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The Effective Marine Protected Area Activities for the Caribbean (EMPAC) project is designed to support interventions in at least 2 key areas: the regional political engagement support towards the 30×30 ambition, and the launch of a CBF MPA Facility designed in collaboration with Caribbean stakeholders.
Funded by the Blue Nature Alliance with a contribution of USD 750,090, the project is timely for the region as Caribbean governments and key stakeholders work towards the realization of the 30×30 global conservation target.
The duration of the project is 3 years slated to be completed in December 2025.
Collaboration with all relevant stakeholders in the region as this will be essential to the management of Marine Managed and Marine Protected Areas. Identifying policy makers who can make conscious decisions based on reliable and comprehensive data then advance the development of regional MPA policy frameworks and initiatives aligned with the 30×30 ocean conservation target.
Facilitate discussions with policy makers and other stakeholders for the designation, implementation and expansion of regional MPAs to advance local and regional actions towards the achievement of the 30×30 ocean conservation target within the region.
Identify the biodiversity baseline data and the financial gaps to effectively manage the biodiversity in Marine Managed and Marine Protected Areas in the Caribbean.
The project will be implemented by the CBF with financial and technical support from the Blue Nature Alliance. Primary objectives include catalyzing MPA support in areas such as designation, implementation and expansion to advance local and regional actions towards achieving the 30×30 Ocean Conservation Targets within the region.
The project places particular focus on improved management of Marine Protected Areas and sustainable financing mechanism ideas for MPA management.
Collaboration with relevant stakeholders in the region will be crucial. As such, the CBF will be working with partners that include the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS), GIZ (German Development Agency), SPAW RAC (Regional Activity Centre for the Protocol Concerning Specially Protected Areas and Wildlife for the Wider Caribbean Region), BIOPAMA team, MPA Connect among others. The CBF and the National Conservation Trust Funds have been working on the continued development of financial mechanisms.
The EMPAC project will be a vital step in further facilitating the growth of the Caribbean Sustainable Finance Architecture as it supports the continued development of the NCTFs as national leaders in their respective countries contributing to resources mobilization for Marine Conservation, supporting the 30×30 goals.
By 2025, a regional platform that advances political support for the 30×30 political Call to Action is implemented in the Caribbean region, locking in regional high-level collaboration within the Caribbean Challenge Initiative (CCI) and CBF political network therefore, catalyzing the development of regional MPA policy frameworks and initiatives aligned with the 30×30 ambition.
Activities include:
To develop a MPA Finance Facility through a collaboration with the CBF fostering investment into regional and national MPA activities, national sustainable financing mechanisms are identified and capacity to implement them is developed, then regional knowledge on appropriate finance mechanisms to advance management effectiveness is shared and replicated.
Activities include: