Year 2022 promises to be a busy one for the implementation consortium of GEF6-MPA Project. Funded by Global Environment Fund (GEF), GEF6 MPA, is a 5-year term project, implemented by the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development (MEDD) together with WWF Madagascar for technical support and FAPBM who is in charge of financial management.
The project is starting this Year 2 the re-evaluation of marine and coastal Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs) in order to develop the roadmap for the identification of area-based Other Effective Conservation Measures (OECMs). This step is decisive for Component 1, “Establishment of an Extensive, Representative and Sustainable Network of Coastal and Marine Protected Areas and locally managed marine areas (LMMAs)“.
In parallel, based on the results of the study on the analysis of the types of governance and management contracts of MPAs and LMMAs, as well as the regional consultations on the state of the art and the existing stakes on marine conservation, a regulatory text proposal will be made to advance Component 2, “Establishment of a robust environment favorable to coastal and marine protected areas and LMMAs”.
Within the framework of Component 3, “Improving the management effectiveness and contribution of MPAs and LMMAs to sustainable development”, the project will issue a call for projects to support existing MPAs and LMMAs and develop appropriate management toolkits and standards.
Tripling the surface area of its marine protected areas was the challenge Madagascar set itself in Sydney (2014, Australia, World Parks Congress) to sustainably manage its marine resources and contribute to the global goals of protecting 30% of the planet. FAPBM’s 2022-2026 strategic plan echoes this challenge by setting the goal of funding at least 12 marine protected areas for a total area of 851,000 Ha by 2026. FAPBM is working towards this goal through the financial management of the GEF6 MPA Project and also as a member of the Sydney Promise steering committee, advocating sustainable funding mechanisms for existing and future marine areas.
