Hayes, Shelley

Communication and co-operation among all conservation bodies and concerned individuals are vital to effective conservation and to securing the funding and other resources needed. Only by forming productive links among all protected area organisations and initiatives in the region can the aim of the East Asia Action Plan be realised.

The East Asia Action Plan (IUCN, 1996) recommended exchange programmes as a means of improving protected area management capacity in the East Asia region. The experience of exchange programmmes from around the world shows that they can bring great benefits when executed and managed effectively. This report reviews and summarizes past experience world-wide in protected area-related exchange programmes, and analyzes its relevance to East Asia.