AHP6 SESSIONS

AHP6 Parallel Break-out Session 3: Innovative Financing

22 October 2019

14:00-17:00

Muong Lao Room, 1st floor, Champasak Grand Hotel

Securing additional resources, especially one that is sustainable, is among the many struggles in managing protected areas. A previous study on the management effectiveness of the ASEAN Heritage Parks (Mardiastuti 2012) concluded that many of these Parks are faced with the challenge of meeting the needed conservation work and managing the areas more effectively because of inadequate and even lack of resources. Protected areas require a sustainable source of financing to support monitoring operations, continue and enhance the needed scientific studies, and recruit and maintain a set of qualified staff. With the exception of those with highly earning tourism programs, most of the parks rely only on government support that is, in many cases, not sufficient to cover all aspects of protected area management. In augmenting their budget, the protected area management units often seek other means, such as imposing user charges, environmental taxes, and even privatization, and so on. Having a knowledge of the opportunities at hand and the innovative approaches in securing financial resources, which have already been successfully utilised by others, can provide guidance to the ASEAN Heritage Parks in optimising their strengths to create more sustainable financing models that fit their context, capacity, and needs.

The session aims to enhance the understanding of the AHPs of the potential and adoptable models on innovative financing schemes for protected area management. The session will consist of the government sector, private corporations, and civil society organisations who can provide best practices on innovative financing, insights on the motivations of investments, knowledge of non-government revenue streams, and strategies on policy leveraging for sustainable financing, which can be adopted by the governments to equitably and effectively manage the AHPs. The session will also serve as platform for AHPs to exchange ideas, express concerns, and give recommendations in relation to financing protected areas, in general.

Co-chairs: