Solomon Islands Implements New Tool to Improve Marine Protected Area Management

Twenty-five representatives from community, government, and non-government organizations in the Solomon Islands took a significant step toward achieving the Coral Triangle Initiative (CTI) Regional and National Plan of Action goals by implementing a new tool adapted to local conditions for the effective management of marine protected areas (MPAs).

The MPA Management Effectiveness Assessment Tool was introduced at a workshop held on August 1–3, 2012, in Honiara. It supports a key CTI goal of ensuring that 20% of the Coral Triangle is placed under protection and effectively managed by 2020. The tool enables communities and marine resource managers to improve MPA management using biophysical, social, and governance factors.

To ensure relevance and accessibility, the tool is being translated into the local language, enhanced with locally specific indicators, and rolled out from August to November 2012.

The initiative is being developed by USAID’s Coral Triangle Support Partnership in collaboration with The Nature Conservancy, the Solomon Islands Locally Managed Marine Area Network, the Coral Triangle Center, and the Solomon Islands Ministry of Environment, Climate Change, and Disaster Management.