Overview of Major Capacity-Building and Networking Initiatives (1997-2024):
Since its creation in 1997, the CaMPAM network has led and supported a number of initiatives designed to strengthen and Marine Protected Area (MPA) management and improve regional capacity. Below is an overview of its key past programmes.
MPA Database
The CaMPAM database provided detailed information on MPAs across the region, containing 77 data fields that captured identity, legal status, biophysical characteristics, and management details for each site. This database was a valuable resource for practitioners, researchers, policy makers, and regional partners, used for producing regional analyses and periodic reports. CaMPAM worked to ensure the databased was accurate and up to date, collaborating closely with MPA managers, government agencies, NGOs, and scientists to contribute and verify site information.
CaMPAM and the Caribbean Challenge
The Caribbean Challenge Initiative (CCI) was a collaborative effort by Caribbean governments and international partners to protect at least 20% of marine and coastal habitats by 2020. Participating countries included The Bahamas, the Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Saint Lucia, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Antigua and Barbuda, Grenada, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. The Nature Conservancy played a major role in launching the initiative, investing USD 20 million in exchange for long-term commitments from participating governments to establish and sustainably manage MPAs.
To support the CCI, UNEP-CEP coordinated a two-year project titled “Regional support for the Caribbean Challenge initiative: Networking, consolidation and regional coordination of MPA management”. Funded by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the project aimed to support the development of a biologically-representative, functional network of MPAs, capable of adapting to climate change in alignment with SPAW Protocol and GLISPA objectives. This project provided the foundation for regional collaboration mechanisms still used by several MPAs today.
CaMPAM Mentorship Programme
Launched in 2013, the CaMPAM Mentorship Programme was designed to build professional capacity by pairing experienced marine resource managers with early-career MPA practitioners. The goal of the programme was to sustainably enhance MPA manager/practitioner competencies through fostering long-term relationships that corresponded to common and emerging training, capacity building and technical assistance needs. Eight senior experts from around the WCR were selected to act as mentors, guiding mentees through practical skill development and leadership training. The programme demonstrated the value of long-term professional pairing as a cost-effective approach to capacity development.
GCFI/NOAA MPA Capacity Assessment
CaMPAM participated in the creation of a Marine Protected Area Management Capacity Assessment in partnership with the Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries Institute (GCFI) and the NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Programme (which required this exercise to structure their support to Caribbean MPAs). The assessment aimed to review existing MPA management capacity, identify key gaps, and prioritize actions to strengthen capacity over a five-year period in up to three demonstration sites per jurisdiction.
The project gathered data from 1–3 MPAs in the following eleven jurisdictions: The Bahamas, Belize, British Virgin Islands, Grenada, Honduras, Mexico, Saba, St. Eustatius, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and the Turks and Caicos Islands. The findings were compiled into a final report, which is available on the GCFI website. Results indicated that most MPAs shared similar priorities.
