Project Title:

Coastal Environmental and Socioeconomic Monitoring at the Aqaba Marine Park

Project Duration:

2017 - 2018

Project Objectives:

The main goal of this project is to improve management of marine resources in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden in selected Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), building on resource protection, incentive systems for communities and harmonization of the knowledge base of marine resources between PERSGA (The Regional Organization for the Conservation of the Environment of the Red Sea & Gulf of Aden) member countries. 

The Project includes four components designed to lift the barriers preventing the required balance between biodiversity conservation and development along the Aqaba coast:

• Project Component 1: Strengthening the principles of marine managed areas through stakeholder driven MPA implementation
• Project Component 2: Strengthening coastal communities using an incentives approach to improve fisheries management and achieve other marine resource benefits
• Project Component 3: Regional Environmental and Socioeconomic Monitoring Supporting Ecosystem Based Management (EBM) and Community Benefits
• Project Component 4: Project Management

Partner Organizations:

Regional Organization for Conservation of the Environment of the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden (PERSGA) and Aqaba Marine Park

Outstanding Achievements:

• Identified and mapped hotspot areas of fishing.
• Created database on quantity and length of distribution of commercially fished species.
• Conducted full socio-economic studies of the fishermen.
• Developed research methodologies to build concrete information that supports decision making process.
• Built a team of qualified divers capable of supporting Aqaba’s conservation efforts in further reef monitoring activities at the Jordanian Red Sea coast.
• Raised awareness and knowledge about coral reef status at the Marine Park and disseminated results to a wider public.
• Full information related to water quality.  
• Studied impact of anthropogenic activities on the quality of Aqaba Marine Park; results integrated within management activities.
• Created map of the main sources of marine litter in Aqaba.
• Developed best management practices report to prevent littering, based on current monitoring results.