Progress report for
Blue Planning in Practice: Worldwide MSP training offer to enable ecosystem-based marine and coastal planning and management
Achievement at a glance
Strengthening MSP in Latin America: Another Blue Planning in Practice Training was conducted in Atacames, Ecuador!The fictitious country Bakul is the venue and place of learning in our Marine Spatial Planning training courses. From 26th February to 2nd March, Bakul was visited by another outstanding group of participants with lots of passion for the marine space.
The crew
29 people affiliated to the Ecuadorian Ministry of the Environment, the Ecuadorian Ministry for Planning & Development, the Ecuadorian Naval Oceanographic Institute, the project ProCamBo II, WWF and colleagues from different institutions from Mexico, Peru and Panama. In addition, three instructors from MarViva and Blue Solutions.
The story
Our group traveled to Bakul to experience the different stages of a marine spatial planning process, including practical exercises related to tools, concepts and the simulation of negotiations.
The elements the group looked at included the identification of need & process design, establishing authority & organizing the process, the organization of stakeholder participation and drafting and approving the spatial management plan. Most of the sessions included practical casework on Bakul, presentations and discussions in plenary as well as reflection sessions on peoples individual working context. In addition, participants were happy to share real cases and positive examples of the marine and coastal context that they have been working on in the past. One practical example waited just nearby and was visited during a joint half-day field trip: the Marine Reserve Galera San Francisco and its spatial management plan with different types of zones of use.
Thanks to this dedicated group, this training was truly inspiring and we hope that many of the things that participants are striving for in their own working context can be implemented outside of Bakul!