WWF International

Poverty has become the central concern for development agencies, and because many of the areas that are most important for conserving biodiversity are occupied by poor people, or have poor people living around them, the relationship between poverty and protected areas can no longer be ignored. It is a complex one, but this book presents a balanced perspective on how protected areas relate to poverty, in both positive and negative ways.

The tsunamis of Sunday 26 December 2004 struck without apparent warning on a clear day. Not only was there a devastating loss of life, but coastal resources and infrastructure in the Indian Ocean suffered massive destruction as well. This book focuses on the impacts on the natural coastal resources, especially the coral reefs and associated ecosystems, and the responses by the international community.

With more than 70 individual sites, nationally and internationally designated, in the Western Indian Ocean, there is a growing need to ensure and improve the management effectiveness of the marine protected areas. This toolkit aims to act as a first point of call in the search for information on issues that MPA managers and practitioners face in day-to-day operations.