MPAth stands for ‘Marine Protected Area Tool Hub’. It is an educational platform designed for practitioners with a smart search capability helping users find resources quickly and easily to address challenges in their unique context.

The platform has been developed by the UNEP in collaboration with the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation, the University of Queensland, The Nature Conservancy and WWF and the content created by experts in their respective fields.

The platform allows users to filter their search results by their stakeholder type and goals or objectives for the Marine Protected Area to access the most relevant resources.

Use case example:

Meet Alfred, a dedicated government official responsible for environmental conservation in the Solomon Islands. His role, staying informed about the health of the coral reefs is paramount. Upon learning about the MPAth platform through an NGO, he recognized its potential to provide invaluable insights.

Alfred has become increasingly concerned about the threat of climate change to the local coral reefs, in particularly the significant rise in sea surface temperatures. He accessed the MPAth platform and filtered his search results by his role and concern. He was able to access a range of resources that outlined the impacts of climate change on coral reefs and MPAs as well as advice on what to do.  With this crucial information at hand, Alfred initiated a series of measures including a new monitoring plan and adjustments to reef access regulations.

Alfred saved time by accessing targeted resources quickly and felt confident that the information was evidence based and up to date. This helped him to better manage the MPA in the face of climate change.  

Explore MPAth Here