Feasibility study for the establishment of the Mediterranean Fund dedicated to No-Take Zones 

The two organizations, MAVA Foundation and The MedFund, will join their strengths and added value to develop a specific financing mechanism dedicated to the development of No-Take-Zones (NTZ) in the Mediterranean.  

A new NTZ thematic account will be opened within the MedFund to provide an integrated and long-term support for the management of these specific protected areas. The NTZ Recovery Fund will be operational in 2021 and open to other donors’ contributions to scale-up the initiative. This dedicated fund will be managed according to the best practices adopted by The MedFund, regarding  fund management, granting cycle and monitoring of results.

The MAVA Foundation and The MedFund released a Request for Proposals to collaborate in developing a tailored sustainable financing window within the MedFund to:

  1. support the effective management of existing No-Take Zone MPA in the Mediterranean and 
  2. advocate for and support the establishment of new NTZ sites in the Mediterranean 

The Blue Pangolin team undertook this project on behalf of the MAVA Foundation and The MedFund to develop a feasibility study for the implementation of a dedicated conservation trust fund for No-Take Zones in the Mediterranean. Following completion, the MAVA Foundation and the MedFUND launched the new initiative called the Highly Protected Mediterranean Initiative (HPMI). The HPMI was launched at the IUCN World Conservation Congress on 7th September 2021 and is expected to launch a Call for Proposals at the end of 2021.

Overall objectives of the study:

The overall objective of this consultancy was to assess the feasibility of such a sub-account within the MedFund and propose various ways to establish/develop/structure this new financial window for NTZ MPA in the Mediterranean, presenting pros and cons for each of them and the most relevant mechanism to be developed. 

Under this core objective, the Blue Pangolin team:

  • Completed a feasibility study on the No-Take Zones in the Mediterranean
  • Consulted with key stakeholders within the Mediterranean to develop a detailed landscape of NTZs and actions in the Mediterranean
  • Developed recommendations for a Call for Proposals for the HMPI
  • Established a portfolio of NTZs in the Mediterranean for prospective funding and
  • Proposed long term synergies and benefit from the ongoing dynamic supported by the MAVA funded project: Empowering the legacy of Mediterranean Partners: Scaling up co-managed and financially sustainable No-Take Zones/Marine Protected Areas.

Read more about the HMPI here.

Client:

The MAVA Foundation & The MedFund

Date:

2021

Region:

Mediterranean

Topic:
Evaluation, Marine Protected Areas, No-Take Zones
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