Deadline: 15 August 2018
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA) and WildArk is seeking nominations for the inaugural Pathfinder Award for innovation in conservation. The Award is supported by the contributions of several partners and funders through projects that are helping to identify and communicate solutions.
The Pathfinder Award recognises outstanding and innovative solutions for protected and conserved areas, developed and implemented by individuals, organisations or groups.
The 2018 Award Theme: Innovation & Excellence in Protected and Conserved Area Financing and Resourcing.
Focus Areas
This year’s award focuses on identifying and celebrating solutions from around the world that have addressed this problem. Solutions should demonstrate:
- Success in sustainable financing or resources: adopting new types of sustainable financing or resourcing for one or more protected/conserved areas;
- New and additional sources of revenues or means to address priorities sustainably;
- Significant finance or resourcing breakthrough: dramatically increasing protected area revenues or access to resources without compromising integrity;
- Successful partnerships for financing/resourcing: new partnerships developed with private sector or civil society that achieve new financing or resourcing;
- New technologies: new approaches or methods to mobilise, collect, administer or disburse financial and other resources for protected areas;
- Management for investment: new management approaches to attract and enable investment or achieve new efficiencies.
Prize Information
- The winners will receive the following prizes:
- Public recognition and acknowledgement which can then be used to motivate and inspire others. The awards ceremony will be held at the COP 14 meeting in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, between 17 and 29 November 2018. The winners will be presented with the award in person at this meeting and a representative would be expected to be able to travel to COP 14. The costs of the attendance will be covered in full. If the winner Award Prizes of the award is a group or an organisation, then only one representative will be invited to attend the ceremony in person, with the CBD country focal point being the default.
- A financial prize of US$ 10,000 for the winner, US$ 2,000 for the runner-up, and a US$ 1,000 will be awarded to each of up to three special commendation winners.
- The Pathfinder Award certificate and a plaque.
- Possible participation in a training programme or mentorship, including the IUCN Green List of Protected Areas Programme, if not already a candidate or listed site.
- Opportunity to receive in-kind technical support or membership of a network, including IUCN WCPA and IUCN Green List.
- Potential opportunity for keynote participation in a global, regional, or digital PANORAMA event.
- Further promotion and visibility: All complete submissions that meet PANORAMA’s ‘criteria for solutions’ will be published on the web platform, regardless of their success in the award process.
- The winners, runners-up, as well as other select nominees and their work may be featured on the relevant UNDP and IUCN websites and in a range of other promotional material, social media sites, or printed material.
Eligibility Criteria
They welcome all applications/nominations that meet the following requirements:
- The applicant/nominee(s) must be an individual or group/organisation that works within or represents a protected or conserved area and their constituents and stakeholders (e.g., rangers, park managers, directors, local leaders, members of communities, and advocates). Innovation and initiative must be completed with clear results, or under implementation with a certain level of accomplishment. Any person or a group can be nominated by those who are sufficiently familiar with their work and with the full approval of the nominee(s). Self-nominations are welcome and encouraged.
- All categories of protected and conserved areas are eligible including community and private conservation areas, and areas conserved by indigenous peoples and local communities. There are no restrictions related to the protected area management, ownership, or governance types.
- Innovative ideas that are not yet fully developed and/or implemented are not eligible for the award. However, such ideas can be submitted for the ‘Innovation Laboratory’ poster, which will be displayed at the Awards Ceremony.
How to Apply
Nominees can apply online via given website.
For more information, please visit Pathfinder Award.