Cost-Benefit Study of Marine Protected Areas: Implications on Financing and Institutional Needs

Six marine protected areas (MPAs) under various management arrangements were studied in the Philippines to estimate the costs and benefits of establishing a MPA and how are these shared on-site in order to gain insights on financing and institutional needs of MPAs. Data came from key informant interviews, focus group discussions, biophysical monitoring results, and secondary sources. External financial and technical assistance, community volunteer labor, networking and partnerships played important role in defraying the financial costs of the MPAs studied. Biophysical monitoring results provide inferential support to community anecdotes about improving fish catch and coral conditions as well as socio-economic and ecological benefits from MPA establishment. Establishing MPAs can have equity considerations in terms of sharing of costs and benefits as well as unintended effects on people’s livelihood survival strategy which should be considered in the over-all MPA design. The study suggests the importance of networking and multisectoral collaboration, sustainable funding, incentives for community participation, and linking MPA management to overall good coastal resource governance.