The objective is to establish and capitalize a trust fund, which is anchored to the Sustainable Environmental Investment Fund (FIAS), in order to protect, preserve and conserve the Galapagos Marine Reserve (GMR), ensuring its financial sustainability.
The main long-term milestone to be achieved with this fund is to increase the 40 miles of the GMR. In addition, the fund will be used to develop and implement a plan for the prevention, conservation and preservation of the GMR. To achieve these milestones, three main programs were defined. However, two cross-cutting themes were identified as crucial to achieving good preservation and conservation of the GMR, namely Climate Change and Environmental Communication and Education.
The three programs are:
- Maintain and strengthen the Monitoring and Surveillance program of the GMR to protect the marine heritage;
- Guarantee the conservation of the GMR and its ecological integrity, through monitoring and research for the rational use of its environmental goods and services;
- Contribute to the development and implementation of the Emergency Plan for the GMR.
- The updating of the value of tourism operation patents;
- In Ecuador there is a Sustainable Environmental Investment Fund (FIAS) that will allow us to create this GMR fund under its umbrella;
- The existence of a Galapagos Invasive Species Fund, anchored to the FIAS, is an example of success for the creation of the marine reserve fund, providing confidence for investors.
- The creation of this type of fund helps to mitigate the instability of financing by the State and external cooperation;
- In negotiations with external cooperation to seek their willingness to invest in this fund, or help in the search for donors for it, it has been well received in this environment due to the factor of sustainability over time;
- The State, through its Ministry of Finance, has positively received the GNPD's initiative to implement the fund;
- One of the main barriers that had to be overcome was political instability. However, as explained in the previous building block, the technical nature of this project outweighed the political.