In coastal ecosystems, scientists and managers often encourage the use of marine protected areas (MPAs) and other area-based conservation measures (OECMs) to provide both ecological and social benefits. This group is assessing the social, ecological, and institutional conditions under which the use of MPAs and OECMs are associated with positive outcomes for both people and nature, as well as the co-benefits and tradeoffs that exist between multiple outcomes.
OUR APPROACH: Using data from seven coastal countries in Africa, Asia, and the Pacific, this team is identifying how MPAs and OECMs contribute to successful outcomes under different social, ecological, and institutional conditions, and will translate the results into a tool to help managers make related decisions in the future.
This team is part of a cohort funded by the generosity of the David and Lucile Packard Foundation to address the theme of Oceans, Climate and Equity.
The Coastal Outcomes SNAPP working group served as an expert panel reaching consensus that OECMs can strengthen local and Indigenous rights where social equity is prioritized. Appropriate metrics and evaluation techniques remain an obstacle to understanding OECM’s potential to contribute to 30 x 30 goals (conserving 30% of the earth’s surface by 2030).
This perspectives paper in Nature discusses the promise of OECMs to advance effective and equitable conservation and lays out five key next steps for the implementation of this new policy tool.
A side project of the Coastal Outcomes group, this perspectives paper in PARKS discusses the role of global OECM policy in contributing to a more equitable, diverse and inclusive conservation sector.
Wildlife Conservation Society
ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University
FAO
University of Michigan
World Wildlife Fund and Alliance for Conservation Evidence
University of Waterloo
University of Victoria
Brock University
RARE Indonesia
French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) and Laboratoire d'Excellence CORAIL
RARE and Alliance for Conservation Evidence
Macquarie University
University of Waterloo and Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs
World Wildlife Fund
NCEAS and University of California, Santa Barbara
Duke University
Food and Agriculture Organization
IUCN, WCPA Task Force on OECMs
Wildlife Conservation Society
Wildlife Conservation Society Indonesia
Talanoa Consulting Fiji
Wildlife Conservation Society
University of California, Santa Barbara
The Nature Conservancy
Wildlife Conservation Society
Stanford University
Wildlife Conservation Society
WCS / University of Queensland
Wildlife Conservation Society Indonesia
MacArthur Foundation
Worldfish
Margaret A. Cargill Philanthropies
Blue-Green Advisors
The Pacific Community
Blue Action Fund
IUCN, World Commission on Protected Areas
Oregon State University
Bloomberg Philanthropies