Global Park Solutions Projects
International Work
North American Marine Protected Areas Network (NAMPAN) Strategic Planning
The marine protected areas network between Mexico, Canada and the United States, NAMPAN, has engaged Global Park Solutions to facilitate the development of a new 5-year strategic plan. This project brings together Mexico’s Comisión Nacional de Áreas Naturales Protegidas (CONANP), Parks Canada and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), responsible for managing the USA’s National Marine Sanctuaries.
Guidelines and Best Practices for Marine Protected Area Manager Networks
Global Park Solutions developed Guidelines and Best Practices for Marine Protected Area Manager Networks on behalf of MedPAN - the Mediterranean Marine protected Areas Network, the MAVA Foundation, Interreg Euro-MED Programme and Fonds français pour l'environnement mondial (FFEM) in collaboration with the EU Ocean Governance Project. The Guidelines were developed for all MPA manager networks globally.
MPA manager networks generally follow the geographic boundaries of ecological marine protected area networks that provide a common set of biogeographical and ecological characteristics and anthropogenic threats that provide a basis for collaboration among managers, and other stakeholders. MPA manager networks exist at regional and subregional, and national scale, often collaborating amongst themselves to share information and expertise and best practices in network management.
These guidelines include recommendations that seek to help MPA networks during their different stages of development (emerging, growing, and maturing) fine-tune their strategies and best serve the needs of their members.
Download the Guidelines Here.
Capacity Building Workshops to Achieve the 30x30 Biodiversity Target for Marine Protected and Conserved Areas in Southeast Asia
The European Union Ocean Governance Project organizes and facilitates capacity building workshops in Southeast Asian nations to help in achieving Target 3 of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. The main audience of the workshops are mid-level policy staff of ministries of environment, fisheries and oceans. The workshops raise awareness on innovative approaches to develop new marine protected and conserved areas with a focus on the recognition of Other Effective Conservation Measures (OECMs) and Indigenous and Community Conserved Areas (ICCAs).
The workshops, conducted in partnership with the ASEAN Center for Biodiversity and the The Coral Triangle Initiative on Coral Reefs, Fisheries, and Food Security have thus far been held in Puerto Princesa, Philippines and Manado, Indonesia.
Evaluation Framework for Marine Protected Area Manager Networks
Several MPA manager networks exist at regional, sub-regional or national levels (e.g. MedPAN, RAMPAO, French Forum of MPAs, AdriaPAN) in different parts of the world. These networks have also forged connections with one another and work in collaboration at regional or global scale. MPA manager networks provide an organisational structure for the delivery of capacity building, training and policy support, not only for MPA managers, but also for governments, sub-national authorities, civil society organisations (NGOs, CBOs), academic institutions, private sector businesses including tourism, small-scale fishermen etc.
This framework was developed to evaluate the effectiveness of MPA manager networks. The work carried out was based on an analysis of several MPA manager networks across several regions/seas of the world. This project was funded by the European Union Ocean Governance Project.
Download the framework here.
Protected Area Business Planning in Southeast Asia
Effective and efficient funding of protected areas can be a major barrier to the achievement of global biodiversity targets. The Biodiversity Conservation and Management of Protected Areas in ASEAN (BCAMP) Project of the ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity, with the support of the European Union, has been working in ASEAN countries on supporting biodiversity conservation through strengthening national capacity building and defined ASEAN Heritage Site Management. One of the outputs of the project is to support selected Protected Areas in Laos PDR (Nam Poui National Protected Area and Phou Xieng Thong National Protected Area), Thailand (Tarutao National Marine Park), Philippines (Mt. Iglit- Baco National Park and Pasonanca Natural Park) and Malaysia (Endau Rompin Johor National Park) in the formulation of their protected area business plans. Global Park Solutions has been contracted to facilitate capacity building activities with site managers and assist them in developing business plans.
Post 2020 Roadmap for Marine Protected Areas in the Mediterranean
Every 4 years, governments and NGOs in the Mediterranean develop and commit to a roadmap for the expansion and effective management of marine protected areas. The process starts with stakeholder consultation, then organizing the Mediterranean MPA Forum, then an additional face-to-face forum in Monaco where the Roadmap will be finalized. The partners in this project are the Regional Activity Center for Specially Protected Areas in the Mediterranean (RAC-SPA) established under the Barcelona Convention, WWF Mediterranean and the Mediterranean Protected Areas Network (MedPAN).
Global Park Solutions worked with all of the partner organizations to develop and manage a process of stakeholder engagement with the 22 Mediterranean countries that border the Mediterranean Sea to develop a robust and actionable Post-2020 Mediterranean MPA Roadmap aligned with the Convention on Biological Diversity Global Biodiversity Framework, regional seas conventions and national laws and policies.
Download the Roadmap here.
Business Planning for the Mediterranean Protected Areas Network
Sustainable finance is a significant issue for all protected area NGOs. In the Mediterranean, MedPAN, the Mediterranean Marine Protected Areas Network actively contributes to the achievement of a representative, connected, integrated and effectively managed system of Mediterranean MPAs. The project is to develop a business plan for MedPAN and to advise on funding options for the future.
Center for Large Landscape Conservation Strategic Planning
The Center for Large Landscape Conservation is the hub of a growing global movement to reverse the fragmentation of the earth’s landscapes and restore nature’s resilience to climate change. Global Park Solutions is assisting the Center in Strategic Planning and program planning.
Transatlantic Marine Protected Area Financing
Networks of marine protected area managers across the Atlantic perform an invaluable function to share information on best practices in marine conservation. build capacity among managers and their partners and to report on progress towards the achievement of global marine protected area goals and targets on coverage and effectiveness. This client for this project was the French Biodiversity Agency and the goal was to assess potential funding mechanisms to link networks of marine protected area managers in the Mediterranean, West Africa, North American and South America.
IUCN World Heritage Outlook Conservation Assessments
The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) is the official advisory body on nature under the UNESCO Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage (World Heritage Convention). Global Park Solutions conducted and updated conservation assessments that will be incorporated into the latest IUCN World Heritage Outlook publication and online resource.
Dubai Sustainable Development Policy for Protected Areas Network
To meet the requirements of international global conservation goals, massive development growth must be reconciled with strong protection measures. The Dubai Municipality was the client for this work that resulted in a proposed Sustainable Development Policy for the Protected Areas Network. Charles Besancon and Dr. Stephen McCool comprised the team that led this work.
UNESCO World Heritage Evaluation for Chiribiquete National Park in Colombia
National parks nominated to join the list of World Heritage Sites must meet strict biodiversity and management criteria. This evaluation and mission to Chiribiquete, one of the most undiscovered places in the world, was commissioned by IUCN. The park was added to the World Heritage list at the 2018 Committee Meeting in Manama, Bahrain
Management Plan Training in the Seychelles
National park managers from government and NGOs all gathered in Victoria, Seychelles in May 2017 to participate in training sessions over 5 days led by Charles Besancon. The work was done on behalf of the United Nations Development Programme.