Events

The Biodiversity and Protected Areas Management Programme (BIOPAMA) aims to address threats to biodiversity in African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries, while reducing poverty in communities in and around protected areas.

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  • Promoting Local Solutions to GBF Target 3 – Exploring the impact of BIOPAMA funding on data collection, resilience and biodiversity conservation at SIDS4 on May 28, 2024 @8am(UTC-4)

    In over 12 years of implementation, the Biodiversity and Protected Areas Management (BIOPAMA) programme has assisted some 36 SIDS members of the Organisation of Africa, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS) to address their priorities for improved management and governance of biodiversity and natural resources, through a variety of tools, services and funding to conservation actors across Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific. The proposed side event will utilise presentations, panels, and conversations to showcase BIOPAMA’s achievements and demonstrate how local actions and partnerships are enhancing SIDS’ economic diversification, building resilience and disaster recovery, and propelling sustainable development. It will also explore the strategies and actions used to bridge data gaps and enhance technological and institutional capacities to empower evidence-based policymaking. Interventions will be made by the OACPS, EU, IUCN, European Commissions Joint Research Centre, OECS Commission, Pacific Ministers, and local BIOPAMA Grantees. Join us also for other two discussions on: -Enhancing Caribbean Development Using Data, Geospatial Information, and Environmental Monitoring: Building a Regional Environmental Information ecoSystem (REIS) -Srengthening the Resilience of SIDS through the BBNJ Agreement: Prioritising Capacity Building and Technology Transfer for Ocean Health

    2024

  • IMPAC 5, 3-9 February 2023, Vancouver, Canada

    Join us at the Fifth International Marine Protected Areas Congress (IMPAC 5), a global forum that brings together ocean conservation professionals and high-level officials to inform, inspire and act on marine protected areas. It takes place in Vancouver, Canada, from 3 to 9 February 2023. Publications launches:   Etat des Aires Marines Protégées d’Afrique de l’Ouest Register here to receive the publication! Conserving our sea of islands Download it here   Check our events at IMPAC5 All times below are in PST (Vancouver time) 4 FEBRUARY From Local To Global Data For Biodiversity Monitoring And Conservation: Marine Protected Areas Experiences In The BIOPAMA Programme, 16 -17:30; room 223 -224 From knowledge to action for marine protected areas, 17-19 (poster), Ballroom Foyer The State Of Protected And Conserved Areas In The Wider Caribbean (September 2019), 17 – 19 (poster), Ballroom Foyer 5 FEBRUARY From Knowledge To Action: A Case Study Of Protected Area Management Effectiveness In Belize, 11:30-13:00, room 205 Innovative governance: locally driven conservation ensures equity and effectiveness, 16 – 16:15, room 220 – 222 6 FEBRUARY Launch Of The Publication “State Of Marine Protected Areas Of West Africa”, 16-17:30; room 205 Conserving Our Sea Of Islands – Status Of And Opportunities For MPAs In The Pacific, 16 -17:30; room 202 BIOPAMA is sponsoring delegates from Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific, from a variety of stakeholders, organisations and target groups, including young professionals. Read more: Pacific youths geared up for IMPAC5, with BIOPAMA support List of IUCN-led events at IMPAC5 News from BIOPAMA at IMPAC5 – newsletter Get in touch with us at biopama@iucn.org.

    2023

  • CBD COP15 Side Event – Regional centres in support of the post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework in Africa, Caribbean, Europe and the Pacific for monitoring Targets 1,2 and 3

    This official side event at COP15 will showcase the role of regional observatories in Africa, Caribbean, Europe, and Pacific in support of the CBD Parties in the implementation of the Global Biodiversity Framework, serving as regional nodes for monitoring Target 3 (and 1 and 2). Speakers: Welcome: Trevor Sandwith (IUCN) Opening remarks: Carla Montesi (European Commission) Abhinav Prakash (CBD Secretariat) Panel discussion:  (25 min) Melesse Maryo (Ethiopia) Afele Faiilagi (Samoa) Aboubacar Samoura (Guinée) Hannah St Luce Martinez (Belize) Chouaibou Nchoutpouen (COMIFAC) Conclusions: Trevor Sandwith (IUCN) Objective: Showcase the role existing regional observatories in Africa, Caribbean, Europe, and Pacific play in support of the CBD Parties in the implementation of the Global Biodiversity Framework. Showcase the experience of long-established (EEA) and newly established regional centres (Africa, Pacific) serving as regional nodes for monitoring Target 3 (and 1 and 2). Demonstrate complementarity with other global reporting and monitoring tools, such as DART and with the Global Knowledge Centre for Biodiversity proposed by the UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC) and the European Commission and which will be discussed at this COP15 with the Parties. Expected output of this side event: Raise awareness about existing operational structures that can act as “regional cooperation support centres” in support of the implementation of the new targets adopted in the post 2020 Framework. Background/key messages about the EEA and BIOPAMA-established Regional Observatories: The Regional Observatories catalyse and facilitate technical cooperation and technology transfer. They facilitate liaison between Parties and stakeholders and they provide tailored support to Parties’ needs and requirements. The BIOPAMA regional observatories support collation of data on protected and conserved areas and biodiversity, which can make a direct contribution to the monitoring of the Global Biodiversity Framework. For Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific, these regional observatories are ideally placed to be advanced options for establishing the proposed “regional cooperation support centers”. Register here: https://www.cbd.int/side-events/4867    

    2022

  • Inaugural meeting of the BIOPAMA Latin America and Caribbean METT Support Network

    The Management Effectiveness Tracking Tool (METT) is used widely throughout the Latin America and Caribbean (LAC) region for assessing Protected Area Management Effectiveness (PAME); and representatives of protected area agencies from Antigua and Barbuda, Peru, Ecuador, Venezuela, Saint Lucia, Guyana, Belize, Jamaica, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines confirmed interest in connecting in order to share experiences and learn from each other. To that extent on April 20th 2022, the BIOPAMA Caribbean team organised an inaugural event to establish the LAC METT implementation support network aimed at supporting colleagues in biodiversity conservation in implementing and applying the METT Tool and recommendations from assessments. Forty-two (42) individuals from over thirty (30) government and non-governmental organisations attended the session. Hyacinth Armstrong Vaughn, Regional Coordinator for the BIOPAMA Caribbean programme at IUCN indicated that the initiative emerged from conversations around METT tool implementation and the METT exchange hosted by the National Service of Natural Areas Protected by the State (SERNANP) in January 2022. This meeting built on momentum from regional discussions on the post 2020 global biodiversity framework and negotiations of the 2030 targets as countries work towards improved management effectiveness. Jose Courrau, Thematic Expert at IUCN presented on the history of the METT Tool, explaining that based on the Global Database on Protected Area Management Effectiveness (GD-PAME) over 500 METT assessments have been conducted in the LAC region. Justin Springer, Technical Assistant at IUCN shared the Terms of Reference for the network stating that the network aims to provide a forum for METT users and practitioners to share experiences on the METT, provide access to technical support on METT implementation, and offer capacity development on best practices for successful METT implementation. Next steps include the establishment of a Facebook group that will facilitate peer-to-peer engagement and information sharing. The proposed group activities will include but are not limited to capacity building and training opportunities. Persons interested in joining the network that did not register for or participate in the information session can contact the BIOPAMA Programme personnel at Hyacinth.ARMSTRONGVAUGHN@iucn.org, Jose.COURRAU@iucn.org, and Justin.Springer@iucn.org for more details. Video Recording of Meeting:

  • Online event: Other Effective Area-Based Conservation Measures (OECM) in the Caribbean

    Full agenda 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 3_Biopama_OECM_Colombiancase 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

    2021

  • CAPLAC III Results and Leaders Dialogue

    Join conservation leaders from Latin America and the Caribbean as they look forward to the next 10 years of sustainability in the region. About this Event JOIN HERE on ZOOM Leadership Dialogue: Outputs of the III Latin American and Caribbean Protected Areas Congress Theme: Protected Areas for Well-being and Sustainable Development in 2030 This Leadership Dialogue, as part of Vital Sites 2021, will bring attention to the collaborative team work led by the WCPA’s Latin American and Caribbean region after the Third Latin American and Caribbean Protected Areas Congress in 2019. This initiative will recognise the voluntary work of many key stakeholders across the region, enabling and empowering their participatory vision, recommendations, and actions for the next 10 years in terms of improvements for welfare and sustainable development in Protected and Conserved Areas. Learn more: https://www.areasprotegidas-latinoamerica.org/ Diálogo de Líderes: Productos del III Congreso de Áreas Protegidas de Latinoamérica y el Caribe Tema: Áreas Protegidas para el Bienestar y el Desarrollo Sostenible en 2030 Este Diálogo de Líderes, como parte de Sitios Vitales 2021, llamará la atención sobre el trabajo en equipo colaborativo liderado por la región de América Latina y el Caribe de la Comisión Mundial de Áreas Protegidas después del III Congreso de Áreas Protegidas de América Latina y el Caribe en 2019. Esta iniciativa reconocerá el trabajo voluntario de muchos actores clave en la región, permitiendo y potenciando su visión participativa, recomendaciones y acciones para los próximos 10 años en términos de mejoras de Áreas Protegidas y Conservadas para el bienestar y el desarrollo sostenible. Para saber más: https://www.areasprotegidas-latinoamerica.org/

  • BIOPAMA Action component: information sessions for the Small Technical Grants for Assessments

    The BIOPAMA grant-making facility, the “Action Component” has launched a call for proposals for Small Technical Grants for Assessments. A series of information sessions are being held in December 2020 to inform stakeholders about the details of this call for proposals. Find on this page all the information of previous and upcoming information sessions! 17 December 2020, 12 PM AST Information session for Caribbean stakeholders in English Presentation: Technical and financial overview of the STGA call Presentation: Assessment tools for protected area management and governance 11 December 2020, 10 AM GMT Information session for African stakeholders in French: all details available here 9 December 2020 Information session for African stakeholders in English Presentation of Small Technical Grants for Assessments Presentation of assessment tools Video of the session (below)  

    2020

  • Introduction to OECMs

    UN Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC) and the Regional Centre for Mapping of Resources for Development (RCMRD), through the BIOPAMA Programme, hosted an online event designed to provide an overview of Other Effective Area-Based Conservation Measure (OECMs) – what they are, how to identify and recognise them, and how to report these important sites to the World Database on OECMs. The case studies focused on examples from Eastern and Southern Africa. This BIOPAMA webinar provided an overview of OECMs from Harry Jonas who is the co-chair of the IUCN’s specialist group on OECMs. He described what OECMs are, where the definition came from, and what they mean for conservation. We also heard from experts in Eswatini (Wisdom Dlamini from The University of Eswatini) and South Africa (Daniel Marnewick, from BirdLife South Africa) giving first-hand experience on how they undertook the process of identifying OECMs in their countries, and what lessons they learned during this process. 33 participants from multiple countries across Eastern and Southern Africa 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 Jessica.stewart@unep-wcmc.org Resources of the event: watch the recording short survey Presentations

  • Capacity development workshop for the Barbados Marine Reserve

    The Caribbean Protected Areas Gateway along with the National Conservation Commission (NCC) engaged in a series of capacity development workshops on Protected Area Management Effectiveness Assessment for the Barbados — alias Folkestone — Marine Reserve. The Barbados Marine Reserve (BMR) is a 2.2 km² protected area occupying one of the most impacted and intensely used stretches along the west coast of Barbados. It was designated in 1981 to maintain coastal and marine ecosystems in their natural state, provide an area where marine species could breed undisturbed, offer recreational areas for residents and tourists and provide a protected area where scientist and students could engage in research. The Reserve consists of four zones: Scientific Zone Designated for marine research: No motor power craft access unless permitted for research or enforcement, and then speeds are limited to 5 knots. Northern and Southern Designated Water Sports Zones for fast speed watercraft use: All motorised watercraft must operate at speeds less than 5 knots/no wake within 75m from shore, and speed boats can operate at higher speeds within 75 – 200m from shore. Jet skis must maintain speeds of less than 5 knots within 200m of shore and can operate at higher speeds beyond 200m from shore. Recreational Zone Designated for recreation, including swimming, snorkelling and fishing: There are no restrictions on watercraft entry, however, speed restrictions apply. The workshops, the first of its kind in Barbados, were intended to comprehensively review the operations, challenges and issues of the Barbados Marine Reserve (BMR) and to assess the current state of management at the BMR. Ultimately, the outputs of these activities are to improve the management of the reserve to provide a well-managed marine protected area with services for both locals and tourists alike to enjoy. Participants ranging from key government ministries, stakeholders of the Barbados Marine Reserve, educational institutions, and non-governmental organisations actively participated in the assessment of the management of the reserve. The process was led by the NCC, with the assessment itself being facilitated by the Caribbean Protected Areas Gateway, the regional resource hub for biodiversity and protected area data, information, tools and services, which is hosted by the UWI, through the Biodiversity and Protected Areas Management (BIOPAMA) programme. The effective management of the BMR is crucial to ensure that established purposes are met and ultimately that ecological, cultural, historical and economic values are preserved and sustained. Currently, the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Blue Economy (MMABE) manages the BMR, however, this was previous undertaken by the National Conservation Commission (NCC) through the Ministry of Environment and National Beautification (MENB) from 1981-2020. The protected area management effectiveness assessment workshops are extremely valuable as they aid in the identification of the extent to which it is protecting values and achieving its goals and objectives. This helps to detect crucial areas where attention is needed and allows for limited human and financial resources to be directed to key areas. The results and recommendations of the assessment will be utilised by the management agency to identify next steps …

  • Celebration of the Latin American and the Caribbean Protected Areas Day

    This October is celebrating the inaugural the Day of the Protected Areas of Latin America and the Caribbean, as we recognise the importance of protected areas for the well-being of people and sustainable development in the region. The Third Latin America and the Caribbean Protected Area Congress (CAPLAC III) was held between 14 and 17 October 2019 in Lima, Peru. Following up from the Lima Declaration, the week of 12-18 October 2020 was dedicated to celebrating protected areas and the role they play across the region. On this occasion, the BIOPAMA Caribbean has released this video message: One year ago, BIOPAMA participated in the Third Latin America and the Caribbean Protected Area Congress and brought the Caribbean perspectives in the discussions and decisions of the event. Learn more about our participation at CAPLAC III here.

  • The importance of sustainable financing and funding of protected areas

    In this rapidly changing world, protected area managers must act speedily towards generating new and creative ways of doing conservation and sustainable use of financial resources. However, how can protected areas utilize existing financial resources optimally, and where can their management tap into new sources of funding? A webinar hosted by the Caribbean Protected Areas Gateway of the Biodiversity and Protected Areas Management Programme (BIOPAMA) aimed to help protected area practitioners and environmental managers answer these questions. Under the 1993 Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), countries pledged to generate and allocate resources towards biodiversity conservation and protected areas (PAs). The CBD often shapes donor agendas and national biodiversity strategies and plans. Despite these pledges and plans, the majority of PAs are still facing enormous challenges, from the insufficiency of vital financial resources to new worldwide threats such as the novel Covid-19 pandemic. In this context, the Caribbean Protected Areas Gateway of the BIOPAMA Programme hosted on 25 May 2020 an online discussion on sustainable financing and resourcing of protected areas. The guest speaker, Mr. Guillermo Chan V, a sustainable finance expert, addressed three main topics: The value of protected areas, The importance of financial sustainability in protected areas. Funding protected areas during challenging times. Watch the online discussion Presentation takeaways: •    Protected areas (PAs) provide multiple benefits for local people, communities and the environment. In many Caribbean countries, PAs contributes significantly to national economies. •    Many governments have recognized the importance of preserving protected areas, especially as issues such as the Covid-19 pandemic expose the need for safe spaces amongst cities and countries around the globe. However, there is a need for a balance between the primary role of protected areas and the sustainable use of protected areas for tourism and recreational services. •    Now more than ever, as PAs experience the repercussions from the global pandemic, agencies and practitioners need to continuously search for stable financing mechanisms to minimize the impact of visitation declines, reduced revenue from tourism and possible cuts to park operational budgets. •    The impact of protected areas on local society and the economy has variable but growing recognition. Often PAs are considered burdens to the state budget and not as a generator of wealth. PAs are estimated to require USD $1.1-2.5 billion to meet basic needs. In order to gain the necessary capital for Protected Area financing, agencies need to work along with the private and public sectors, local communities, social groups, decision-makers and other key players. •    Tourism business expenditure plays a significant role in sustaining many protected areas. In 2019 the travel and tourism sector created 1 in 4 new jobs globally. It accounted for 10.3% of the global GDP, making the sector larger than agriculture. The economic contribution of wildlife tourism is equally impressive. In 2019, it contributed USD $400 billion and supported 22 million jobs across the world. •    The global pandemic has had immediate and may possibly have long-term effects on protected areas. The coronavirus resulted in the closure of parks and protected …

  • BIOPAMA facilitated a PAME Framework and Tools National Workshop

    The BIOPAMA programme continues to strengthen the capacity of protected area stakeholders across the Caribbean by creating tools to assess Protected Area Management Effectiveness (PAME). The programme has been working with the Department of Sustainable Development (DSD) in Saint Lucia to enhance the country’s management of its national protected area system through a series of workshops between 2019 – 2020. BIOPAMA facilitated a PAME Framework and Tools National Workshop in Saint Lucia from 9 – 12 April 2019. Twenty-five (25) persons from various government and nongovernmental organisations were  introduced to the PAME framework and assessment tools including the Management Effectiveness Tracking Tool (METT) and the Enhancing our Heritage (EoH) Toolkit. The overall objective was to expose persons to the various PAME tools available that can be considered for use in the development of a national tool and for conducting future site level assessments. Additionally Jose Courrau, Thematic expert at The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) reviewed the UNESCO World Heritage Site, Pitons Management Area (PMA) Management Plan (2003) and provided technical guidance to the PMA Office for the improvement of the management plan. After a series of in-country meetings coordinated by the DSD, a follow-up national workshop was held from 26 -29 November 2019, where nineteen (19) persons collaborated to develop the Saint Lucia PAME Tool. Through a participatory process participants merged elements of the Advanced Management Effectiveness Tracking Tool (METT) with the Enhancing our Heritage (EoH) Tool used for World Heritage Sites. Questions from both tools were compared, analysed and chosen based on the level of detail required and how effective they would be in capturing the required information during assessments. The tool design process is detailed in the video below. Saint Lucia PAME Tool Development process briefly explained: The third national workshop was facilitated from 24 -27 February 2020 to assess The North East Coast – Iyanola Region (NEC-IR). Collectively the BIOPAMA team used The Saint Lucia PAME Tool to conduct three (3) PAME Assessments for the following sites: The Pitons Management Area (PMA), UNESCO World Heritage Site; The Pointe Sable Environmental Protection Area (PSEPA); and The North East Coast – Iyanola Region (NEC-IR). The PAME Assessments highlighted the following: Protected Areas often have multiple agencies with different institutional mandates working in the same spaces; this creates challenges for coordinated management strategies. Therefore, a solid governance structure is important to define mandates and identify organisational roles. Staff enforcement powers are usually written in policy but are not actualised on the ground limiting effective enforcement of PA regulations; therefore, management agencies need to empower staff to execute enforcement duties. Management agencies often have limited resources to implement activities and must explore methods to mobilize resources and obtain sustainable finance. Protected Area agencies should incorporate the results of PAME assessments into their work plans using assessments to forecast budgets and as evidence for funding mechanisms. Developing a national tool was important for Saint Lucia as it allowed Protected Area agencies to cater specifically to stakeholder requirements and the …

  • Online training: the IUCN Green List of Protected and Conserved Areas

    The BIOPAMA Programme hosted a webinar on introducing the IUCN Green List of Protected and Conserved Areas, as a response to the high interest from stakeholders in Eastern and Southern Africa. The information provided is relevant globally. The IUCN Green List of Protected and Conserved Areas is the first global standard of best practice for area-based conservation. It is a programme of certification for protected and conserved areas – national parks, natural World Heritage sites, community conserved areas, nature reserves and so on – that are effectively managed and fairly governed. The Green List Standard describes successful site-based conservation through a number of criteria nestled within four major elements of success: good governance, sound design and planning, effective management, and conservation outcomes.

    2019

  • Third Latin American and the Caribbean Protected Area Congress

    Thirteen professionals voiced the Caribbean perspectives, knowledge and actions for a protected planet in the Caribbean, at the third Congress on Protected Areas for Latin America and the Caribbean (CAPLAC III), held in Lima, Peru, 14-17 October 2019. The BIOPAMA Programme is a joint undertaking between the IUCN and Joint Research Centre (JRC), currently working in Africa, the Caribbean (15 countries) and the Pacific – ACP regions. Thirteen Caribbean countries were represented at the Congress, with the support from the BIOPAMA programme. They participated in a variety of activities and engaged in debates showcasing the biodiversity and protected areas situation, challenges and solutions in the Caribbean. Watch the video: BIOPAMA’s participation at CAPLAC III In his opening remarks Sebastian Chaletus, representative of the European Union, stated the role of the BIOPAMA programme, which mobilizes 60 million euros across the ACP region, as a powerful tool helping standardize monitoring and quality management. “Today what makes the difference for biodiversity, climate change and gender is knowledge”, as Chaletus said. “Programmes like BIOPAMA which have a regional scope allow Caribbean countries to interact engage and learn from each other and add values to stakeholders”, highlighted Hyacinth Armstrong Vaughn, BIOPAMA regional coordinator for the Caribbean region, who moderated the panel discussion. The BIOPAMA programme focuses on biodiversity conservation and protected areas management through capacity building for regional and national institutions and improving access to and availability of relevant data. Tricia Greaux, Marine Management Area and Habitat Monitoring Officer, Department of Marine Resources, St Kitts and Nevis, highlighted the impact of the training BIOPAMA stating, “What was impactful for me was that in the training there was a balance between classroom interactions and field exercises”. Andrew Lockhart, Superintendent – Marine and Terrestrial Parks, National Parks, Rivers and Beaches Authority, St Vincent and the Grenadines, said that originally, biodiversity conservation was focused on white paper and paper parks but recently -since St Vincent is signatory to the CBD and the implementation of the Aichi targets- it has transitioned towards more sustainable development. Andrew said that working with BIOPAMA and conducting management effectiveness training has caused the department to assess how effective they are in meeting conservation objectives. He stated that the assessment has helped them to plan in a more streamlined manner especially regarding budgets. BIOPAMA has also contributed by providing the Caribbean Protected Areas Gateway (Caribbean Gateway), a free and open access data management tool, which serves to integrate a diverse range of relevant protected areas and biodiversity data and information across the region. It is an important virtual resource for facilitating and promoting viable decisions and policies by decision-makers and resource managers for more effective and sustainable management of protected areas and biodiversity.

  • Achieving fair and effective protected areas: international workshop

    A global workshop on how to enable and measure improved performance in protected areas, taking place in Gran Paradiso National Park, Cogne, Aosta, Italy, from 24 to 28 June 2019. The global workshop on how to enable and measure improved performance in protected and conserved areas is generously supported by the EU-ACP funded BIOPAMA Programme and it will be convened by IUCN with technical support from IUCN and the Joint Research Centre JRC. Participants will develop guidance and recommended actions to support fairer and more effective protected and conserved areas. Workshop objectives, themes and expected outputs: The goal of the workshop is: to provide guidance on how to help measure and enhance the performance of protected and conserved area sites and systems through the available standards, evaluation methodologies, and assessment toolkits. Specific objectives: Standards and principles: to understand success in protected and conserved areas and to discuss a common approach and principles for assessments relating to: Good Governance Design, priority-setting and planning for key values Management Effectiveness Successful Conservation Outcomes Practice: to develop recommendations for structuring, collecting and maintaining the data from specific protected and conserved area assessment toolkits, and from other relevant sources Management Effectiveness Assessment Governance Assessment. Monitoring and metrics: to recommend how to incentivize and improve monitoring of status, trends and conservation outcomes in protected and conserved areas and to discuss how to present and track their status for effective decision-making at protected area level and for upscaling to higher levels (e.g. national, regional, global). Data management: to better be able to promote reference information systems and improved data management and integration to aid adaptive decision-making. Incentives: how to motivate uptake of standards and assessment methodologies, and use the results to secure political will and unlock transformational change. All the workshop resources will be available on this page. Workshop materials: Workshop report (with “The View from Gran Paradiso” annexed) The View from Gran Paradiso Concept and agenda of the workshop Logistics note for the participants NEWS article: Global experts set the path for fair and effective protected areas in Gran Paradiso PHOTO ALBUM Day 1, 24 June 2019: Achieving Fair and Effective Protected Areas – introduction by Grand Paradis Foundation The Gran Paradiso National Park – a brief overview Keynote address by the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission Keynote address by IUCN Keynote address: the contribution of BIOPAMA to regional and global biodiversity and protected area targets PANORAMA introduction Day 2, 25 June 2019 The IUCN Green List IMET: overview and case study Case Study from Jordan: Ajloun Forest Reserve Governance and equity assessment in the context of Protected and Conserved Areas Protected areas governance assessment experience in Colombia: Key learnings from a territory approach Principles and best practices in PAME assessments Conditions for protected area effectiveness Day 3, 26 June 2019 Draft IUCN Congress resolution Day 4, 27 June 2019 L’Observatoire des Forêts d’Afrique Centrale BIOPAMA data management Protected areas framework analysis: IMET Day 5, 18 June 2019 The BIOPAMA action component Results: governance and equity …

  • Regional training for the Caribbean CREWs

    Twenty-six representatives from government and non-governmental agencies in the Caribbean have become CREW (Credible, Reliable, Energetic and Willing) supporters of the Caribbean Gateway, the regional observatory for the BIOPAMA Programme in the Caribbean.The CREWs, drawn from 14 of the 15 ACP group of countries in the Caribbean, participated in a regional training workshop between May 20 and 23, 2019 hosted at CERMES at The UWI Cave Hill Campus in Barbados. Natural resource managers across the Caribbean have been brought together to collectively improve how data on protected areas in their territories is validated, monitored, and used by policy makers regionally and internationally to make decisions about managing their natural resources. Twenty-six representatives from government agencies and non-governmental organisations in the Caribbean have become CREW (Credible, Reliable, Energetic and Willing) supporters of the Caribbean Protected Areas Gateway (the Caribbean Gateway), the regional observatory for biodiversity and conservation management for the Biodiversity and Protected Areas Management (BIOPAMA) Programme in the Caribbean. The BIOPAMA Programme aims to improve the long-term conservation and sustainable use of natural resources in the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) group of countries, in protected areas and surrounding communities. It is an initiative of the ACP Group of States financed by the European Union’s 11th European Development Fund, jointly implemented in the Caribbean by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission (JRC) and The University of the West Indies (UWI). The CREWs drawn from 14 of the 15 ACP countries in the Caribbean participated in a regional training workshop between May 20 and 23, 2019, hosted at the Centre for Resource Management and Environmental Studies (CERMES) in The UWI Cave Hill Campus in Barbados, which houses the Caribbean Gateway. The workshop facilitated a detailed review and update to the design and functionality of the Caribbean Gateway and improved the understanding by participants of the World Database on Protected Areas (WDPA) data management process. The WDPA is the most comprehensive global database of marine and terrestrial protected areas (PAs) and provides the information that the Caribbean Gateway draws on to populate its datasets on PAs in the region. Participants got an opportunity to review and validate the information held in this public database about their countries in the presence of a team from the United Nations Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC), which compiles and manages the data that is in the WDPA. UNEP-WCMC has partnered with the BIOPAMA Programme through its regional observatories to work with countries to improve the quality of the PA information represented in the WDPA. The establishment of the CREWs in-country teams is part of the strategy being implemented by the Caribbean Gateway to engage countries and facilitate the uptake, sharing and usage of this data and information. This is in keeping with the mission of the Caribbean Gateway to be a resource hub for facilitating and promoting viable decision and policymaking for the effective and sustainable management of protected areas and biodiversity.

  • Regional workshop on protected area management effectiveness (PAME)

    As a result of the highly engaged regional workshop on protected area management effectiveness (PAME) held in Saint Lucia in June 2018, the Biodiversity and Protected Areas Management (BIOPAMA) Programme facilitated follow-up workshops on the topic in Antigua and Barbuda and St. Vincent and the Grenadines in November 2018. From November 6 to 9, BIOPAMA Caribbean Coordinator Hyacinth Armstrong-Vaughn and Jose Courrau, Senior Protected Areas Officer of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) regional office in Costa Rica, facilitated a national workshop in Antigua and Barbuda. The participants reviewed the PAME framework and tools they could use to more effectively manage their protected areas (PAs). Management effectiveness assessments were also conducted for two sites and technical guidance was provided in the development of a draft management plan for a proposed protected area. The technical support was well received and will help guide a more coordinated effort for PA management in the country. The two, accompanied by Julian Walcott, Technical Officer with responsibility for the Caribbean Protected Areas Gateway, then visited St. Vincent and the Grenadines between November 19 and 23 to facilitate PAME training of the PA professionals within responsible management agencies, including the National Parks, Rivers and Beaches Authority, Forestry Services, Fisheries Division, and non-governmental organisations. An in-depth introduction to the PAME framework and associated tools was provided, in particular on the Enhancing Our Heritage Toolkit and Management Effectiveness Tracking Tool (METT). The Caribbean Gateway goals and aims were also introduced, including the need for national engagement via CREWs (Credible Reliable Energetic Willing persons) and an appeal for additional participation in the CREWs was made to those present. This workshop was very important for the development of an effective PA performance management and evaluation system for the country.

    2018

  • BIOPAMA II Regional inception workshop for the Caribbean

    The BIOPAMA Caribbean regional inception workshop took place in New Kingston, Jamaica, on 6-7 March 2018. The workshop’s documents and report are now available on this page. Workshop resources: Workshop report Pictures album Workshop agenda (English) Workshop agenda (Spanish) Workshop agenda (French) BIOPAMA Caribbean info fiche (English) BIOPAMA Caribbean info fiche (Spanish) Presentations Day 1, 6 March 2018 BIOPAMA Programme Overview BIOPAMA Action Component Introduction to Protected Area Management Effectiveness The IUCN Green List Communications and visibility Presentations Day 2, 7 March 2018 The World Database on Protected Areas – Protected Planet (EN) The World Database on Protected Areas – Protected Planet (ES) The World Database on Protected Areas – Protected Planet (FR) The Caribbean Reference Information System The Caribbean Protected Areas Gateway SocMon Overview GCRMN Overview CaMPAM Database CaribNode EBM-DSS The Atlas of Living Caribbean PANORAMA – Solutions for a Healthy Planet Linkages with International and Regional Policies Processes The State of Protected Areas Report

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