Protected Areas

“A protected area is a clearly defined geographical space, recognised, dedicated and managed, through legal or other effective means, to achieve the long-term conservation of nature with associated ecosystem services and cultural values.” (IUCN, 2008)This definition is intentionally broad to encompass a wide variety of governance types (e.g., government-managed, co-managed, privately protected areas, and Indigenous and community-conserved areas) and management objectives that support biodiversity conservation as well as cultural, spiritual, and livelihood-related values.