This training manual was produced in the context of “Supporting the Integrated and Effective Management of the SoNG MPA” (SoNG Support), a project implemented by the Leibniz Centre for Tropical Marine Research (ZMT) in Bremen, Germany from May 2024 until June 2025. The SoNG Support Project is an endeavour within the larger project "Integrated management of the Sundarbans Mangroves and the Marine Protected Area 'Swatch of No Ground' (SoNG)", an initiative of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) in Bangladesh, implemented by the Bangladesh Forest Department (BFD), the Department of Fisheries (DoF), and GIZ Bangladesh, and funded by the German Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). The SoNG Support Project involved a package of measures, including participatory and inclusive stakeholder consultations, as well as the collaborative preparation and piloting of a course with tailored training material. Thereby, we strived to support the development of relevant measures for a sustainable and equitable management of the SoNG MPA and other MPAs in Bangladesh, complementing existing engagements in the region. Based on insights gathered during the pilot trainings and feedback from participants, this training manual includes: A course curriculum that includes (i) an introduction into MPA planning as a process embedded in wider Marine Spatial Planning; (ii) an exploration of stakeholder recognition and engagement; (iii) an overview of essential skills, methodologies, and variables needed for effective management and monitoring of MPAs in Bangladesh and the SoNG MPA in particular Recommendations and materials to support future training implementation and the Training of Trainers (ToT) This training manual contributes to the overarching project objectives: (1) Taking into account the outcomes of consultative processes with relevant actors, all stakeholders are identified and motivated to jointly contribute to the management of the SoNG MPA and other MPAs in Bangladesh.(2) Local fishing communities and, if applicable, other marine resource user groups, are continuously informed about MPA planning and decision-making processes, and their rights in these, included in MPA management, and informed about and able to interpret the results of MPA monitoring.(3) The capacity of relevant actors to monitor, safeguard, and manage the SoNG MPA and other MPAs in Bangladesh is improved. Official representatives from different stakeholder groups (i.e., from BFD, DoF, MoD, BN) will have taken part in a first set of MPA management courses.
Schwindenhammer et al. (Tue,) studied this question.