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.

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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.

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.

Experiences from piloting the “Site-level assessment of governance and equity (SAGE)” in Viet Nam

The Site-Assessment for Governance and Equity (SAGE) is a methodology for assessing the governance and equity of actions to conserve biodiversity and ecosystem services of protected and/or conserved areas (PCAs). SAGE has two objectives: The first is to enable site-level actors to improve the governance and equity of their conservation work. The second is to generate information for actors at higher levels for management oversight, improve governance of a (national) system of PCAs and for national and global-level reporting.

SAGE has been developed by a team of conservation practitioners and researchers from different organisations under the leadership of IIED. Around 60 SAGE assessments have been conducted across PCAs in 25 different countries since 2019.

This PANORAMA Solution summarises the experiences from the implementation of SAGE in Cat Thien NP. This exercise has been supported by the Project ‘Conservation and Sustainable Use of Forest Biodiversity & Ecosystem Services in Viet Nam’ with support from IIED and IUCN.

Handbook for Coastal Wetlands Governance

The Handbook for Coastal Wetlands Governance is a practical guidance tool designed to support integrated and effective governance of coastal wetlands. These ecosystems are under increasing pressure from urbanisation, pollution and climate change, while often suffering from fragmented governance and limited coordination among institutions.

The handbook provides structured methodologies, policy guidance and practical tools to improve governance frameworks, strengthen coordination between stakeholders and support ecosystem-based management approaches. It helps decision-makers, practitioners and local authorities design more coherent and inclusive governance systems for wetlands.

By promoting integrated management and stakeholder collaboration, the solution enhances the conservation and sustainable use of coastal wetlands, improves ecosystem services and strengthens resilience to climate change. It is highly transferable across Mediterranean and other regions facing similar governance challenges.

Payments for Environmental Services for Biodiversity and Water Conservation in Guatemala's Volcanic Range

The project of the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (MARN) titled “Promoting Sustainable and Resilient Territories in Landscapes of the Central Volcanic Chain in Guatemala,” funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF), with support from the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) through technical assistance, helped establish Payment for Environmental Services (PES) mechanisms in Concepción Chiquirichapa, Quetzaltenango, and Esquipulas Palo Gordo, San Marcos, in Guatemala, aimed at protecting water resources and forests. These mechanisms combine compensation and payments linked to water use, with the active participation of local stakeholders, especially women. Technical Advisory Committees were formed to oversee implementation, and technical and financial guidelines as well as community agreements were established. The process included capacity building, outreach, and monitoring. Currently, the initiative benefits more than 38,000 people through 216 conservation agreements.

LIFE Olivares Vivos: Biodiversity restoration and market valorisation in Mediterranean olive groves

LIFE Olivares Vivos is an innovative agri-environmental model that integrates biodiversity conservation into olive grove management in the Mediterranean. Developed under the EU LIFE programme, it addresses biodiversity loss driven by intensive agricultural practices by promoting restoration measures within productive landscapes.

The solution combines habitat restoration, scientific biodiversity monitoring and a certification scheme that rewards farmers for measurable biodiversity gains. Through tailored farm advisory support, olive producers adopt practices such as vegetation cover recovery, habitat creation and reduced chemical inputs.

The model generates both environmental and economic benefits by improving ecosystem health while enhancing the market value of olive oil through biodiversity-based branding. It has demonstrated measurable increases in species richness and ecosystem functions, and offers a highly replicable approach for sustainable agriculture across Mediterranean regions.

ISEA Scheme – Integrated System for Evaluation of MPA Management Effectiveness

The ISEA Scheme (Integrated System for Evaluation of Marine Protected Area Management Effectiveness) is a standardised framework developed to improve management effectiveness across Mediterranean Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). It responds to persistent challenges such as uneven management performance, limited technical capacity, fragmented governance arrangements, and the absence of a harmonised assessment system.

The scheme uses a structured set of indicators covering governance, planning, resource allocation, monitoring, enforcement, and stakeholder engagement. Through periodic self-assessment supported by external review, MPA managers identify strengths and weaknesses, define improvement priorities, and establish roadmaps for adaptive management.

By promoting comparability, accountability, and peer learning, the ISEA Scheme helps strengthen long-term MPA governance across the Mediterranean.