Sustainable Financing for MPAs in Croatia

Within the framework of the MedPartnership and as a part of the MedPAN South project, directed towards establishing an efficient management of marine protected areas in the Mediterranean, Association Sunce and WWF held a "Sustainable financing in MPAs" workshop in Croatia. The aim of the workshop was to introduce different possibilites for financing of MPAs to the management staff of Croatian marine national and nature parks and to help them create realistical financial plans.

The workshop was held from 4 to 8 July in the Lastovo Islands Nature Park. It was led by experts from the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The workshop was attended by employees of Brijuni National Park (NP), Telascica Nature Park (PP) , Kornati NP , Lastovo PP , Mljet NP , the Ministry of Culture (Directorate for Nature Protection), the State Institute for Nature Protection, public institutions for the management of protected natural areas of Sibenik-Knin and Dubrovnik-Neretva County and representatives of the NIP project (Nature Investment Project) of the World Bank.

According to Zrinka Jakl, MedPAN South Croatia project coordinator and the head of Nature conservation program in NGO Sunce, "the primary role of the workshop was to provide technical support to our marine protected areas in creating realistic and financially feasible management plans. At the same time we sought to give insight into the variety of alternative financing options that would enhance their level of management."