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Chumbe Island Coral Park
This project will address three priority needs of the protected area:
Chumbe Island Coral Park is a not-for-profit private marine and terrestrial protected area in Zanzibar, Tanzania. Funded entirely by sustainable ecotourism, the park has been self-financing for more than 20 years. Due to COVID19 however, tourism came to a complete standstill in 2020 and is still nowhere near to pre-Covid numbers. We have had to put 29 out of 41 staff on unpaid leave and the remaining 12 staff have been working fulltime on a reduced salary to keep the park protected during these difficult times. This project will fund the salaries and patrol costs of the conservation team to keep the island protected and secure from poaching threats.
The following project activities will ensure that conservation management on Chumbe Island will continue, despite the fact that the eco-lodge still has limited to no bookings, and address the urgent threat on the marine park, Chumbe staff and local fishing communities:
Most importantly, project implementation will allow for full patrol operations over the coming 12 months which will decrease poaching attempts inside the MPA and subsequently ensure that 25 years of successful conservation efforts are not lost. Moreover, eight previous Chumbe team members will receive full-time employment for the whole project duration, each supporting on average 12 dependents in their local communities. Zanzibari community members from neigbouring fishing villages will gain knowledge and practical insights in nature conservation through Chumbe’s extensive environmental education program which will positively impact compliance to MPA regulations. Especially young fishers, who are economically impacted by the pandemic, will be offered a skill development course with tangible skills that will increase their employability in conservation and marine tourism. Two motivated youth will have access to a six-month internship with the prospect of employment on Chumbe Island once the effects of the pandemic have subsided. At least 15 local rangers from two other marine conservation areas in Unguja will benefit from the establishment of a Ranger Network with enhanced skills and knowledge in effective MPA management which will strengthen relationships and cooperation between the rangers.
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Chumbe Island Coral Park (CHICOP)
Uzungwa Scarp Nature Forest Reserve (USNFR)
Enhanced management and governance of protected or conserved areas
This project will address three priority needs of the protected area:
1. Strengthening the capacity of the patrol team in USNFR.
2. Reducing the illegal activities in USFNR.
3. Integrate results of ecological monitoring in protection planning.
Continue collaborating with Udzungwa Ecological Monitoring Centre (UEMC), which monitors threatened species in USFNR and uses existing data and new results to identify priority areas for protection.
As a direct result of this project, STEP expects to continue collaborating with TFS during this difficult period in management and protection efforts with the goal of significantly reducing illegal activities threatening the tropical biodiversity hotspot and aiming to attain the following changes:
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Southern Tanzania Elephant Program (STEP)
Lumo Community Wildlife Conservancy
Satao Elerai Conservancy
This project will enhance management and governance of Lumo and Satao Elerai Conservancies by deploying SAGE diagnostic tool to identify and prioritize for action, key management and governance issues within the two conservancies.
While the growth of conservancies has been on an upward trajectory in the country, most conservancies are still grappling with disputes and conflicts arising from governance challenges, local politics and unfulfilled expectations. This project seeks to strengthen governance and management of Lumo and Satao Elerai Conservancies for improved development and conservation outcomes.
Project implementation will entail a number of activities under three broad categories: Preparation, Assessment and Reporting. Under preparation, KWCA and IIED will conduct an introductory workshop targeting the stakeholders of the two sites. The workshops will be approximately2-3 hours long and will aim at introducing the stakeholders to the SAGE tool as well as site profiling and assessment planning. The workshops stakeholders will include local government representatives, conservation NGOs working in the two landscapes, Kenya Wildlife Service representatives, conservancy committee members, youth and women representatives. The introductory phase will give way to Assessment where a one-day assessment workshop will be held for the two sites. The Assessment workshop will be followed by a one-day synthesis workshop for the two sites to present findings and draw action plans. Finally, Assessment report shall be developed and disseminated to the key stakeholders.
Conservancies are increasingly being embraced in Kenya and indeed elsewhere, as institutions capable of providing socio-economic development to local communities while at the same time providing the much-needed space for wildlife conservation. However, the potential of wildlife conservancies in Kenya are yet to be fully exploited due in part to numerous governance and management challenges including inequitable distribution of resources, marginalization of women and youth, positon related disputes and conflicts and elite capture. Through the deployment of SAGE governance and equity diagnostic tool, this project shall identify governance and management issues within the two conservancies and prioritize action plans. It is hoped that ultimately, the implementation of the action plans will strengthen governance and management of the two conservancies and enhance development and conservation outcomes.
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Kenya Wildlife Conservancies Association
International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED)
Kisite Mpunguti Marine Conservation Area
Result 1: Improved management effectiveness of Kisite–Mpunguti Marine Park
Result 2: Improved governance, communities’ participation, equity and benefit sharing in KMMP and surrounding community management areas
Result 3: Enhanced knowledge management; Improved communication, education & public awareness (CEPA)
Result on ESMS
Development, implementation, and monitoring for an Environmental and Social Management Plan (ESMP)
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Kenya Wildlife Service
WWF Kenya
Portland Bight Protected Area
This BIOPAMA Rapid Response Grant will address directly the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on Portland Bight protected area. The grant supports the following activities:
Continued enforcement through monitoring and patrol of the fish sanctuaries to reduce the level of poaching through training of C-CAM staff, partners and community members (e.g., Fisheries law and SMART technology) and covering the costs of equipment, salaries and fuel. The funds will be utilized to reduce the potential negative impact of COVID-19 on C-CAM ‘s operations and upgrade the field station office with sanitization spaces, signage and support staff training.
Updating C-CAM’s strategic and financial plans will include planning for future potential shocks to move the organization towards sustainability. C-CAM will also be installing appropriate signage throughout the PBPA to continue the public awareness activities which are key to providing information about no-take areas or where endangered species (e.g., crocodiles) inhabit. The funds will also be used to undertake the audit to maintain C-CAM’s financial transparency and assist in its ability to continue to attract financial support
The project will help to maintain enforcement and monitoring operations in the Portland Bight Protected Area at usual levels despite COVID -19 and budget cuts. This will be achieved through the provision of training and equipment, including mobile phones and two-way radios, equipment maintenance, and the installation of signage which will improve the team’s capacity for protected area management. The involvement of community monitors, volunteer game wardens and partner agency representatives in the training aims to improve the overall management of the protected area while ensuring stakeholder buy in and collaborative monitoring with community members seeks to ensure project sustainability.
Making C-CAM’s offices COVID-19 adapted which will ensure safe space for staff and visitors which facilitate continued working operations.
The strategic and funding plans will be updated to include COVID-19 implications which will improve sustainability planning to look at long term supported for protected areas management. The financial audit report for 2020 will allow C-CAM to maintain transparency in managing the Portland Bight Protected Area to include reporting to stakeholders and donors.
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The Caribbean Coastal Area Management Foundation (C-CAM)
Pointe Sable Environmental Protection Area (PSEPA)
Pigeon Island National Landmark (PINL)
The project will address the following priority needs:
The project aims to improve the Saint Lucia National Trust’s monitoring and management capacity to continue key conservation initiatives during this period of economic downturn.
Project activities include the recruitment of rangers and a programme officer for the Pointe Sable Environmental Protection Area (PSEPA) as well as the procurement of surveillance and monitoring equipment for conservation activities within the target areas. Appropriate staff training will be provided in use of equipment to ensure the conservation of key resources in the PSEPA. Increased monitoring activities and surveys will be conducted for the offshore islands, marine turtles and other endangered wildlife.
National COVID-19 response protocols require increased sanitization of the Pigeon Island National Landmark (PINL) amenities and availability of sanitisation products for use by visitors. This grant will provide funding to procure the required products and personal protective equipment for staff to undertake their duties safely and reduce the spread of COVID-19.
This project will directly support the management of two protected areas managed by the Saint Lucia National Trust (SLNT), namely PINL and PSEPA. The PSEPA is a large area with limited human resources, the SLNT is unable monitor the entire area as frequently as required. Therefore the increased capacity to use remote monitoring devices provided by this project will enable more frequent monitoring in order to capture changes in the area. The project will also facilitate increased monitoring of offshore islands and their species to enable early detection and eradication of threats. The increased monitoring of the PSEPA will improve turtle nesting data collection, reduce illegal poaching and improve the hatchling survival rate of marine turtles, especially the leatherback, hawksbill and green turtles.
PINL is the main income generation site managed by the SLNT and the revenue generated from PINL is used to maintain PINL and other protected areas managed by the SLNT. This project will improve the monitoring capacity on PINL and offset some of its COVID-19 related operating costs, thereby helping the SLNT to weather the financial downturn caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, and indirectly contributing to the conservation of other protected areas in Saint Lucia.
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Saint Lucia National Trust (SLNT)
Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary
Victoria Peak Natural Monument, Half Moon Caye Natural Monument
Blue Hole Natural Monument
Management Effectiveness
The project will build BAS’ capacity to effectively manage and use the four high priority protected areas as landscape and seascape models
— Centres of Excellence– for other protected areas in Belize, with a focus on promoting improved long term biodiversity conservation, protection, provision of ecosystem services, and socio-economic benefits across the Belize NPAS.
The project has five objectives with activities carried out to attain the latter, highlights include:
At the end of the project, two management zones (CBWS/VP and HMC/BH) will be prepared for Green List Certification – a first for Belize. BAS will have improved its capacity to effectively manage and use four high priority protected areas (CBWS/VP & HMC/BH) as landscape and seascape models — Centres of Excellence — for other protected areas in Belize and the region. These areas will have systems in place for improved long-term biodiversity conservation, protection and provision of ecosystem services, and socioeconomic benefits across Belize’s National Protected Areas System.
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Belize Audubon Society (BAS)
Golden Stream Corridor Preserve
Improved protected area management through the bolstering of Ecotourism Belize’s (ETB) sustainability and impact through investment in equipment and infrastructure.
Shared local indigenous culture and supported Golden Stream Corridor Preserve (GSCP) buffer communities through innovative ecotourism initiatives.
Ya’axché Conservation Trust’s social business initiative, EcoTourism Belize (ETB) facilitates sustainable ecotourism to local and international audiences, of which the proceeds are directly reinvested into conservation and community development across southern Belize. This project focuses primarily on boosting natural and cultural ecotourism offerings within Golden Stream Corridor Preserve (GSCP), Ya’axché’s private protected area, and the surrounding buffer communities.
Through this project, a new restroom facility will be constructed and the current bunkhouse providing visitor accommodations on the grounds of GSCP’s ranger station will be updated and improved through new paint, ceiling fans, bed linens and furnishings, as well as through the addition of a screened veranda. To increase the diversity of available lodging and appeal to a wider audience, two tents will be purchased to provide camping opportunities within GCSP. The visitor grounds will be further improved through the installation of directional signs indicating visitor facilities. Ecotourism offerings which allow visitors to experience GSCP and the intact ecosystems protected by the Preserve will be enhanced through the purchase of kayaks, canoe paddles and binoculars, and GSCP’s self-guided nature trails will be demarcated with new signs for ease of visitor use. To provide convenient transportation from guest accommodations to tour sites, a tour van will be purchased.
In addition to the GSCP-based ecotourism activities offered, ETB partners with local indigenous women’s groups so that they can share their cuisine, crafts, music and Maya culture with interested visitors. Therefore, this project provides capacity building for these women through workshops focused on hospitality and customer service.
The livelihoods of many buffer communities are highly dependent and rely on the land, water and biological diversity found locally. Ecosystem services provided through Ya’axché’s ability to safeguard Golden Stream Corridor Preserve (GSCP) include clean water and air, game species, flood control, pollination and non-timber forest products. Through investment in capacity building, infrastructure and equipment, Ecotourism Belize (ETB) will develop consistent and environmentally responsible tourism programs, empowering local indigenous women and communities and leading effective biodiversity conservation of Golden Stream Corridor Preserve (GSCP) and the larger Maya Golden Landscape (MGL). This will allow ETB to emerge post-Covid-19 in a strong position, for the first time, to generate consistent income for Ya’axché’s conservation and development initiatives across southern Belize’s protected areas.
Through infrastructure investment within GSCP, two zones (Zone 1 for General Use; Zone 2 for Education and Recreation) demarcated in the PCA’s management plan will have improved infrastructure and sustainable access for visitors, allowing ETB to reach a larger population of visitors and elevating the visitor experience. Furthermore, through ownership of equipment, ETB’s ecotours within GSCP will no longer hinder patrolling or field research, allowing for more effective protected area management.
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Ya’axché Conservation Trust
1-mile San Antonio Rd. Toledo, Belize C.A.
Improved management effectiveness and governance indices at the end of action by 2023
This project will address the following objectives based on the protected areas associated with the project:
The implementation of this project will bring significant positive change for the protected areas (Gladden Spit Silk Cayes Marine Reserve, Sapodilla Cayes Marine Reserve including the Cayman Crown Site and the Port Honduras Marine Reserve) associated with the project. Foremost, by providing information on spawning aggregation sites and engaging local actors for their protection: Policies will be put in place, in countries where this is necessary, for the full protection of spawning aggregation sites or temporary protection during spawning seasons; the law will be applied during spawning periods in spawning sites, not only in already protected areas but also in new areas proposed at Cayman Crown; local fishermen will adhere to no-fishing guidelines according to the rules set out in the spawning aggregation sites; and the number of fish documented in these areas during the spawning period will be stable or increase for all species.
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Toledo Institute for Development and Environment (TIDE)
Belize Southern Environmental Association and Healthy Reefs for Healthy People
Three Bays Marine Protected Area, Haiti
Haiti’s marine protected areas are relatively new, with all having been declared after 2013. With either no, or at best, extremely limited resources available, this project will address a critical need to increase capacity (human and equipment) to monitor and manage resources within the MPA as well as address the need to provide environmentally friendly and sustainable alternative income generating opportunities for local stakeholders in order to enhance local management of the marine protected area.
In order to complete project objectives members of the Agence Nationale des Aires Protégées (ANAP), FoProBiM, and local university students will be trained in environmental sciences, coastal and marine resources and basic biology, non-lethal (un-armed) environmental law enforcement engagement, laws relating to coastal and marine resources and marine protected areas, and how to operate various types of equipment (boats, motors, snorkelling, and communications equipment).
FoProBiM will provide training to 20 local stakeholders in apiculture as an alternative livelihood and provide them with 100 hives and apicultural equipment in order to begin honey production.
Without this project the opportunity to provide a presence throughout the marine protected areas through the training of human resources within ANAP, the Gad Ekolojik, FoProBiM, local Universities, and the local communities to begin to ensure proper and sustainable monitoring, surveillance, educational and enforcement activities would remain severely limited, if not non-existent. All of these groups will be provided a total of 10 days of training: 2 days each of environmental; non-lethal (un-armed) environmental law enforcement engagement and laws; how to operate various types of equipment; “water” classes (snorkelling, swimming, etc.), and; field work including wildlife ID, boat patrols, hiking, etc.). To support the development of presence throughout the MPA the acquisition of equipment to strengthen both ANAP’s and FoProBiM’s capacities to undertake surveillance, monitoring, research, and enforcement activities by increasing their mobility is a crucial component of this project. Without this presence, and the increase in surveillance it affords, the continued illegal and unsustainable exploitation of resources would continue. The second component of this project is the continued development and strengthening of environmentally friendly and sustainable non-extractive income generating apiculture with 2 local communities and 2 associations to provide livelihood generation in order to reduce unsustainable resource extraction while protecting biodiversity.
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Fondation pour la Protection de la Biodiversité Marine (FoProBiM)