The Varuna program, the Resilience of Coastal Populations and Ecosystems in the South West Indian Ocean (RECOS) project and the Western Indian Ocean Marine Protected Areas Network (WIOMPAN) co-organized a workshop to define common actions to support managers of marine protected areas (MPAs) and locally managed marine areas (LMMAs) in the region from March 27 to 31 in Nosy Be.
This workshop helped build the capacity of some 40 actors involved in the management of marine protected areas (MPAs) from seven territories in the southwestern Indian Ocean. In particular, the event facilitated exchanges and networking between regional actors for a better synergy of actions, and thus more tangible impacts in terms of MPA management.
Participants also received training in the Integrated Management Effectiveness Tool (IMET) and met with managers of Nosy Tanikely National Park. This tool allows for an in-depth assessment of the effectiveness of marine and terrestrial protected areas, regardless of their management categories and governance type. Thus, IMET is a decision support tool that allows protected area managers to improve conservation outcomes.
In relation to MDG 14 (aquatic life)
The results of these exchanges will contribute to the production of the Marine Protected Areas Outlook, a WIOMSA report that examines the progress of Nairobi Convention countries towards achieving Aichi Target 11 and Sustainable Development Goal 14 (SDG 14, Aquatic Life).
The Varuna program is funded by AFD and implemented by Expertise France. It aims to stop the erosion of biodiversity in the islands of the southwest Indian Ocean for the benefit of the region’s populations. One of the projects, led by Natural Reserves of France, supports the structuring of the network of managers in the Western Indian Ocean, by promoting the emergence of a community of practitioners and by enabling peer-to-peer collaborations such as training, mentoring and technical exchange days.
