Transcript 1. Opening Slide - Library - Conservation International

Building sustainable protected
area systems
Jim Barborak
Director, Protected Areas and Conservation Corridors
Mexico and Central America
Conservation International
June, 2008
Threats and stresses to PAs
 Fragmentation leads to species loss and genetic erosion
 Defaunation leads to the empty forest phenomenon and
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trophic cascade effects
Catastrophic fires and disease outbreaks occur in peak El
Nino years
Degradation of freshwater and coastal ecosystems occurs
because of pollution, sedimentation
Overfishing, overhunting and nonsustainable tourism and
resource extraction degrade PA resources
Problems of affluence add to problems of ignorance, poverty
and policy failures (e.g. coastal development)
Exotic invasive species eliminate endangered endemics
Global warming exacerbates traditional problems
Adaptive management and a proper
enabling environment are
key to success in PA management
 Participatory planning and management
 Effective governance and legal, policy and institutional
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frameworks that stress collaboration and alliances
Law enforcement and respect for the rule of law
Sustainable financial mechanisms
Adaptive management and continuous learning and monitoring
Clear and respected land and resource tenure
Landscape and seascape level conservation
Benefits for and involvement of local people
Designing for resilience and mitigation of and adaptation to
climate change
Capacity building at all levels: individual, institutional, societal
Building appreciation for and greater use of PAs by society
The range of institutional
options for PA sustainabilty
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National, state and local governments
Parastatal agencies
NGOs
Universities
Private land owners
Tribal and community groups
Businesses
One can and should usually use a number of
institutions to best manage any large, complex PA
and all protected areas should have participatory
management councils
A personnel pyramid should be
used to maximize impact
 Full time, permanent personnel
 Part time staff
 Seasonal staff
 Contractors
 Comanagers and concessionaires
 Personnel loaned from other
agencies
 Scientists, student researchers, interns
 Local, national and international volunteers
 Good training, equipment, job conditions and stability can
greatly increase effectiveness and efficiency of personnel
Sustainable Funding for PAs
 There are no miracle tools for PA finance, but successful PAs have
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financing strategies that address both short term and long term
needs for recurrent operational costs and development costs
Cost reduction and effective and efficient management and
reporting are as important as fundraising
Protected areas should strive for larger government budgets where
possible, more revenue generation mechanisms, and maximize
financial and technical sources from other parties inside and
outside a country: a multi-legged stool approach
Knowing how to raise funds is just part of the solution. Managerial
capacity and fiscal responsibility are needed to demonstrate
results on investments, do required reporting and ensure proper
management of funds
Success begins at home: agencies and organizations that
demonstrate local counterparts and commitments to conservation
are more successful at raising funds domestically and
internationally
Global climate change
exercabates traditional
threats to PAs
Climate change is both a problem
and a big opportunity...
 Kyoto framework does not reward countries for conservation
forests, only reforestation, yet deforestation is responsible for 20%
of CO2 emissions
 We need to use the voluntary carbon market which to gain
experience with small scale avoided deforestation and degradation
(REDD) projects, plus use the Clean Development Mechanism
through the Kyoto framework for restoration, agroforestry and
reforestation projects
 We need to gear up for life after Kyoto expires in 2012, by getting
the baseline data ready needed to design large scale REDD projects
 GEF, the World Bank and several developed countries are “jumping
the gun” and developing new carbon funding mechanisms. PA
managers need to be on their toes and take advantage of new