18 MAY 2021
This BIOPAMA webinar provided an overview of OECMs from Harry Jonas who is the co-chair of the IUCN WCPA specialist group on OECMs. He described what OECMs are, where the definition came from, and what they mean for conservation. Then the international expert Imen Meliane, who is the IUCN WCPA Vice Chair for North Africa, Middle East and West Asia, presented on the marine aspects of OECMs and gave us an overview on progress in identifying marine OECMs. We also heard from Colombian expert Clara L. Matallana Tobón, who is a member of the IUCN WCPA specialist group on OECMs, giving first-hand experience on how Colombia undertook the process of identifying OECMs in the country, and what were the lessons learned during this process. 55 participants from multiple countries across the Caribbean, North, Central and South America and Europe attended this session. Through the BIOPAMA programme, UN Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC) will be hosting a follow up online workshop in 2021, to help other interested countries identify and report OECMs.
Please do reach out to UNEP-WCMC if you are interested at cristina.lazaro@unep-wcmc.org
Link to the recording: https://zoom.us/rec/play/xgZA5M18yVOL0YRj3pqfJcV950_oVE52TCdUG2dQf5e6CL7smYSsVErejUBBxu-NfCCMWGO5feoXJ3rg.o7P1n4fHcJC2lhy7
Link to the short survey: https://forms.office.com/r/94mTgRZKjw
Presentations: you can download 2 of the 3 presentations here:
1_OECMs Presentation – Caribbean BIOPAMA – May 2021
Suggested useful resources:
- IUCN WCPA OECM Task Force webpage: https://www.iucn.org/commissions/world-commission-protected-areas/our-work/oecms
- The World Database on OECMs managed by UNEP-WCMC: https://www.protectedplanet.net/en/thematic-areas/oecms?tab=OECMs
