Estado
En curso
El Effective Marine Protected Area Activities for the Caribbean (EMPAC) project is a regional initiative managed by the Fondo de Biodiversidad del Caribe (CBF). Financed through the German Development Bank (KfW) on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), EMPAC focuses on strengthening the management effectiveness of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) and Marine Managed Areas (MMAs) across the Caribbean.
The Caribbean marine environment is home to over 10% of the world’s coral reefs and vast expanses of mangroves and seagrass beds. These ecosystems sustain local economies through fisheries and tourism while serving as critical natural defenses against severe weather and climate change.
However, Caribbean marine ecosystems face growing pressures:
Overexploitation & Overfishing: Depleting key marine species and disrupting reef ecosystems.
Climate Change Impacts: Rising sea surface temperatures, ocean acidification, severe storm damage, and stony coral tissue loss disease (SCTLD).
Pollution & Coastal Development: Runoff, plastics, and untreated sewage degrading water quality.
Operational Gaps: Many existing MPAs lack sufficient sustainable financing, staff capacity, enforcement capability, and technical monitoring tools, rendering them partially active or “paper parks.”
EMPAC addresses these regional challenges by providing direct financial support and institutional capacity enhancement to bridge the gap between policy creation and on-the-ground management.
The EMPAC project is implemented using a collaborative regional network model led by the Fondo de Biodiversidad del Caribe (CBF) in partnership with local and national entities across participating Caribbean island nations.
Sub-granting via NCTFs: CBF disburses targeted grants through member Fondos Fiduciarios Nacionales de Conservación (NCTF) and partner organizations directly to MPA management bodies and non-governmental organizations (NGOs).
Targeted Activities & Interventions:
Operational Infrastructure & Gear: Provision of essential equipment, research vessels, surveillance gear, and demarcation buoys.
Desarrollo de capacidades: Technical training for park wardens, scientists, and community co-managers in marine spatial planning, enforcement, and monitoring protocols.
Ecosystem Restoration: Supporting active restoration of coral reefs, mangroves, and coastal vegetation within designated protected zones.
Community Integration: Involving local fisherfolk and coastal communities in sustainable livelihoods, co-management agreements, and alternative income streams.
Through strategic grantmaking, capacity development, and regional coordination, the EMPAC project aims to achieve tangible conservation and socio-economic outcomes:
Improved Management Effectiveness: Demonstrable increases in scorecards (such as METT or PAME assessments) across targeted MPAs and MMAs.
Strengthened Enforcement & Monitoring: Enhanced patrol capabilities, leading to reduced illegal fishing and habitat destruction in protected waters.
Ecosystem Health Recovery: Stabilization and protection of critical marine habitats (coral reefs, seagrasses, mangroves) and biodiversity hot spots.
Financial Resilience: Better-funded local management bodies capable of managing resources effectively over the long term.
Empowered Coastal Communities: Increased local involvement in sustainable marine practices, leading to resilient coastal livelihoods and strong stewardship.
