- Sallum Marine Protected Area is characterized by its high natural biodiversity, under multiple threats such as climate change, over-fishing, over grazing and bird hunting. In this respect, Environics was commissioned to develop a business plan for Sallum Marine Protected Area with the following objectives: addressing the main opportunities and challenges including those related to the regulatory and institutional framework, guiding resource allocations based on the needs of the protected area, and ensuring that public, private, and community actors participate actively in implementation of the financial sustainability plans.
- Environics Scope of Work included the following:
- Data collection through a comprehensive desktop review and field visits to update Environics accumulated knowledge of the project area through multiple previous assignments. The review will include: Ecological, aesthetic and cultural resources, their condition, the capability of facilities in and around the MPA to support existing and projected uses, Key features of the socio-economic environment, and Legal and institutional framework at the national and local level.
- Determine the financial needs and gap analysis, including: estimating the financial needs of the MPA with the existing management plans, reviewing the different income sources, identifying of cost-reduction opportunities, developing scenarios for financial needs, based on actual, basic and effective management scenarios, determining the financial gaps between future needs and available funding, and assessing legal and institutional framework related to financial management.
- Identifying, developing and selecting financial mechanisms to maintain and increase income from existing sources through the following: Identifying Sallum goods and services (eco-tourism, marine resources etc.), conducting market analysis and quantify demand to select two services, examining potential revenues streams, the target customer segments and operational requirements associated with the revenue stream, building a revenue model and identifying required investment, and drafting cost-benefit analysis for each financial mechanism.
- Business plan formulation to work with stakeholders and Government to create a framework for the financial sustainability plan, drafting outlines of implementation plans for key financial strategies, completing draft financial sustainability plan for review, deciding and assigning responsibilities, validating through sharing results with all participating stakeholders.
