WWF International

Biodiversity within inland water ecosystems in Eastern Africa is highly diverse and of great importance to livelihoods and economies, however, development activities are not always compatible with the conservation of this diversity and it is poorly represented in the development planning process. One of the main reasons is the lack of readily available information on the status and distribution of inland water taxa.

These studies investigate the role of protected areas in supporting local socio economic development in selected regions of each country. They are designed to assist policy-makers and planners by demonstrating that protected areas are productive economic assets and that there is a need for appropriately managing them in order to realize the greatest benefits for the community.

Thematic lesson papers are intended to bring global lessons and best practice to the region and to help define the agenda for detailed consultation and reform in the four lower Mekong River countries.

These lessons papers are the result of assessment and debate carried out through background papers and national round table meetings involving all key sectors and levels of government. They provided the basis for the more detailed work in each country by inter agency PAD core groups on the national reports.

The regional report deals with issues requiring collective action from all four countries in the Lower Mekong region and describes the status and trends in the region which set the basis for the PAD review.

The report analyses the relationships between the national protected area system and socio-economic development addressing important sectors one by one. It concludes by setting out strategies for each sector to optimise the benefits received from protected areas whilst maintaining and improving their integrity.

The report analyses the relationships between the national protected area system and socio-economic development addressing important sectors one by one. It concludes by setting out strategies for each sector to optimise the benefits received from protected areas whilst maintaining and improving their integrity.