Responsible Investments in Marine Protected Areas
Countries involved: Philippines
Coral Collective Partner: GFCR
To enhance the management of the MPAs, the GFCR supports Mamuhunan sa mga MPAs programme (Responsible Investment in MPAs), an 8-year project led by Blue Alliance Marine Protected Areas. Launched in July 2022, the programme is setting up a facility aimed at generating revenue for MPAs. The project’s 2030 objectives include:
To enhance the management capabilities and financial sustainability of more than 80 MPAs;
To regenerate approximately 53,000 ha of high-biodiverse coral reefs and overfished fishing grounds;
To have a positive impact on the livelihoods of an estimated 250,000 fisher and coastal community members (the majority of whom are below the poverty level)
The initiative commenced with a pilot site in North Mindoro, where innovative long term co-management agreements have been signed for a network of 15 MPAs. The MPAs aim to become financially sustainable by creating tangible revenue streams that are reinvested directly back into each MPA. Main revenues will come from a pipeline of reef-positive businesses in the Blue Economy (ecotourism, community-based aquaculture, blue carbon, fishery improvement projects), already in development. Each business reduces specific drivers of coral reef ecosystem degradation, alleviates poverty and generates long-term income for MPAs. A critical part of each project is the inclusion of communities in participatory management. First revenues are expected by mid-2024, with an annual ramp-up until financial sustainability of the MPAs is attained by 2026 (i.e. covering their annual operational expenditures). New MPAs are in preparation in NE Palawan (+30 additional MPAs).
In parallel, Blue Alliance has designed an innovative “MPA blended finance facility” to provide adequate up-front and early stage capital for the establishment of our sustainable MPAs. The approach is scalable and can be replicated to more than over 1000 MPAs designated in the Philippines and presently underfunded. The approach could be transformative for MPAs, and precedent-setting for impact investment in marine conservation and economic development in the Philippines (and worldwide).