Enhancing Resilience towards Climate Change in Macajalar Bay through the Marine Protected Area Management Effectiveness Assessment Tool (MPA-MEAT)

Abstract The establishment of marine protected areas (MPAs) plays a significant role in conservation and addressing the threats afflicting our marine resources. In relation to coastal resource management in the Philippines, marine protected areas are one of the achievable modes of habitat protection and adaptation measure against the impacts of climate change. With a growing number of marine protected areas, the stakeholders need to understand better how to effectively manage their MPAs. In this study, we look at the various indicators used in the MPA-MEAT (Marine Protected Area Management Effectiveness Assessment Tool) as we try to assess the performances of 7 MPAs in Macajalar Bay in relation to their initial objectives and examine the different issues facing the management of these MPAs. This paper utilizes the MPA-MEAT self-evaluation toolkit as used by local government units, which was developed by the Coastal Conservation and Education Foundation (CCEF) and modified by the EcoGov2 Project of USAID and facilitated by the MPA Support Network (MSN). The high scores obtained mean that greater effort is placed into MPA management and potentially increase MPA effectiveness. However, all the MPAs did not meet the basic Level 1 category, which means that these MPAs are still under the process of establishment and that basic activities should be performed soon to fully "establish" them