22 nd June, 2016 Gary Gore (Interim Chairman) Presented at - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

22nd June, 2016 Gary Gore (Interim Chairman) Presented at Organization of American States – Sustainable Cities Workshop, June 21-24

Outline of Presentation

1- Historical Context of the Marine Ecosystem Protected Area Trust Inc (MEPA Trust) 2- Overview of the MEPA Trust 3- MEPA Trust Governance 4- Aims and Objectives of the Trust & community involvement 5- MEPA Trust Accomplishments to date 6- Call for Project Proposals 7- Conclusion 8- Thank You

Historical Context of the Marine Ecosystem Protected Area Trust Inc.

 Governments of the region increasingly aware

• f economic values of marine / coastal

resources, and their sharp decline

 Governments of the region increasingly

aware of economic values of marine / coastal resources, and their sharp decline

 Came together in 2008 to find a solution

Caribbean Challenge Initiative CCI Was Born

 Governments of the region increasingly

aware of economic values of marine / coastal resources, and their sharp decline

 Came together in 2008 to find a solution  Out of this Initiative, senior government

• fficials made two commitments

 Governments of the region increasingly

aware of economic values of marine / coastal resources, and their sharp decline

 Came together in 2008 to find a solution  Out of this Initiative, senior government

• fficials made two commitments

 1 - “20 by 20” target. To effectively

conserve at least 20% of their near-shore marine / coastal environment by year 2020

 Governments of the region increasingly

aware of economic values of marine / coastal resources, and their sharp decline

 Came together in 2008 to find a solution  Out of this Initiative, senior government

• fficials made two commitments

 “20 by 20” target. To effectively conserve at

least 20% of their near-shore marine / coastal environment by year 2020

 2 - To support and put in place a new

sustainable finance architecture that will generate long-term funding for the marine and coastal environment in the form of trust funds and sustainable finance mechanism, such as tourism user fees

 Proceeding Caribbean Challenge Initiative

in 2008, The World Bank through The Nature Conservancy (TNC) the Implementing Agency, implemented a five year project on August 4th, 2011. Ending December 31st, 2016

 “Sustainable Financing & Management of

Eastern Caribbean Marine Ecosystem Project” was born

 Under the Sustainable Financing &

Management of Eastern Caribbean Marine Ecosystem Project

 The Nature Conservancy and project

partners came together and set up the Caribbean Biodiversity Fund (CBF)

 The CBF’s initial capitalization was US$32

million

CBF Purpose

Regional endowment fund whose objective is to provide a sustainable flow of funds to support activities that contribute substantially to the conservation, protection and maintenance of biodiversity within the national protected areas systems or any other areas of environmental significance of its participating countries.

CBF Participating Geographies KfW TNC GEF (WB/UNDP) Endowment Antigua/Barbuda 2,559,174 300,000 1,440,000 4,299,174 Bahamas DR Grenada Jamaica

• St. Kitts & Nevis
• St. Lucia
• St. Vincent & Gren

CBF Financing:

Endowment Contribution for Antigua/Barbuda(US$)

 Bases on Antigua & Barbuda’s endowment of

US$4.3M with the CBF

 Bases on Antigua & Barbuda’s endowment

• f US$4.3M with the CBF

 The proceeds generated by investing

these funds (approximately $175,000 based on a return of 4.5% at current market rates) will be channelled to the MEPA Trust for project funding

 Bases on Antigua & Barbuda’s endowment of

US$4.3M with the CBF

 The proceeds generated by investing these

funds (approximately $175,000 based on a return of 4.5% at current market rate) will be channelled to the MEPA Trust for project funding

 The MEPA Trust will be required to match

CBF’s funding as of year three

 Bases on Antigua & Barbuda’s endowment of

US$4.3M with the CBF

 The proceeds generated by investing these

funds (approximately $175,000 based on a return of 4.5% at current market rate) will be channelled to the MEPA Trust for project funding

 The MEPA Trust will be required to match

CBF’s funding as of year three

 The MEPA Trust matching funds will come

from the Sustainable Island Resources Framework Fund (SIRF Fund)

MEPA Trust Overview

 The Marine Ecosystems Protected Area

Trust Fund (MEPA Trust) is a National Protected Area Trust Fund (NPATF)

 The Marine Ecosystems Protected Area

Trust Fund (MEPA Trust) is a National Protected Area Trust Fund (NPATF)

 The MEPA Trust articles are consistent

with the requirements of the Sustainable Financing & Management of Eastern Caribbean Marine Ecosystem Project

 The Marine Ecosystems Protected Area Trust

Fund (MEPA Trust) is a National Protected Area Trust Fund (NPATF)

 The MEPA Trust articles are consistent with

the requirements of the Sustainable Financing & Management of Eastern Caribbean Marine Ecosystem Project

 The Trust is guided by laws, articles,

• perational manual and policies

Under the

 The Marine Ecosystems Protected Area

Trust Fund (MEPA Trust) is a National Protected Area Trust Fund (NPATF)

 The MEPA Trust articles are consistent

with the requirements of the Sustainable Financing & Management of Eastern Caribbean Marine Ecosystem Project

 The Trust is guided by laws, articles,

• perational manual and policies

 The MEPA Trust was duly registered on the

22nd May, 2015 under the Companies Act

• f Antigua and Barbuda 1995, as a NOT

FOR PROFIT COMPANY

MEPA Trust Governance

 The Trust is govern by a board of directors

consisting of eleven members

 The Trust is govern by a board of directors

consisting of eleven members

 Six Non Governmental (NGOs) and five

Governmental

 The Trust is govern by a board of directors

consisting of eleven members

 Six Non Governmental Organizations

(NGOs) and five Governmental

 Both non governmental and governmental

members represents a wide cross section

• f civil society, private sector and

government

Board Composition

 Natalya Lawrence-Marine Environmentalist-Environmental

Awareness Group (EAG) (NGO)

 Dr Evelyn Weekes- Aquaponics NGO  Ms. Ruth Spencer- Ruth’s Place (NGO/Private Sector)  Mr. Gary Gore- Business and Fishing (Compliance) (NGO)  Representative of TNC (NGO)  Ms. Christine Young-Environmental -Galley Bay Hotel (Private

sector)

 Representative of the Environment Division (Gov)  Ms. Cordella Weston- Budget and Finance-Ministry of Finance

(Gov)

 Ms.Tricia Lovel, Fisheries Division (Gov)  Mr. Ogen Burton-Codrington Lagoon Management-Barbuda (Gov)  Senator Maureen-Hyman Payne, Lawyer-Legal Affairs (Gov)

 The Trust is govern by a board of directors

consisting of eleven members

 Six Non Governmental Organizations

(NGOs) and five Governmental

 Both non governmental and governmental

members represents a wide cross section

• f civil society, private sector and

government

 Both Chair and Deputy Chair are NGOs

 The Trust is govern by a board of directors

consisting of eleven members

 Six Non Governmental Organizations

(NGOs) and five Governmental

 Both non governmental and governmental

members represents a wide cross section

• f civil society, private sector and

government

 Both Chair and Deputy Chair are NGOs  A quorum consist of six members with

NGOs maintaining the majority at all times

 The Trust is govern by a board of directors

consisting of eleven members

 Six Non Governmental Organizations

(NGOs) and five Governmental

 Both non governmental and governmental

members represents a wide cross section

• f civil society, private sector and

government

 Both Chair and Deputy Chair are NGOs  A quorum consist of six members with

NGOs maintaining the majority at all times

 The Trust is guided by laws, articles,

• perational manual and policies

Aims and Objectives

 To provide a sustainable flow of funds

which will enable the Trust to support the long term management and expansion of Antigua and Barbuda's areas of land and/or sea which are specifically dedicated to the protection and maintenance of biological diversity and natural resources and other activities that contribute substantially to the conservation, protection and maintenance

• f biodiversity as identified after

consultation with stakeholders

Consistent with our Aims and Objectives The MEPA Trust will have stakeholders (fishers, farmers, users of the sea, etc.) and community involvement in all approved projects funded by the Trust

MEPA Trust Accomplishments to date

 The Trust is in the final stage of receiving

approval from CBF for pre-financing (approval expected in 15-30 days)

MEPA Trust Accomplishments to date

 The Trust is in the final stage of receiving

approval from CBF for pre-financing (approval expected in 15-30 days)

 The Trust has started the negotiation of

the partnership agreement with CBF (approval is expected within 90 days)

MEPA Trust Accomplishments to date

 The Trust is in the final stage of receiving

approval from CBF for pre-financing (approval expected in 15-30 days)

 The Trust has started the negotiation of

the partnership agreement with CBF (approval is expected within 90 days)

 The Trust is in the contract signing stage

with the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (SCDB) a Japan Biodiversity Fund Pilot Project. Eleven months US$180,000.00 project.

MEPA Trust Accomplishments to date

 The Trust is in the final stage of receiving

approval from CBF for pre-financing (approval expected in 15-30 days)

 The Trust has started the negotiation of

the partnership agreement with CBF (approval is expected within 90 days)

 The Trust is in the contract signing stage

with the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (SCDB) a Japan Biodiversity Fund Pilot Project. Eleven months US$180,000.00 project.

 Entitled “Biodiversity is our Business”

MEPA Trust Accomplishments to date

 The Trust is in the final stage of receiving

approval from CBF for pre-financing (approval expected in 15-30 days)

 The Trust has started the negotiation of the

partnership agreement with CBF (approval is expected within 90 days)

 The Trust is in the contract signing stage with

the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (SCDB) a Japan Biodiversity Fund Pilot Project. Eleven months US$180,000.00 project.

 Entitled “Biodiversity is our Business”  An Ecosystem Evaluation Project

MEPA Trust Accomplishments to date

 The Trust is in the final stage of receiving approval

from CBF for pre-financing (approval expected in 15- 30 days)

 The Trust has started the negotiation of the

partnership agreement with CBF (approval is expected within 90 days)

 The Trust is in the contract signing stage with the

Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (SCDB) a Japan Biodiversity Fund Pilot Project. Eleven months duration, US$180,000.00 value

 Entitled “Biodiversity is our Business”  An Ecosystem Evaluation Project  The MEPA Trust will partner with the Environmental

Awareness Group (EAG) and the Precision Centre on this Project

MEPA Trust receives training in MPA management and Marine Spatial Planning at Workshop in Puerto Rico

MEPA Trust receives training in MPA management systems at Fishers Exchange in Belize

MEPA receives training in “Drones for Conservation” Unmanned Aircraft System

Call for Project Proposals

 Requests for Grant Proposals shall be

published on our official designated MEPA Trust website and where possible shall be distributed to each of the Donors for broader dissemination. The period for project calls will last for three months https://mepatrustantiguabarbuda.org/

Call for Project Proposals

 Requests for Grant Proposals shall be

published on our official designated MEPA Trust website and where possible shall be distributed to each of the Donors for broader dissemination . The period for project calls will last for three months https://mepatrustantiguabarbuda.org/

 Grants awarded by the Trust shall be no

less than US$25,000 and no greater than US$350,000 [for any individual project per grant year].

Call for Project Proposals

 Requests for Grant Proposals shall be

published on our official designated MEPA Trust website and where possible shall be distributed to each of the Donors for broader dissemination . The period for project calls will last for three months https://mepatrustantiguabarbuda.org/

 Grants awarded by the Trust shall be no

less than US$25,000 and no greater than US$350,000 [for any individual project per grant year]

 Grants awarded by the Trust shall have a

maximum duration of [two (2) years]

Call for Project Proposals

 The Secretariat shall aim to complete the

review process with respect to all Grant Proposals no later than [three (3) months] following receipt of each Grant Proposal

 Both governmental and non-governmental

projects may be funded by the Trust

Conclusion

 Marine protected areas (MPAs) have

proliferated globally in the past three

• decades. However, inadequate funding often

prevents these management regimes from fulfilling their missions. It is the mandate of the MEPA Trust to significantly reduce these inadequacies in Antigua and Barbuda by developing strong synergies with our local and international partners

Thank You!!

https://mepatrustantiguabarbuda.org/ mepa.trust@gmail.com