MedPAN South
The full title of the project is the “Development of a Mediterranean Marine and Coastal Protected Areas (MPAs) Network through the boosting of Mediterranean MPAs creation and management in areas within national jurisdiction of third countries” Project, and a shortened title “MedPAN South Project”.
The main objective of the MedPAN South Project is to enhance the effective conservation of regionally important coastal and marine biodiversity features by assisting eligible countries improving the management of their MPAs and promoting the establishment of new MPAs. This is achieved through 5 pilot projects in Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Turkey and Croatia and regional activities.
“MedPAN South” project is coordinated by the WWF Mediterranean Programme Office in Rome (WWF-MedPO), and is financed by the European Commission (EuropeAid), ”Fond Français pour l’Environment Mondial” (FFEM) and MAVA Foundation. The project last four years (2009 - 2012) and is being implemented in close cooperation with the Secretariat of the newly established MedPAN Network and UNEP MAP Regional Activity Centre for Specially Protected Areas (RAC/SPA).
The pilot project in Croatia, which was developed in consultation with the Ministry of Culture and management bodies of marine national and nature parks (national parks Brijuni, Kornati and Mljet and nature parks Telascica and Lastovo Islands) aims at improving the management effectiveness of these marine protected areas (MPAs) in Croatia by assisting the management bodies, and relevant institutions, in developing concerted management plans. The project also aims at strengthening cooperation and networking between marine national and nature parks in Croatia, and their full integration in the existing Network of MPAs managers in the Mediterranean - MedPAN.
The Association Sunce, an NGO based in Split – whose goals are nature conservation, environmental protection and sustainable development, is responsible for the implementation of the pilot project “MedPAN South” in Croatia, under the lead and supervision of the project Focal Point appointed by the Ministry of Culture, and the overall coordination and the supervision of the project by the WWF MedPO in Rome. The Association Sunce has set up the local project team that is responsible for the daily implementation of the project’s activities.
Pilot project in Croatia has the following specific objectives:
- Ensure the project coordination and establish the project’s Steering Committee.
- Assist the management bodies of marine national and nature parks in Croatia, involved in the project, in the step-by-step development of the management plan of their MPA.
- Strengthen the capacity of the management bodies of the Croatian MPAs, involved in the project, on issues related to MPAs management.
- Enhance the networking of the Croatian MPAs managers and relevant institutions and their integration in the MedPAN and AdriaPAN networks, in order to encourage the exchange of information, good practices and management solutions among MPAs.
Expected outputs:
Management plans (including monitoring, evaluation and financial plans) of all management bodies of the marine national and nature parks that are involved in the project are submitted to the Ministry of Culture and the State Institute for Nature Protection, and adopted by the Governing Council of each marine national and nature park.
Project website: http://www.sunce-st.org/eko.php?category=projects&blob_id=683&lang=en
