IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA)

This publication provides a collection of material useful to planners and managers of parks and protected areas in East Asia. It has been designed to help them think about the influx of tourism to natural protected areas, and to urge them to consciously plan for management of the interactions of tourists and the natural and cultural environment.

The IUCN system for classifying protected areas distinguishes six management categories (I-VI). This publication aims to further clarify how they can be interpreted within Europe, in order to help protected areas managers and others concerned with protected areas to apply the IUCN system more consistently to ensure reliable categorisation and data gathering

It is sometimes assumed that protected areas must be in conflict with the rights and traditions of indigenous and other traditional peoples on their domains. In reality, where indigenous peoples are interested in the conservation and traditional use of their lands, waters, territories and the natural and cultural resources that they contain, conflicts need not arise.

This publication deals in two distinct parts with the status of our natural resources on the high-seas (approximately 50 per cent of the Earth's surface) which contain open-access common resources. Part 1 identifies and reviews a certain number of relatively discrete or localised geographic features/habitats/biological communities that have particular scientific, societal or economic interest.

It is sometimes assumed that protected areas must be in conflict with the rights and traditions of indigenous and other traditional peoples on their domains. In reality, where indigenous peoples are interested in the conservation and traditional use of their lands, waters, territories and the natural and cultural resources that they contain, conflicts need not arise.

These guidelines explore financing options for protected areas and provide advice and information on sustainable financing. Both public and private financing is needed to ensure provision of the private and public goods and services which protected areas provide. A step-by-step process is given which protected area managers can use to create business and financial plans tailored to the needs and strengths of their protected area.

Over 600 protected area agencies world-wide were surveyed on their budgets and staffing levels. From the 108 countries surveyed it emerged that budgetary provision was very uneven - ranging from $24 to $12,308 per km2. There is also a positive correlation between economic development and population density. Priorities for financial assistance were identified.