IUCN, Social Policy Group

"Collaborative management of protected areas" is a partnership by which various stakeholders agree on sharing among themselves the management functions, rights and responsibilities for a territory or a particular governmental agency staff - interested in pursuing the collaborative management option. It offers a broad definition of the approach and provides a number of examples of how it has been specifically tailored to different contexts.

This guide serves as a resource for policy makers and staff of conservation and population organizations who wish to integrate population dynamics into environmental planning for sustainable development. It presents the basic rationale for linking population and environmental issues, including the demonstrable impact that population dymanics and rising consumption are having on the environment. At the same time, it acknowledges the difficulty of achieving integration due to long-entrenched disciplinary and institutional specialization.

This handbook was written for staff working in protected areas around the world (including parks, wilderness areas, resarch areas, and other types of protected landscapes) who encounter conflicts of all kinds. The Handbook can also be a resource for other interested parties who want to play a constructive role in protected area conflicts. A simple framework is offered and some strategies for responding to different types of conflicts in protected areas are explored.