The Workbook is designed to allow for a dynamic process of MPA management based on the lessons learnt from pilot assessments in eight MPAs in Kenya, Tanzania and the Seychelles. The method takes into account the management issues faced in the WIO, is cost effective and encourages self-assessment by the managers.
This ‘Workbook’ was produced in order to test and adapt the World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA) methodologies for use at MPAs in the Western Indian Ocean (WIO). It is based mainly on the approach used in the World Heritage project and the WCPA/METF Framework, but reference is made to the WCPA-Marine methodology and explanations of the differences in approach are provided.
The publication Managing Marine Protected Areas: A Toolkit for the Western Indian Ocean (IUCN-EARO) complements the Workbook . The Toolkit was designed to support MPA Managers in the WIO by providing them with a hands-on guide to a diverse array of topics, ranging from monitoring and evaluating projects, conflict resolution, threatened marine species to financial planning.