nosed bat, and rural livelihoods. The initiative unites 100+ partners (communities, Tribes, private landowners, NGOs, government agencies, researchers, and companies) across 14 states.

We envision a connected, community-based agave corridor where thriving bat populations and resilient communities and rural economies reinforce each other. Our goal is to plant 500,000+ agaves and protect, restore, or sustainably manage 300,000+ hectares.

By coordinating across a migratory corridor, the initiative is pioneering a model to transform how we restore keystone plants and corridors for migratory species globally.

Standardising the Spatial Monitoring and Reporting Tool (SMART) for improved protected area management in Viet Nam

The Spatial Monitoring and Reporting Tool (SMART) is a tool designed for measuring, evaluating and improving the effectiveness of law enforcement patrols and site-based conservation activities. It has also been designed to improve overall management effectiveness. Globally it is currently used across 1000 biodiversity sites in >65 countries. In Viet Nam, SMART has been so far implemented in over 60 terrestrial and marine protected areas. Since the launch of the first SMART version in 2013, GIZ and partners have supported the application of SMART in Viet Nam. However, the past 8 years of SMART implementation have seen the application vary from site to site and results cannot be easily compared.

Since 2021, the ‘Conservation and Sustainable Use of Forest Biodiversity & Ecosystem Services in Viet Nam’ (GIZ-Bio Project) has contributed to the national SMART roll-out and standardisation of SMART use in Viet Nam. The standardised data model, national guideline and training curriculum are ready for adoption of SMART in all PAs.

Carbono Biodiverso: A Local Carbon Protocol Linking Forest Regeneration to Community Economic Development in Mexico

The Sierra Gorda Biosphere Reserve in Querétaro, Mexico—a 383,567-hectare mosaic of cloud forest, oak woodland and semi-arid scrubland—is home to extraordinary biodiversity and 638 rural communities. With 70% of the land in private hands, meaningful conservation requires the genuine participation and economic empowerment of local landowners. Yet, for decades, those landowners had no financial incentive to protect their forests over more immediately profitable land uses such as cattle ranching, logging, and agriculture.

Carbono Biodiverso, developed by Grupo Ecológico Sierra Gorda (GESG) in partnership with the Secretaría de Desarrollo Sustentable (SEDESU) of the State of Querétaro, is a locally-grounded carbon protocol that directly addresses this structural gap. It uses a state-level carbon tax mechanism known as Sello Querétaro to connect industrial emitters with forest landowners, paying them competitively for the carbon captured through natural forest regeneration and reinvesting remaining funds in community development.

PAFSAT: Protected Area Financing Self-Assessment Tool as part of PA sustainable financial planning in Viet Nam

The Conservation and Sustainable Use of Forest Biodiversity & Ecosystem Services in Viet Nam (GIZ-Bio Project Phase II) supports government agencies responsible for the management of protected forests to implement mechanisms for local communities to benefit from biodiversity conservation and sustainable forest management. A component of the project supported the development of PA sustainable financing strategies and plans. The aim was to enhance the financial sustainability of biodiversity and ecosystem conservation by equipping PA managers with a tool to assess finance needs, constraints and opportunities, and identify mechanisms to generate new funding and improve financial effectiveness and sustainability. The PA Financing Self-Assessment Tool (PAFSAT) has been applied in Bidoup Núi Bà NP, Cát Tiên NP, Thần Sa-Phượng Hoàng Nature Reserve and Trạm Tấu Protected Forest. It has also been used to guide PA finance assessments abroad and is included in the IUCN-WCPA 2025 Practice Guidance for Protected & Conserved Area Finance.

MARISTANIS Wetland Contract: Contract-based governance for integrated management of coastal wetlands

The MARISTANIS Wetland Contract is an innovative governance mechanism designed to support the integrated and participatory management of coastal wetlands. It addresses the fragmentation of responsibilities and lack of coordination among stakeholders by establishing a formal agreement between public authorities, local actors and other stakeholders.

The contract defines shared objectives, roles and commitments, enabling coordinated actions for wetland conservation, restoration and sustainable use. It promotes dialogue, builds trust and aligns interests across sectors, including environment, water management and local development.

By institutionalising collaboration through a contractual framework, the solution improves governance effectiveness, reduces conflicts and enhances the resilience of wetland ecosystems. It provides a replicable model for multi-level and multi-actor governance, applicable across Mediterranean and other regions facing similar challenges.

LIFE TERRACESCAPE: Employing land stewardship to transform terraced landscapes into green infrastructures to better adapt to climate change

LIFE TERRACESCAPE is an innovative approach to restoring traditional terraced landscapes in Mediterranean regions, using them as nature-based solutions for climate adaptation. The project addresses the degradation and abandonment of terraces, which leads to soil erosion, biodiversity loss and increased vulnerability to extreme weather events.

The solution combines physical restoration of dry-stone terraces with sustainable land management practices, strengthening their function as green infrastructure that regulates water flows, prevents erosion and supports biodiversity.

By integrating local knowledge, community engagement and technical expertise, the model enhances landscape resilience while supporting rural livelihoods. It demonstrates how restoring cultural landscapes can deliver environmental, social and economic benefits, and offers a replicable approach for climate adaptation across Mediterranean mountainous and island regions.

Integrating Human Rights, Gender Equality and Conflict Resolution into Marine and Coastal Conservation

Tanzania’s coastal and marine ecosystems are rich in biodiversity but face mounting pressures from unsustainable resource use, weak governance, and social conflict. Community-based conservation actors, including Beach Management Units (BMUs), Village Liaison Committees (VLCs), Marine Parks and Reserves Unit (MPRU) rangers, Honorary Rangers, and Collaborative Management Areas, have historically lacked structured capacity on human rights, gender equality, and conflict-sensitive approaches. Within the IKI-funded “Pwani Yetu” (Our Coast) Project, two rounds of training were conducted between April and September 2025. A total of 147 participants were trained using participatory adult-learning methods, including role plays, conflict mapping, and case studies, across three integrated modules: 1) human rights frameworks in conservation, 2) gender equality and intersectionality, and 3) practical conflict resolution and feedback mechanisms.Participants co-developed locally owned and applicable conflict resolution and feedback systems.