Amílcar Guzmán Valladares and Viviana Luján Gallegos of Wolfs Company have worked with dozens of MPAs to develop business plans and financing mechanisms. They believe there's reason for optimism about the future of MPA finance. We find out why.
The ecosystem services provided by protected areas must be made more apparent, says Carlos Espinosa of Dos Mares. To do that, he says management programs should align MPA activities with the needs of local communities. He's now building a portfolio of community-aligned projects in Central American MPAs, and looking to attract donors and investors.
Peter Jones of University College London has researched MPA governance for the past decade. His latest publication breaks down the full range of incentives that an MPA can use to steer behavior – from payments for ecosystem services, to assessing penalties for rule-breaking, to building on local customs, and many more. We asked him why managers should consider the governance of their sites.
What will the MPA world be like when this pandemic is over? "What's increasingly clear is that we are not going back to where we were before the COVID-19 pandemic hit," says Carol Phua. "There is a ‘new normal.’"
These recent articles on MPA-related science and policy are each free to access.