Building this project within a larger regional project (incl. Thailand and Vietnam), enables the sharing of experiences among countries (fisheries market development, coastal protection) and facilitates the understanding of climate change as a global concern with localized solutions. Collection of effective solutions, good practices and lessons learned are shared at regional level under a regional platform. High level national officials are involved in field visits and local discussions to bring community-led examples of climate change adaptation to national attention.
The participation of some national government representatives was a guarantee to bringing local examples to a national platform. Good communications and information sharing about data on the status of biodiversity and climate is a pre-requisite for conservationists and policy makers to make an informed and right decisions for the conservation and management.
Exchange of site visit by local communities and local media to the neighboring countries is also a good strategy for allowing them to learn about the issues in terms of biodiversity protection and conservation, climate change issues and local adaptation and local response mechanisms. In addition, they can share successful and unsuccessful lessons learned and best practices which can be applied in their localities. In addition to this, media can also play an important role in disseminating issues about climate change and local solutions to the wider audience. Sanctuary zoning with clear zones of core zone, conservation zone, multiple use zone and community use zone and signed by the prime ministerial sub-decree is a model for other protected areas and countries to follow. It restricts the attempts by private companies to obtain economic concessions from the government.
Strengthening transboundary cooperation through joint action
Park Director Kari Lahti of Oulanka National Park and Park Director Aleksandr Bizhon of Paanajärvi National Park celebrating success of transboundary cooperation in Paanajärvi National Park in 2008
For transboundary cooperation to work, it is important that the transboundary National Parks work together on common tasks and activities. This can be achieved through joint implementation of projects. In the case of Oulanka National Park in Finland and Paanajärvi National Park in Russia, many projects have been implemented in order to solidify these two entities into one real functional unit – a twin park – that serves as a model for transboundary cooperation.
The Interreg/Tacis Joint Project “Oulanka-Paanajärvi – wilderness, experiences and well-being” contributed toward ensuring ecological and socio-economic sustainability of Oulanka and Paanajärvi National Parks while preserving and enhancing attractiveness of the region for visitors and to make the twin park the most important and attractive destination for nature-oriented tourism in the region. This in turn creates possibilities for entrepreneurship and preserves and strengthens employment opportunities for local people and entrepreneurs.
Joint management and implementation of the project was an important tool in making transboundary cooperation part of the daily work in the management of the transboundary National Parks on both sides of the border.
It is helpful if transboundary cooperation has recognition on a higher level than just the National Parks. In Oulanka-Paanajärvi twin park, in addition to the joint agreement of collaboration there is a convention between the Finnish and Russian governments as well as a memorandum between the regional governments. The commitment of twin park managers and personnel to reaching common goals and working together is essential. Promotion on both sides is important and helps nature tourism businesses in creating sustainable transboundary products.
The best way to make transboundary work part of daily activities of managers and personnel of the National Parks is to do actual work together and in such a way that all levels of personnel participate in the work. Transboundary work cannot be just meetings between higher level staff but actual hands-on work by all levels of personnel.
It is important that the staff members that have knowledge of the language spoken in the NP across the border or another common language actively act as interpreters in order to help communication between personnel in transboundary NPs. Language learning should be encouraged and supported by the management of NPs.
It is also important to celebrate the achievements together and invite local people, businesses, local and regional government and media to take part in the events. It is important to make new history together especially in Oulanka-Paanajärvi region where wars were fought and the border was closed for a long time.
Enhancing sustainable tourism in transboundary NPs
Nature is the basis for nature-oriented tourism and recreational use of nature, thus nature tourism must be sustainable: not threatening natural values and respecting local culture. Sustainability of activities is a precondition for use of NPs, continuity of nature-based tourism and recreational use of nature, and regional attractiveness.
Assessments of ecological sustainability of tourism and recreational use of nature were conducted in Oulanka and Paanajärvi NPs by research institutions. The method ‘Limits of Acceptable Change’ was used to determine limits of ecological sustainability as part of a Sustainable Tourism Development Strategy in Oulanka NP. Waste management practices and public awareness of waste management were developed in Paanajärvi NP. A Sustainable Tourism Development Strategy (STDS) was developed in Paanajärvi NP to match the already existing one in Oulanka NP. The STDS is an instrument for attaining long-term sustainability of ecological and socio-economic development of the territory. Work on STDS enables an objective assessment of the present situation of the transboundary NPs and adjoining areas in relation to development of tourism and to develop a plan of future activities for the whole territory.
It was important that there was sufficient data collected on natural and socio-economic conditions of the National Parks in order to make an educated assessment of the sustainability of nature-based tourism and recreational use of nature. Good cooperation with stakeholders that have an impact on National Parks was vital as was mutual commitment to the importance of strategic planning of the Parks and their surrounding area. Monitoring of the factors used to determine the limits of acceptable change is essential for long-term sustainability.
It is important to reserve sufficient time to build the base for cooperation and understanding of the methodology and process of developing a Sustainable Tourism Development Strategy for a National Park. It is also important to engage the stakeholders early on so that they feel that their views and opinions are taken into account. This enhances the commitment to implement the STDS by all involved.
Collection of baseline data and information and monitoring of relevant factors is essential if real sustainability in the use of National Parks is to be reached. Also the limits of acceptable change should be open for revision as new data are collected. Sharing of work methodologies and information across the border in transboundary NPs improves coordinated actions that benefit NPs on both sides of the border, thus also making the management of transboundary NPs more in line. This transboundary cooperation is essential to ensure ecological sustainability, as nature knows no borders.
Training and certification of National Park guides
Training of nature guides in Oulanka National Park, Finland
A competent guide and site-specific information deepen the visitor experience and understanding of natural and cultural sites. There is a need for increased quality in the range of nature-based tourism products and guides specialised in sites and site-specific information to intensify the visitor’s experience. The project answered to this challenge by developing a training system for nature guides as well as the principles governing the certification of guides for Oulanka National Park in Finland.
Four guides from the Russian Paanajärvi National Park participated in the training course for nature guides in order to learn about the training and its applicability in Paanajärvi NP and to enhance their knowledge of Oulanka NP as well as to form personal links with Oulanka NP staff. Other participants of the training were guides of local nature-based tourism businesses. In order to be certified, the guides had to pass the tasks specified in the training programme. The training was given by NP specialists and practical arrangements were organised by a co-operating educational institute.
The interest of the local nature-based tourism businesses to have their guides participate in the training course was the most fundamental factor. This meant that the businesses were willing to invest in their guides, as they believed it would ultimately be beneficial for the business. The National Park’s willingness to provide resources (staff and funding) for the training was of vital importance. Open and constructive dialogue between NP management and businesses was very important during the training.
The training was a great way to get to know the local nature-based tourism businesses and the people that work in them. We (managers of National Parks) learned about the realities of business, while the business entrepreneurs learned about our management philosophy and got to know us personally. After the training, the entrepreneurs saw us as actual people rather than just authorities enforcing laws. This helped improve relationships between NP managers and the entrepreneurs.
During the training, it is important to have time for discussions and sharing as these strengthen the bonds between people. It is very important to do the training on the guides’ terms: they are used to oral presentation, not written, so it is good to formulate the tasks so that not much paper work is needed on the trainees’ part. It is good to make the certified guides public and give them the right to use a certified guide badge. It is vital to take into account the tourist season and avoid training during it.
Development of GIS-based electronic information points
The aim of the electronic information points is channeling visitor use in order to help avoid congestion within Paanajärvi and Oulanka NPs and thus to enhance possibilities of nature experiences for visitors and to safeguard biological diversity and ecological sustainability of the NPs. Through the information points visitors can obtain easily accessible, fun and entertaining information of the possibilities for experiencing nature in Oulanka and Paanajärvi National Parks and in other areas in their vicinity, encouraging also visitation across the border. The information points also describe less visited sites, thus channelling the visitor use towards areas that can accommodate more visitors. This can effectively reduce crowding in certain areas and thus contribute towards preserving ecological values in the more crowded areas.
Nine electronic, multi-lingual information points were installed: 7 in Finland and 2 in Russia. Partnerships were formed with tourism associations and businesses and local administrations in order to place the information points in well visited sites outside of National Parks, as well as in the Visitor Centres of the NPs. Emphasis was put on presenting the sites with engaging photos and fun text.
There was great interest in these electronic information points, and the managers of sites where information points were placed were keen to maintain them.
Interest of regional and local authorities and tourism sector actors to promote natural and cultural sites of visit within their own and in neighbouring areas was important for planning and implementing the information points. The personnel of the National Parks were keen to share their photos for the information points and the Parks management was very supportive of the information points.
The electronic information points provide information in a fun and entertaining way focusing more on photos than text. By keeping the text short and fun to read along with photos showing people not taking themselves seriously, the information is easily accessible to the user.
The electronic information points can be updated using a network connection but they cannot be used over the Internet. They are only available on site. It might be worth to have the information points available on the Internet as well, as that is the way people seek information nowadays. This would help visitors plan their trip better and avoid crowds as they could find information on the less visited and known sites prior to their visit.
Development of GIS-based electronic information points
Training and certification of National Park guides
Enhancing sustainable tourism in transboundary NPs
Sharing a common past through preservation of cultural sites
Strengthening transboundary cooperation through joint action
Sustainable Financing: PAN Funds and Endowments
First, each jurisdiction developed sustainable finance plans, including financing targets, strategies, and the creation of Protected Area Network (PAN) Funds. For example, Palau created a Green Fee, and FSM and RMI are working on Tuna Licensing Fee legislation and a tourism fee to support sustainable financing of the Micronesia Challenge. Pohnpei and Kosrae State are creating PAN funds and are evaluating an amendment to the airport tax law to allow some of the departure fees to go into the FSM's Micronesia Challenge Endowment Fund. Additionally, several other sustainable financing schemes have been and/or are being set up (i.e. the Yela Conservation Easement Endowment, the Awak Sustainable Community Development Revolving Fund, the Nett Water Fund). An endowment for the MC is another important component to sustainable financing. Interest income from an endowment of approximately $56 million ($17 million as of 2015) will be needed to supplement local sources for the long-term sustainability of the MC in all five jurisdictions. Although the endowment funds are invested together, each jurisdiction has their own sub-account and will develop their own dissemination mechanisms for their interest income.
The Micronesia Conservation Trust (founded 2002) had structure and relationships in place prior to receiving funds, which was a key component to project success. Past success with pass-through grants helped build credibility.
The Endowment was seeded with over $11 million from the Global Environment Facility, The Nature Conservancy (TNC), and Conservation International, and leveraged additional resources from the countries.
Innovative financing ideas are being developed in each of the five jurisdictions and at the community level
Regional conservation trusts can be a powerful mechanism for building capacity and creating a hub for regional networks and partnerships, and MCT has served as a model for other regional funds, such as the Caribbean Biodiversity Fund (CBF) established in 2012.
The Micronesia Challenge incentivizes longer-term planning, because criteria such as establishing management plans are required before tapping into the endowment funds.
Innovative financing mechanisms developed in one jurisdiction or by one community can be replicated and scaled in other places, because the Micronesia Challenge encourages sharing of information to achieve a regional goal.
The announcement of the Micronesia Challenge in 2006 was the culmination of decades of work by Micronesian people and organizations to raise awareness and strengthen the capacity across this region to conserve and sustainably manage natural resources. In early 2006, the Chief Executives of each of the jurisdictions signed the Micronesia Challenge and presented it to the international community at a high level event at the 8th Conference of the Parties (COP8) to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in March 2006 in Brazil. The decades of groundwork combined with the right timing and publicity at the COP8 created a moment when political leaders challenged each other to make this ambitious commitment. They were far more ambitious than even the Aichi Targets that would follow in 2011 (17% terrestrial and 10% marine by 2020). The fact that political leaders at the highest level and across the region committed to this target catalyzes both local implementation and international finance to conservation in Micronesia. Now the Micronesia Challenge has become an established institution, mainstreamed into government priorities and surviving turnover in administrations in every one of the five participating jurisdictions.
Political will and dedication of individual island leaders, who coordinate through the MC Regional Office (MC Regional Coordinator and the MC Steering Committee appointed by the chief executives of the jurisdictions)
Support from the Micronesia Challenge Regional Support Team (RST), which includes national and international partners, as well as local conservation NGOs in each island, and the Measures Working Group that develops indicators and tracks progress
Bringing dedicated and active leaders together at the highest level can create momentum for ambitious commitments that are more powerful than individual nations’ commitments
Strong partnerships at local to regional level to support accelerated progress toward the commitment.
Regional commitments like the Micronesia Challenge can be replicated in other regions that have strong leadership. Through the Global Island Partnership, the MC has inspired other challenges such as the Caribbean Challenge Initiative (CCI), the Western Indian Ocean Coastal Challenge (WIOCC), the Aloha+ Challenge, the Two Samoas’ Initiative, and the Coral Triangle Initiative.
