May 29, 2025 — The first edition of the Diploma in Management and Governance of Marine Protected Areas began with a virtual meeting. The program is taught by the Universidad Austral de Chile and its Austral University Academy of Protected Areas (AUA), together with the School of Management of Marine Protected Areas of the Southern Cone, which belongs to the Forum for the Conservation of the Patagonian Sea and Areas of Influence. This collaborative effort between the academic sector and various civil society organizations dedicated to marine conservation aims to provide training for the effective management of the region’s protected areas to help them achieve their conservation and local community development goals.
“We are happy to realize this collective dream and accompany them in this training process. This training program is enriched by the diversity of backgrounds of those who make up this first cohort,” said Dr. Mylthon Jiménez, director of the diploma program and AUA coordinator. He was referring to the collaborative effort between academia, civil society, and public actors, as well as the ten outstanding professionals from various Latin American countries who make up the teaching staff.
“This diploma course is the result of our long collaboration with the Forum for the Conservation of the Patagonian Sea and Areas of Influence and the NGO Pew. Together, we sought to link academic training with territorial expertise,” said Dr. César Guala Catalán, director of the Austral Patagonia Program at the Universidad Austral de Chile. “With more than 70 years of experience and a solid foundation in marine sciences, the UACh is committed to improving conservation training. The creation of the Austral University Academy reflects this commitment,” he added.
The diploma students are environmental, marine biology, and natural resource management professionals, as well as those in related fields, from Colombia, Brazil, Peru, Argentina, Mexico, Ecuador, Chile and Uruguay, who are interested in the effective management of marine protected areas. Twenty-three students will participate in training aimed at strengthening capacities in marine conservation, territorial governance, and the effective management of marine protected areas (MPAs) over the next 13 weeks. The training includes theoretical modules, individual practical work, and a face-to-face phase in Chiloé. “Our training emphasizes monitoring and governance. It provides conceptual tools and promotes the practical application and replication of this knowledge in students’ own territories,” said Stanley Arguedas, the academic director of the diploma course.
Similarly, on the first day of the Diploma course, Paula Bueno, the IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA)’s vice-president for South America, pointed out that the course’s purpose is to “break down the concept of equitable governance, analyze who makes decisions, how they are made, and the quality of those decisions. It is crucial to evaluate how these decisions impact the effective management of protected areas, especially in diverse and changing contexts, such as those in Latin America.”
Francisco Solis, director of Patagonia Chilena at The Pew Charitable Trusts, underscored the importance of effectively managing marine protected areas to fulfill international conservation commitments, such as the 30×30 Target. He said, “It is not enough to declare protected areas; we must ensure that they are effectively managed. This diploma course addresses that need and is being offered from the Global South with a commitment to rigorous training.”
Indeed, large marine protected areas (MPAs) have been established in the Southern Cone over the last few decades, significantly increasing the protection of several countries’ Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs). Chile, for example, has achieved 43% protection; Argentina, 8%; and Uruguay seeks to achieve at least 10%. However, gaps in knowledge and management tools for effectively managing protected areas are well known.
Alejandro Arias, the representative of the Forum for the Conservation of the Patagonian Sea and Areas of Influence, emphasized, “In recent times, we have seen an increase in the designation of protected areas, but this must be accompanied by the capacity to manage them effectively. This diploma course addresses that need by training individuals directly involved in caring for and managing marine areas.”
Thanks to the collaboration between the Universidad Austral de Chile (UACh) and its Academia Universitaria Austral de Áreas Protegidas (AUA) and the organizations gathered in the Forum and the School of Marine Protected Areas Management (WWF Chile, WCS Chile, Fundación Vida Silvestre Argentina, and PEW), with the support of the Blue Nature Alliance, this diploma course received valuable funding. This funding made it possible to provide scholarships to most of the participants.
