The realization of conservation goals requires strategies for managing whole landscapes including areas allocated to both production and protection. Reserves alone are not adequate for nature conservation but they are the cornerstone on which regional strategies are built. Reserves have two main roles. They should sample or represent the biodiversity of each region and they should separate this biodiversity from processes that threaten its persistence. Existing reserve systems throughout the world contain a biased sample of biodiversity, usually that of remote places and other areas that are unsuitable for commercial activities. A more systematic approach to locating and designing reserves has been evolving and this approach will need to be implemented if a large proportion of today's biodiversity is to exist in a future of increasing numbers of people and their demands on natural resources.

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Systematic Conservation Planning

IUCNs Protected Areas Management Categories, which classify protected areas according to their management objectives, are today accepted as the benchmark for defining, recording and classifying protected areas.They are recognized by international bodies such as the United Nations as well as many national governments. As a result, they are increasingly being incorporated into government legislation. These guidelines provide as much clarity as possible regarding the meaning and application of the Categories. They describe the definition of the Categories and discuss application in particular biomes and management approaches.

Guidelines for applying protected area management categories

Originally conceived to conserve iconic landscapes and wildlife, protected areas are now expected to achieve an increasingly diverse set of conservation, social and economic objectives. The amount of land and sea designated as formally protected has markedly increased over the past century, but there is still a major shortfall in political commitments to enhance the coverage and effectiveness of protected areas. Financial support for protected areas is dwarfed by the benefits that they provide, but these returns depend on effective management. A step change involving increased recognition, funding, planning and enforcement is urgently needed if protected areas are going to fulfil their potential.

The performance and potential of protected areas

The term 'biodiversity' is a simple contraction of 'biological diversity', and at first sight the concept is simple too: biodiversity is the sum total of all biotic variation from the level of genes to ecosystems. The challenge comes in measuring such a broad concept in ways that are useful. We show that, although biodiversity can never be fully captured by a single number, study of particular facets has led to rapid, exciting and sometimes alarming discoveries. Phylogenetic and temporal analyses are shedding light on the ecological and evolutionary processes that have shaped current biodiversity. There is no doubt that humans are now destroying this diversity at an alarming rate. A vital question now being tackled is how badly this loss affects ecosystem functioning. Although current research efforts are impressive, they are tiny in comparison to the amount of unknown diversity and the urgency and importance of the task.

Getting the measure of biodiversity

This report was written to provide an overview, without the use of scientific jargon, of the status of coral reefs and causes of reef decline, with recommendations for action by national authorities. This second edition is a major expansion and improvement on the first edition written in 1998.

Status of coral reefs of the world : 2004

The main purpose of these Guidelines is to assist protected area managers and other
stakeholders in the planning and management of protected areas, visitor recreation and
the tourism industry, so that tourism can develop in a sustainable fashion, while
respecting local conditions and local communities. A key message is the importance of
managing resources and visitors today, so that tomorrow’s visitors can also experience
quality sites, and the conservation values that these places represent.
The Guidelines also have a number of more detailed objectives:
� To discuss the role of visitor management, including techniques that control and
limit impacts of use, while allowing maximum enjoyment of as many visitors as
can be accommodated within the limits set by environmental and social conditions;
� To outline approaches to the planning
and development of tourism infrastructure
and services in protected
areas;
� To provide guidance on the definition,
measurement, management and
use of park tourism data;
� To outline ways of enhancing the
quality of the tourism experience;
� To describe positive examples,
through a variety of case studies, of
how tourism can effectively contribute
to the conservation of natural and
cultural diversity; and
� To give positive examples, again
through the use of case studies, of
how tourism can contribute to the development
of local communities.
This is a handbook, not a cookbook.
The major questions and issues involved
in managing tourism in protected areas
are developed for the reader, but the publication
does not set out to provide all the
detailed answers. Thus a framework is
provided to establish principles and guide
decisions. There is no “one-size-fits-all”
answer to the challenge of tourism in protected areas – indeed an attraction of visiting protected areas is to see how each park
manager has developed his or her local situation in a way that projects its uniqueness,
while contributing to the common endeavour of conservation. To a large extent, management
must be responsive to local conditions.
It may appear that protected area managers have a relatively simple job in achieving
the task of conservation and visitor use, but in fact it is not easy at all. Managers have the
challenging responsibility of balancing the many competing pressures thrust upon them.
This challenge grows and becomes more complicated with increasing numbers of
visitors, changes in patterns of visitor use, and the emergence of an ever more critical
public demanding higher standards in conservation management.
The challenge of protected area management, especially that of dealing with the
pressures of recreation and tourism, will only be met effectively through building
partnerships between all the interested parties. It is hoped that this document, by being
available to protected area managers as well as other important stakeholders, such as
local communities, tour operators and conservation groups, will help build such partnerships.

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Sustainable tourism in protected areas : guidelines for planning and management

Creation and effective management of marine protected areas (MPAs) have lagged behind those of protected areas on land, but they are just as important. The world urgently needs a comprehensive system of MPAs to conserve biodiversity and to help rebuild the productivity of the oceans. The aim of these guidelines is to help countries establish systems of MPAs as a key component of integrated management of coastal and marine areas and as part of their sustainable development. The various actions to make an effective MPA are set out, from early planning stages to implementation. These guidelines aim to help policy-makers, planners and field managers, whether working on conservation of nature or sustainable use of marine resources

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Guidelines for marine protected areas

This volume argues that governance that is both appropriate to the context and “good” is crucial for effective and equitable conservation. This applies to all kinds of protected areas and other conserved areas, in terrestrial, inland waters, coastal and marine environments.

Governance of protected areas : from understanding to action

Indigenous and traditional peoples and protected areas: principles, guidelines and case studies.

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Adrian Phillips

Papers

Sustainable tourism in protected areas : guidelines for planning and management

Guidelines for marine protected areas

Governance of protected areas : from understanding to action

Indigenous and traditional peoples and protected areas: principles, guidelines and case studies.

Transboundary Protected Areas for Peace and Co-operation