Protected areas

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.

The South Asia Regional Action Plan was prepared through a collective effort by all countries in the region, and represents an agreed view of regional priorities, addressing such topics as training, transboundary protected areas and community involvements in protected areas management. The plan begins with an overview of protected areas in the region, including numbers, coverage, policies and legislation, administration and threats.

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.