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1. Definition
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Name
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PROTECTED
AREAS
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Brief
definition
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This
indicator shows the area of protected land expressed
as a percentage of the total land
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Unit of measure
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%
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2.
Position within the logical framework DPSIR
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Type
of Indicator
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Response
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3.
Target and political pertinence
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Objective
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This
indicator represents the extent to which areas important
for conserving biodiversity, cultural heritage, scientific
research (including baseline monitoring), recreation,
natural resource maintenance, and other values, are
protected from incompatible uses.
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Importance
with respect to desertification
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These
areas can be used as a "laboratory" to explore
sustainable management practices to combat desertification.
The aim of protected areas is to conserve biological
resources, both common and rare, conserving ecosystems
and preserving the ecological balance and promoting
ecological tourism as part of the diversification
of tourism. They may be considered as true areas for
conservation, reproduction and renewal of the natural
biological heritage and as laboratories for the study
of the original ecological balance with a view to
strengthening it. As such, they are one of the building
blocks of sustainable development.
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International
Conventions and agreements
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The
UNCCD emphasizes that in order to combat desertification
it must be tackled within the general framework of
actions that promote sustainable development.
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Secondary objectives
of the indicator
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To inform the public
about nature conservation issues.
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4.
Methodological description and basic definitions
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Definitions
and basic concepts
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The
1991 document “Caring for the Earth: A Strategy
for Sustainable Living” establishes a target
of 10% protected area for each major ecological region
for countries by the year 2000 (see bibliography).
A similar target was agreed to by the IVth World Congress
on National Parks and Protected Areas in 1992 (see
bibliography). Both targets reflect recognition that
representation of ecosystem diversity is more meaningful
than a flat percentage of the country's area.
The
World Conservation Union (IUCN) defines six management
categories of protected areas in two groups. Totally
protected areas are maintained in a natural state
and are closed to extractive uses. They comprise Category
I, Strict Nature Reserves/Wilderness Area; Category
II, National Park; and Category III, National Monument.
Partially protected areas are managed for specific
uses such as recreation, or to provide optimum conditions
for certain species or ecological communities. They
comprise Category IV, Habitat/Species Management Area;
Category V, Protected Landscape/Seascape; and Category
VI, Managed resource Protected Area (full definitions
are included in IUCN CNPPA, 1994 see bibliography).
Totally protected areas are necessary to protect as
wide a range as possible of natural ecological communities
and the species that depend on them. For such communities
to persist and evolve "naturally" buffered
as far as possible against human activities, the protected
areas need to be large. Partially protected areas
are useful when certain human activities are actually
required to protect particular species or ecological
communities. They are also necessary to protect valued
expressions of human relationships with nature in
terms of landscape. The size of the area is usually
less important.
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Benchmarks
Indication of the values/ranges of value
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Trend
over time
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Methods
of measurement
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The
usefulness of this indicator depends on clearly distinguishing
totally protected areas and partially protected areas,
since they have different, although complementary,
functions. Each requires a separate expression of
the indicator as follows: Calculate the combined area
of totally protected areas of 1 000 ha or more. Calculate
the combined area of partially protected area regardless
of size. Calculate the percentage of the total land
area occupied by each group.
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Limits
of the indicator
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The
effectiveness of this indicator is limited by two
problems. First, it represents de jure not de facto
protection. It does not indicate the quality of management
or whether the areas are in fact protected from incompatible
uses. Second, the indicator does not show how representative
the protected areas are of the country's ecological
diversity. This is a significant deficiency, since
a large proportion of some ecosystems may be protected
to the neglect of others.
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Linkages with other
indicators
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This indicator is linked
to other indicators that have implications for land and resource
use. These would include: Land
use evolution, Forest
management quality, wood harvesting intensity, forest
area, ratification of global agreements, etc.
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5.
Evaluation of data needs and availability
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Data
required to calculate the indicator
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Classification
of protected areas that can be matched to the IUCN
categories. Area of each totally and partially protected
area, preferably by size class. Total land area of
the country. Classification of ecological regions
and ecosystem types, with their areas and locations
recorded in a geographical information system is desirable.
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Data
sources
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National
sources include agencies responsible for parks and
protected areas. The international source is the World
Conservation Monitoring Centre (WCMC).
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Availability of data
from national and international sources
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National data on protected
areas are available for virtually all countries. Sub-national
data are available for many. Data on ecological regions
and ecosystem types are not so widely available
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6.
Institutions that have participated in developing the indicator
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Main
institutions responsible
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Lead
Agency: The lead agency is the World Conservation
Union (IUCN). The contact point is the IUCN International
Assessment Team; fax no. (1 604) 474 6976.
Other
Organizations: The WCMC has contributed to the development
of this indicator.
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Other contributing organizations
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Universities of Basilicata,
Lisbon, Murcia, Athens.
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7.
Additional information
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Bibliography
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IUCN
CNPPA. Guidelines for Protected Area Management Categories.
CNPPA with the assistance of WCMC, IUCN. Gland, Switzerland
and Cambridge, United Kingdom. 1994.
IUCN,
United Nations Environment Programme, World Wildlife
Fund. Caring for the Earth: A Strategy for Sustainable
Living. Gland, Switzerland and Nairobi. 1991.
McNeely,
Jeffrey (ed). Parks for Life: Report of the IVth World
Congress on National Parks and Protected Areas. IUCN,
Gland, Switzerland. 1993.
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Other
references
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Contacts Name and address
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University of Basilicata
Prof Giovanni Quaranta
email: quaranta@unibas.it
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