Course Overview
This course is designed to build the institutional capacity of representatives from the countries of the Eastern Tropical Pacific Marine Corridor (CMAR). It equips participants with economic and financial tools to support strategic planning and enhance the effective management of marine protected areas. By fostering a shared understanding of key concepts, the course encourages clearer communication and more informed decision-making in protected area management. Participants will learn to apply practical tools for economic analysis and to design financing strategies to promote long-term sustainability of their conservation initiatives. In addition, the course aims to strengthen regional cooperation among CMAR countries by promoting collaboration, knowledge exchange, and joint action on blue economy initiatives.
Methodology
This course is designed to allow participants to balance their work schedules with the learning process through a combination of online sessions with experts, in-depth classes, up-to-date readings, and practical exercises that illustrate the application of the blue economy in real-world scenarios. Our instructors are experts in their fields and have experience applying these tools around the world.
Participants are expected to dedicate an average of six hours per week to meet course requirements, distributed as follows:
Three hours per week to actively participate in the live online sessions, which will be held twice a week. These sessions will take place during working hours and will last an hour and a half each. One to two hours per week to watch the in-depth classes. These are pre-recorded classes that will be available on the course platform. One to two hours per week to complete practical exercises, group work, readings, and additional digital materials. Note: This distribution is only a reference and may vary depending on the module and each instructor’s work plan.
Participants selected for this course will have access to all materials for an additional six months after the course ends. The course materials include recordings of all live sessions, in-depth classes, readings, exercises, and supplementary materials.
Course Content
- Economics Fundamentals
- Natural Resource Economics: Marine Resources and Fishery Economics
- Economic Analysis Tools
- Blue Finance
- Economic Instruments for Policy and Governance
- Master Classes
Participant Selection
Participant recruitment will be led by the CMAR Secretariat and will focus on representatives from CMAR member countries: Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, and Panama.
The course is designed for professionals in leadership, coordination, or decision-making roles within marine protected areas or environmental ministries. Ideal participants are those who can apply the course content to the development, improvement, or implementation of institutional strategies related to marine conservation policy and program management. No prior background in economics or finance is required and enrollment is limited to 40 participants.
Instructors
- Mauricio Medinaceli
- Cindy Silva Vivanco
- Marcello Hernández-Blanco
- Myriam Vargas
- Julia Queiroz
- Jorge Nogueira