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

  • 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

  • National training on the use of the PIPAP, Pacific Islands Protected Area Portal

    Solomon Islands is a stronghold of biodiversity in the Pacific islands region and there are many sites throughout the country that have high conservation value owing to their role as key habitats for vulnerable and endemic species. Solomon Islands is part of the East Melanesian Islands biodiversity hotspot, a bioregion in Melanesia notable for its unique flora and fauna and species richness.  The sustainable use of biodiversity and improving protected area management are key priorities for the government of Solomon Islands. A virtually-delivered national training for protected area stakeholders was successfully completed for the Solomon Islands in October 2020. The training was co-organised and implemented by the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) and the Solomon Islands’ Ministry of Environment, Climate Change, Disaster Management and Meteorology (MECDM). The training provided participants with the basic competences and knowledge to navigate and use the tools and features of the Pacific Islands Protected Area Portal (PIPAP). The participants gained practical skills in utilising free, open-source GIS software to improve mapping of protected and conserved areas. “The training will assist us to make better use of the PIPAP – the information and resource platform and tool for Pacific protected areas and conservation areas. Furthermore, the skills acquired will enable improved mapping of the boundaries and other important features of our protected and conserved areas, which would inform better planning and management of these areas in the long term” Said Ms. Agnetha Vave-Karamui, Chief Conservation Officer, Environment and Conservation Division, MECDM. “One gap we realised during the training was the need to conduct a thorough review of our protected area data available at the global level through the World Database on Protected Areas. As the next step from this training, we welcome further assistance from SPREP through the BIOPAMA programme to undertake and complete this timely review. It is quite important that this information accurately reflects the efforts of our communities, partners and Government in resource management and conservation.” A real-time demonstration of the tools and features of the PIPAP was complemented by hands-on exercises where participants learned how to access and view their country data, conduct basic and advanced searches for information, create and submit initial boundaries and supporting descriptive information for proposed protected and conserved areas and how to locate tools and technical guidance on different aspects of protected and conserved area management available through the portal. The session’s main goal was to promote the PIPAP and encourage the interest of participants in using the portal as a preferred information source to assist various facets of their daily work. The GIS component of the training covered the basic concepts and best practice of GIS and provided participants’ with practical skills in the use of the QGIS software, capturing spatial data out in the field using handheld global positioning system (GPS) units and importing field data back into QGIS to produce basic site maps with a title, scale, descriptive labels and clear boundaries. Furthermore, participants were introduced to the OpenStreetMap project. This …

  • National training on the use of the PIPAP, Pacific Islands Protected Area Portal

    Protected area practitioners and stakeholders of the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) are now equipped with the skills to produce basic maps of protected and conserved areas following an online, virtually delivered training on the upgraded tools and features of the Pacific Islands Protected Area Portal (PIPAP) and the application of related geographic information systems (GIS). The virtual training utilised free, open-source GIS software and involved hands-on capture of spatial data in the field. The training was co-organised by the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) and the Climate Change Directorate of the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI-CCD) to build and refresh basic GIS capacity of participants. The training engaged a wide range of stakeholders across different agencies including the Marshall Islands Environmental Protection Authority, Ministry of Natural Resources and Commerce (NRC), Marshall Islands Conservation Society, Marshall Islands Marine Resources Authority and the Marshall Islands Ridge to Reef Project, among others. “The training has been very productive, especially for the various stakeholders who have been able to participate this week.  This training addresses a key priority of our stakeholders, and we are very thankful to SPREP and the BIOPAMA Programme for the timely assistance provided,” said Deputy Director of the RMI Climate Change Directorate, Mr. Warwick Harris. “The skills gained through this training will enable our stakeholders to make full use of the Pacific Islands Protected Area Portal to fulfil specific informational tasks and will assist with planned initiatives for mapping and ground-truthing of boundaries for our conservation areas.” During the training, practical demonstrations of the upgraded tools and features of the portal, followed by hands-on exercises increased the interest of participants in using the portal as a preferred information source for assisting various aspects of their daily work. Participants learnt how to access and view their country data, conduct basic and advanced searches for information resources, create and submit information and basic boundaries for proposed protected and conserved areas and to locate technical guidance and tools on different aspects of protected and conserved area management available through the portal. The GIS component of the training covered the basic concepts and best practice of GIS and provided hands-on, practical skills in the use of the software, capturing spatial data out in the field using handheld global positioning system (GPS) units and utilising this field data to produce basic site maps with boundaries. Participants were introduced to the OpenStreetMap project. This free and open-source spatial data is now available to Pacific users on the Pacific Environment Portal. ‘’The virtual training went very well this week and I am happy that internet connectivity worked in our favour. Despite the current restrictions with COVID19, we have been able to address this priority capacity need for the Marshall Islands. We’ll also be providing follow up technical support to the RMI-CCD and stakeholders as required in the coming months,” said Mr Vainuupo Jungblut Protected Areas Officer, SPREP. “Follow up assistance on the use of the PIPAP will also be provided with the overall goal …

  • National training on the use of the PIPAP, Pacific Islands Protected Area Portal

    Environment officers in Vanuatu now have the skills to produce basic maps of protected and conserved areas of Vanuatu following training on the upgraded tools and features of the Pacific Islands Protected Area Portal (PIPAP) as well as geographic information systems (GIS). The training utilised free, open-source GIS software and capturing of spatial data out in the field. It was co-organised by the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) and the Department of Environmental Protection and Conservation (DEPC) of the Vanuatu Ministry of Climate Change Adaptation, Meteorology, Geo-Hazards, Environment, Energy and Disaster Management to build GIS capacity within the DEPC. “The training has been very productive, especially for our new officers, many of which have never been exposed to GIS before.  This training addresses a key need and priority for our Department, and we are very thankful to SPREP and the EU-ACP BIOPAMA Programme for the great assistance provided,” said Ms. Rolenas Baereleo, Senior Conservation Officer, Vanuatu DEPC. “The skills gained through this training will enable our officers to make full use of the Pacific protected area portal regarding specific informational tasks and will assist with upcoming initiatives for mapping and ground truthing of boundaries for our conservation areas.” During the training, practical demonstrations of the upgraded tools and features of the Pacific Islands Protected Area Portal (PIPAP), followed by hands-on exercises increased the interest of participants in using the portal as a preferred information source for assisting various aspects of their daily work. Participants learnt how to access and view their country data, conduct both basic and advanced searches for information resources, create and submit information and rudimentary boundaries for proposed protected and conserved areas and to locate technical guidance on different aspects of protected and conserved area management available through the portal. The GIS component of the training covered the basic concepts and best practice of GIS and provided hands-on, practical skills in the use of the software, capturing spatial data out in the field using handheld global positioning system (GPS) units and utilising this field data to produce basic site maps with boundaries. ‘’I am delighted that through this training, we have been able to address this priority capacity need for the Vanuatu Environment Department.   We’ll also provide follow up technical support to the DEPC as needed to enhance understanding of the theoretical aspects and practice of GIS, including the use of more advanced functions of the software,” said Mr Vainuupo Jungblut Protected Areas Officer, SPREP. “Follow up assistance on the use of the PIPAP will also be provided with the overall goal of supporting protected and conserved areas planning, management and governance across the region.” The training served as a refresher for environment officers who participated in an earlier SPREP-facilitated GIS training in 2017 and a first time for new officers who participated, including those from the Vanuatu Ministry of Lands. The PIPAP and GIS training for Vanuatu, held from 26-28 February was funded through the BIOPAMA programme, an initiative of the African, Caribbean …

  • National training on the use of the PIPAP, Pacific Islands Protected Area Portal

    The Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) and the Samoa Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MNRE) completed a national training for Samoa’s government officers across environment and fisheries sectors. The training was organized in the frame of the BIOPAMA regional resource and data hub for the Pacific, fulfilling its role to deliver capacity building training in the use of BIOPAMA tools and services for improved protected and conserved areas management and governance. The objective of the training was twofold – to train targeted personnel in the use of upgraded tools and features of the Pacific Islands Protected Area Portal (PIPAP) and to train personnel in geographic information systems (GIS) utilising free, open-source GIS software and recording spatial data in the field to produce basic maps of protected and conserved areas. The training served as a refresher for others who participated in an earlier SPREP-facilitated GIS training in 2017 and a first time for new government staff who participated. The training was held in conjunction with the second meeting of the Samoa Protected Area Advisory Committee (PAAC), a multi-stakeholder committee comprising both government and NGO representatives charged with ensuring that Samoa’s protected area targets and priorities are met through a coordinated and inclusive manner, among others. One of the items on the agenda for the PAAC meeting was Samoa’s contribution to the development and finalisation of the protected area goal and target of the Post 2020 biodiversity framework. ‘’It is with great pleasure that I speak on behalf of the government of Samoa to acknowledge the great support and assistance from the EU-ACP Biodiversity and Protected Area Management Programme (BIOPAMA) through the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP). Today, we will be conducting two correlated programs that are both significant to improving protected area management and sustainable development in Samoa’’ mentioned the Chief Executive Officer of the MNRE, Mr. Ulu Bismarck Crawley in his opening remarks. ‘’This week, MNRE and SPREP are happy to host this second meeting of the Protected Area Advisory Committee and the PIPAP-GIS training for technical and field staff from our ministry and key stakeholders who are important to the field data collection effort and for working closely with our local communities.’’ A live demonstration of the tools and features of the Pacific Islands Protected Area Portal (PIPAP), followed by practical exercises stimulated the interest of participants in using the portal as a preferred information source for assisting various aspects of their daily work. The GIS component of the training covered the fundamentals and best practice of GIS and provided hands-on, practical skills in capturing data out in the field using handheld global positioning system (GPS) units and uploading this data to software to produce site maps. ‘’We are pleased to be able to provide this technical training on the PIPAP and GIS for the government of Samoa, the PIPAP exists to assist Pacific island countries in various ways, the main goal of which is to improve outcomes of work on protected and …

  • 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

  • SMART field training in the proposed Torricelli Mountains Range Conservation Area

    Collaboration with the Papua New Guinea Spatial Monitoring and Reporting Tool (SMART) recently kicked-off with two-weeks of field training in the proposed Torricelli Mountains Range Conservation Area. This area is home to the Critically Endangered Tenkile and Weimang Tree Kangaroos, as well as 40% of Papua New Guinea (PNG)’s mammal species and over 50% of its avifauna. The Tenkile Conservation Alliance (TCA) has been supporting Indigenous landowners for nearly 20 years to conserve these extraordinary species and enhance livelihoods. The organisation works with 50 villages and employs a considerable number of local people. “Our goal is to empower landholders to manage their own lands and resources, and we pride ourselves on integrating conservation, community and culture. The people of Torricelli are at the forefront of conservation in PNG, committing to conserve these species for future generations,” said Jean Thomas from TCA. The Government is expected to gazette this area in the coming months. The training was led by Paul van Nimwegen, BIOPAMA coordinator for the Pacific. “BIOPAMA is supporting partners in the region through providing training on a range of protected area practices that improve management effectiveness. One of these is the Spatial Monitoring and Reporting Tool or SMART. This system assists conservation areas to easily collect, store and retrieve field data, which then can be used to support evidence based decision-making,” Mr van Nimwegen noted. Nicholas Wari from the Tree Kangaroo Conservation Program (TKCP) PNG was also present, sharing his experiences and knowledge of using the tool in the YUS Conservation Area. “It has been really helpful for empowering communities of YUS to monitor biodiversity and highlight compliance issues’, said Mr Wari. As a result of the training, thirty-five TCA staff learnt how to collect field observations with GPS enabled devices, upload data and use SMART to support adaptive management. Mr van Nimwegen emphasised, “we focused on creating a practical and participatory learning environment, which involved going on practice patrols”. The participants also worked together to adapt the SMART system to the local context, ensuring its application to local communities (including translating it into Tok Pisin). “I can foresee that this tool will not only help communities to monitor biodiversity but will also improve TCA’s institutional reporting and accountability”, Jean Thomas continued. The field staff will soon return to their villages and commence collecting field data. As Nelson Taingol from Wilbeite Village noted, “we will give it a try, and then we will become SMART”. Feedback from the participants at the training: The SMART-PNG Collaboration is an initiative of the PNG Conservation and Environmental Protection Agency, TCA, TKCP-PNG, BIOPAMA, UNDP and BirdLife International, which aims to strengthen management effectiveness and governance of conservation and forest areas through adopting the SMART system across the country. This collaboration is funded by GEF, European Union and the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) Group of States.

  • 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 …

  • Niue technical workshop on protected areas

    Niue ratified the Convention on Biological Diversity in 1996 signalling its commitment to conserve and sustainably use its biodiversity. The necessity to conserve biodiversity is a genuine obligation shared by all Niueans, reflected in the establishment of the Huvalu Forest Conservation Area, which protects the largest area of remaining primary forest in Niue, covering 23% of the island’s area, and is an important bird area (IBA).  Niue is also working to declare 40 percent of its Exclusive Economic Zone as a marine sanctuary by 2020. The Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP), as part of the EU ACP Biodiversity and Protected Areas Management Programme (BIOPAMA), was pleased to assist Niue, convening a technical workshop on protected areas this month. The assistance from BIOPAMA is part of its support for Pacific regional activities to improve the long-term conservation and sustainable use of natural resources in African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries in protected areas and surrounding communities. The technical workshop engaged key stakeholders from across the government and communities, including Niue Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF), Niue Ocean Wide (NOW) project, Niue Ridge to Reef (2R2) project, Niue Crown Law, Niue Justice, Lands and Survey Department, landowners. The workshop provided them with the opportunity to take stock of Niue’s protected areas and the need to update the data for these areas. Stakeholders were also able to share experiences and explore opportunities for moving protected areas management forward within their country.   Commenting on the workshop, Mr. Haden Talagi, Director, Department of Environment for Niue noted that “The workshop today represents the start of greater coordination at the national level on our protected area commitments and priorities. It has taken some time to coordinate ourselves in-country to identify our gaps so that we can enhance the important role protected areas have with our communities.” “Specifically, increasing understanding of stakeholders of the value of having good data to support informed decision making. To this end, I would like to thank SPREP and the EU ACP BIOPAMA programme for this timely assistance provided to Niue. The Department of Environment on behalf of the Government of Niue is keen to progress the work undertaken and would like to also extend our appreciation to the different Village Councils, NGOs and Government Agencies involved in this initiative.” . The Pacific Islands Protected Area Portal (PIPAP), a ‘one stop online portal’ for all Pacific protected areas information, was also a key feature of the workshop.  A quick review of the current data on Niue’s protected areas was carried out during the workshop, which also included basic training on the features and use of the portal. Participants were taught how to visualise country protected areas and search for information resources and guidance on different aspects of protected area management.  The next step will be to prepare and upload this verified data to the PIPAP and the World Database on Protected Areas (WDPA). “Having accurate protected areas data for Niue is important and will assist the …

  • National workshop on protected area management tools

    Palau, 23 February, 2018 – Palau has been a regional leader in the Pacific through its investment in its rich biodiversity by establishing the Palau Protected Areas Network (PAN) in 2003 and creating the world’s first shark sanctuary in 2009, banning all commercial shark fishing in its waters. These milestones together with related initiatives such as the Palau Green Fee and the Palau Pledge have further strengthened the country’s environmental commitments.  Palau’s initiatives are aligned with the Micronesia Challenge, a commitment to conserve at least 30% of the near-shore marine resources and 20% of the terrestrial resources across Micronesia. In the frame of the BIOPAMA programme, the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP), was pleased to provide support to Palau by convening a technical workshop on protected areas management on 20 February 2019. The support from BIOPAMA is part of its Pacific regional activities, with the aim to improve the long-term conservation and sustainable use of natural resources in African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries in protected areas and surrounding communities. The technical workshop brought together key stakeholders: state-based protected area managers, the Palau Conservation Society, Palau PAN Office, The Nature Conservancy Palau and Palau National Marine Sanctuary and enabled them to share and discuss common protected area issues and challenges faced at the national level. “The workshop today was a great opportunity to bring key national players together and heralds the beginning of closer collaboration and commitment to continuously review and validate our data in support of reporting on our protected area related national, regional and international commitments,” said Ms. Joyce K Beouch of the Palau PAN Office. “Thank you again to SPREP and BIOPAMA for the assistance to move this important undertaking forward.”   The Pacific Islands Protected Area Portal (PIPAP), a ‘one stop online portal’ for all Pacific protected areas information, was also a key feature of the workshop which involved basic training on its features and use. Furthermore, a review of the current data on protected areas in Palau was carried out during the workshop. The next step will be to upload this verified data to the PIPAP and the World Database on Protected Areas (WDPA). The workshop also brought together the BIOPAMA Programme and the Inform project in Palau, which have complementary objectives on information and data backup and management to strengthen successful outcomes for both nature conservation and State of the Environment reporting in Palau. “We are pleased to be able to combine our key information and data projects in our work with our Member countries to help them in their conservation endeavours for which information and data plays a key role,” said Ms Amanda Wheatley, Biodiversity Adviser at SPREP. “While this training was catalysed by the regional inception meeting of the BIOPAMA programme that was held in June last year in which we were requested to expand our country visits to include support provided for protected area information improvement, it also enabled us to link this and our PIPAP work with …

  • Protected Area Working Group (PAWG) of the Pacific Island Roundtable for Nature Conservation (PIRT)

    IUCN Oceania Regional Office (ORO) and the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) have convened the latest gathering of the Protected Area Working Group (PAWG) of the Pacific Island Roundtable for Nature Conservation (PIRT) in Suva, Fiji on 16 October. This group encourages collaboration and coordination on protected area issues across the region. Members are made-up of NGOs, academics, donors and government representatives. In welcoming the participants, Andrew Foran, IUCN Oceania Regional Programme Coordinator representing the PIRT, noted that “it’s an exciting time for protected areas in the region with several significant events approaching, including the Pacific Nature Conservation Conference to be held in New Caledonia in April 2020.”  The proceedings started with each organisation sharing an update on their work and highlighting opportunities for collaboration. This was then followed by a discussion on the PAWG action plan, which tracks activities supporting government partners to achieve the objectives of the Framework for Nature Conservation and Protected Areas in the Pacific Islands Region (2014-2020) and the Aichi Biodiversity Targets (associated with the Convention on Biological Diversity). The working group also discussed how it could better contribute to these objectives and targets. The participants expressed a strong commitment to maintain the current momentum, with the next meeting planned for February. The PAWG continues to be an important forum for advising the Biodiversity and Protected Area Management Programme (BIOPAMA) on activities such as enhancing the programme’s regional resource-hub (SPREP Pacific Islands Protected Area Portal or PIPAP), preparing the state of protected areas report and implementing capacity building. BIOPAMA is an initiative of the ACP Group of States financed by the European Union’s 11th European Development Fund (EDF). In the Pacific, it is implemented through IUCN ORO in partnership with the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission and SPREP. Funding from BIOPAMA supported IUCN ORO’s involvement in the working group. SPREP, in its capacity as Chair of PAWG, plays a key role in assisting to guide regional coordination for progressing national, regional and global priorities, including country commitments to achieve the global biodiversity targets of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD).

    2018

  • PIPAP national engagement in the Cook Islands

    The Cook Islands has a long history of caring for its natural environment and resources through cultural and traditional customs.  This has been transformed over the years, becoming ingrained in the Cook Islands national frameworks through the development of Protected Areas and commitments to global agreements such as the Convention on Biological Diversity. Collecting and collating all information  on the range of protected areas across Rarotonga was the focus of a one day gathering of over 20 stakeholders in partnership with the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP), on 6 September 2018. This information will then be consolidated and subsequently shared on the Pacific Islands Protected Area Portal, a one stop resource  for all information on protected areas in the Cook Islands and the region. “Today is about creating an opportunity for all to sit down together and share knowledge on Protected Areas. We now have the Marae Moana in place, our whole EEZ now declared a marine park, the key principal of which is integrated participatory engagement,” said Mr Joseph Brider, the Secretary of the Cook Islands National Environment Service. “We want this workshop to engage that principal of integrated participatory environment, and come to the table to use the tools we have now. We are grateful to SPREP for their support for this.” The Protected Islands Protected Area Portal (PIPAP), the Pacific regional version of the BIOPAMA Observatory, is hosted by SPREP and is the premier source of information and resources on Pacific protected areas. It contains information on protected areas from across the Pacific region. This includes national parks, other areas meeting international standards for protected areas, but also community conservation efforts, traditional area-based management measures, managed fishing zones and other locally managed areas. The information collated over the one day workshop will help guide missing or conflicting content on protected areas in the Cook Islands currently stored in the PIPAP. Backing up and sharing  this information allows national services, partners and stakeholders to freely contribute, view and utilise information to make informed decisions about the management of national protected areas, biodiversity values, marine and terrestrial ecosystems, species and habitats, pressures and threats, management and governance. “I am pleased to be able to work closely with and assist the Cook Islands to organise and consolidate their protected area information this week,” said Mr Vainuupo Jungblut, Protected Areas Officer of SPREP. “Well organised and managed information will assist the Cook Islands to make better informed decisions for protected area planning and management and will assist with national reporting on protected area commitments at the national, regional and global level. ” The workshop is a partnership between the Cook Islands National Environment Service and SPREP through the BIOPAMA programme an initiative of the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) Group of States financed by the European Union’s 11th European Development Fund.  BIOPAMA is jointly implemented by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission (EC-JRC). In the Pacific region, …

  • BIOPAMA II Regional inception workshop for the Pacific

    The workshop, taking place in Apia, Samoa, from 11-15 June 2018, relaunches the BIOPAMA programme in the Pacific Islands region. It aims to help the Pacific islands improve the effectiveness of their protected areas through enhanced capacity, information and data. It will also be showcasing the achievements and lessons learnt from protected areas in the Cook Islands, Palau, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Kiribati. The workshop materials, documents and links are available on this page. Workshop materials: WORKSHOP REPORT – BIOPAMA Pacific inception 2018 Wokshop Programme 11-15 June 2018 BIOPAMA Info Fiche Pictures album News article 11 June: Pacific convenes protected area workshop News article 14 June: Celebrating conservation milestones News article 19 June: Protecting our oceans: now and for future generations Feature: The Journey of Cook Islands Marae Moana Samoa Observer, 18 June: Celebrating conservation milestones Samoa Observer, 25 June: Pacific plan for protected areas discussed in Apia Cook Islands News, 27 June: Protected areas vital for our future PACNEWS June 2018 Presentations Day 1, 11 June 2018: Session 1, BIOPAMA presentation Session 2, Workshop overview Session 3, Protected Areas in the Pacific Session 4, Conversation by the regional implementing partners Session 5, Country case study: the Cook Islands Session 7, International support: CBD Secretariat Session 7, International support: IUCN WCPA Session 7, International support: UN Environment WCMC Presentations Day 2, 12 June 2018: Session 1, Palau’s Protected Area Network Session 3, PIPAP Introduction Session 3, PIPAP Walkthrough Session 4, BIOPAMA Action Component Presentation Day 3, 13 June 2018 Session 1, Samoan protected areas case study Presentations Day 4, 14 June 2018 Session 1, Field trip observations: Interactive session Session 2, Country case study: Solomon Islands Session 4, Regional Conservation Planning Tools Session 4, Information Systems for Protected and Conserved Areas Session 5, WDPA Working Session Session 6, Protected Area Management Effectiveness (PAME) Introduction Session 6, Country case study: PNG – PAME Overview Session 6, Country case study: PNG – Protected Areas Status Session 6, Country case study: PNG – Tree Kangaroos of the Torricelli’s Presentations Day 5, 15 June 2018: Side-event Session, Country case study: Fiji Session 1, Country case study: Kiribati Concluding Session 

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