Guidelines

Creation and effective management of marine protected areas (MPAs) have lagged behind those of protected areas on land, but they are just as important. The world urgently needs a comprehensive system of MPAs to conserve biodiversity and to help rebuild the productivity of the oceans. The aim of these guidelines is to help countries establish systems of MPAs as a key component of integrated management of coastal and marine areas and as part of their sustainable development.

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.

This landmark publication builds on previous work between IUCN/WCPA and the European Commission and addresses the key protected area policy issues and needs of the ACP (Africa, Caribbean and Pacific) countries. It describes the actions that are required if protected areas are to be successful in the next century.

Visitors to parks and protected areas impact at many levels: political, economic, social and ecological. To ensure effective park management for increasing visitor numbers, good quality global data on visitor use is necessary. This manual describes terms, approaches and techniques for gathering information about public use of parks and protected areas.

This guide illustrates the potential for using valuation as a tool for diversifying the funding structure for protected areas and for providing information about stakeholders which is crucial for effective management.

Industry plays a vital role in the economic growth of a country. The industrialisation process is essential for modernisation, income generation, employment opportunites, industrial development and the production of other necessary facilities. Recognising the importance of environmental considerations in industrial development, HMGN endorsed the guidelines on 24 July 1995 and published it in the Gazette on 6 November 1995 (vol.45, no.29, 1995).

Biodiversity-related laws and institutions will be key mechanisms for attaining the objectives of the Convention on biological diversity. As part of the national biodiversty planning process, legal and institutional profiles should be undertaken to ascertain which laws apply to and affect biodiversity and which institutions oversee legislation and portfolios which intersect with biodiversity conservation, sustainable use and benefit-sharing of genetic resources.