Background
A protected area, as defined by IUCN’s World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA) is “an area of land and/or sea especially dedicated to the protection and maintenance of biological diversity, and of natural and associated cultural resources, and managed through legal or other effective means”.
The IUCN Protected Area Management Categories system was initially developed to encourage national protected area systems, to reduce confusion in terminology, to provide an international standard, and to create a framework for data collection. But new uses of the categories have emerged including providing a basis for legislation, helping regulate activities, interpreting or clarifying land tenure and governance, developing advocacy positions, and guiding bioregional planning. This evolution in the uses of the categories has, in turn, raised the profile and importance of the categories. These new uses have also created some challenges for the assignment and application of the categories which WCPA is addressing through a task force and by convening a Categories Summit in Almeria, Spain (7-11 May 2007).
The Six IUCN Protected Area Management Categories:
- Ia Strict Nature Reserve: protected area managed mainly for science
- Ib Wilderness Area : protected area managed mainly for wilderness protection
- II National Park: protected area managed mainly for ecosystem protection and recreation
- III Natural Monument: protected area managed mainly for conservation of specific natural features
- IV Habitat/Species Management Area: protected area managed mainly for conservation through management intervention
- V Protected Landscape/Seascape: protected area managed mainly for landscape/seascape conservation and recreation
- VI Managed Resource Protected Area: protected area managed mainly for the sustainable use of natural ecosystems
Businesses are important stakeholders of the IUCN Protected Areas Categories and need to be engaged in discussions around the categories development. But the private sector is not homogeneous in its interests in and relationship to the categories. Some examples of how businesses relate to the categories include:
- conservation entrepreneurs who establish and manage private protected areas may be interested in becoming part of the global protected areas network, and may seek IUCN category status
- extractive industries (mining, oil and gas and cement) have been asked not to conduct exploration and extraction activities in protected areas equivalent to Categories I-IV which raises concerns about the categories assignment process and the effectiveness of management
- the forestry industry has faced difficulties in aligning commitments under certification with the Categories and could potentially benefit from the knowledge and expertise in the protected areas community when setting aside a portion of a forest for certification processes
- the fisheries industry could potentially face challenges similar to forestry with certification and is also likely to be affected by the expected rapid increase in marine protected areas and no-take-zones
- the aquaculture industry may also be affected by marine and coastal protected area expansion
- the shipping industry could face issues with exclusion zones with the growth of the marine protected areas networks
- the tourism industry is concerned with how well protected areas are managed if they are to be a destination for tourists
- the agriculture industry sources products from within and around protected areas and relies on the ecosystem services of protected areas for clean water, healthy soils, etc.
- pharmaceuticals industry which benefits from medicinal plants sourced from protected areas and relies on access to areas for research
- the transportation industry has been a driver for the establishment of protected areas and could face restrictions in development due to the location of protected areas
The Categories Summit (7-10 May 2007) will be a major milestone in the evolution of the categories and this evolution is likely to have significant implications for companies working in all of these sectors. IUCN is committed to engaging with companies and industry representatives in the discussions about the categories and is thus proposing to hold a cross industry preparatory meeting for the Categories Summit.
The main objectives of the summit are to:
a. assess strengths and weaknesses of the Category System and its application; and
b. identify actions to strengthen the system and its application at different levels, including in supporting regional planning and connectivity initiatives
Expected Results coming out of the Category System are:
a. a revised version of IUCN Guidelines for Protected Area management categories, for presentation to IUCN WCC in Barcelona 2008; and
b. an Action Plan for promoting the revised system and strengthening its application at different levels.
Meeting on Industry Involvement in the IUCN Protected Areas Categories
Clearly it is imperative for a number of business sectors to join the ongoing discussions about the evolution of the categories system, but spaces at the Categories Summit are limited, meaning that not all interested industry (and non-industry) players will have the opportunity of participating in the Summit. Thus, IUCN hosted a preparatory meeting for interested industry groups and companies on 22 January 2007.
The objectives of this preparatory meeting were to:
- inform industry groups and companies of planned developments for the categories and of the plans for the Summit;
- gain insights from industry perspectives on key challenges and needs on the application of the IUCN system;
- identify potential solutions to the above-mentioned challenges and needs for consideration during the Summit
- assess the need to develop a plan of action for further interaction with industries on enhancing the application of the categories; and
- provide suggestions on industry and company participants to attend the Summit.
Agenda to the meeting
Overview - What are protected area systems and how do the IUCN Categories support protected area governance, management and conservation goals? Protected areas and the IUCN PA Categories by David Sheppard, Head Programme on Protected Areas, IUCN
Global commitments on protected areas - The Convention on Biological Diversity by Nick Bertrand, Programme Officer, CBD Secretariat (available soon)
National level implementation – What is happening in implementing conservation goals at the national level?
Rolf Hogan, World Wide Fund for Nature : WWF PAs & Business
Carl Gustaf Lundin, Head Marine Programme IUCN : Marine PAs - A tool for biodiversity Conservation
Cross Industry PA Categories Meeting report
Link to the IUCN Protected Area Summit
|
