May 7 marked the first day of the IUCN Protected Areas Categories Summit, in Almería, Spain. Over 100 experts from about 40 countries have gathered to explore the best way to enhance the internationally-recognized IUCN Categories System for Protected Areas.  Over the past decade, the system has proven to be a useful and unique tool in the conservation of the Earth’s natural crown jewels.  This meeting sets out to clarify the six protected area categories, whilst improving their application on the ground.  "The IUCN Categories System, which fills a void unfilled by others, has been endorsed by international conventions like the CBD and regional agreements," stated Julia Marton-Lefèvre, Director General of the World Conservation Union (IUCN).  "It is increasingly used by numerous countries around the world, including in application in legislation and policy instruments. The protected areas system of the host of the Category Summit, Andalusia (RENPA) is probably one of the best examples on how to apply this tool in very innovative ways," she added.
Protected areas are essential for the conservation of biological and cultural diversity, as well as for the provision of ecosystems services, such as clean water. The current Protected Area Management Categories System dates back to 1994, and is applied and used as a guiding tool for protected area planning in numerous countries around the world.  It provides the only mechanism for effective comparisons of protected areas at national, regional and international scales.
In light of its increasing use and the unprecedented conservation challenges posed by a rapidly changing world, the Categories System requires careful revision in order to ensure its adaptation to new realities.  The Summit is one step in a wider consultation process leading to specific recommendations to be presented at the upcoming IUCN World Conservation Congress in Barcelona 2008.
"We are not looking at the validity of the Categories as these are used as a reference guide internationally," said Nik Lopoukhine, Chair of the IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA). "We are looking at how to provide guidance on their application, in order to best support governments, decision-makers and protected area managers in their conservation efforts," he added. (by Sarah Gindre, IUCN Programme Protected Areas)

More information on the IUCN Protected Area Categories is available at http://www.iucn.org/themes/wcpa/theme/categories/categories.htm

Or contact Sarah Gindre, IUCN Programme Protected Areas: sarah.gindre@iucn.org

Published in:ECC-Newsletter, June 2007