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ENGAGING AND BENEFITING LOCAL COMMUNITIES IN PROTECTED AREAS BRIAN MACSHARRY, UNEP-WCMC 6TH SEPTEMBER 2018

13/09/2018 3 Our vision A world where decision makers in all sectors and at all levels recognize and take full account of the values of biodiversity as the bedrock of a global green economy and human well-being

13/09/2018 4 Our mission To provide authoritative information about biodiversity and ecosystem services in a way that is useful to decision makers who are driving change in environment and development policy.

13/09/2018 7 Progress towards global targets is a key driver for biodiversity, what is reported at the global level can influence what happens on the ground. Key targets are the CBD’s Aichi Target 11 and the UN SDGs (14 & 15)

13/09/2018 13/09/2018 • A long and established history of tracking protected areas. • A net increase of 40,000 new sites between 2013 – 2018 • Particular emphasis to improve the quality of the database as well as the size. 1959: resolution 713 (XXVII) 27th Session of the UN Economic & Social Council The World Database on Protected Areas (WDPA)

13/09/2018 9 Not just a technical exercise, it is also a relationship building exercise.

13/09/2018 14 Types of Protected Areas There are over 1,500 separate designations used across the plant. We break these down into three “types”: National: Sites designated or proposed at the national or sub- national level- 86% of all sites Regional: Sites designated or proposed by a country under a regional (supra national) framework or agreement-12.5% of all sites International: Sites designated or proposed by a country under an international framework or agreement. World Heritage Sites, Ramsar Sites (Wetlands of International Importance) and UNESCO Man and Biosphere Reserves – 1.5% of all sites

13/09/2018 16 Global Targets Convention of Biological Diversity (CBD) Aichi Biodiversity Targets (2010-2020)

13/09/2018 18 Global Targets Convention of Biological Diversity (CBD) Aichi Biodiversity Targets (2010-2020)

13/09/2018 20 Protected Areas The 235,000 sites that make up the 46 million km² covered by protected areas across the planet consist of a variety of types of protected areas. There are over 1,500 different designation which include formally designated sites, private protected areas and increasingly sites governed by local communities and indigenous peoples. Of the 10 largest protected areas on land, 4 are governed by and indigenous peoples

13/09/2018 21 Protected Areas In order to scale up our ambition and conserve biodiversity, we need to:

13/09/2018 22 Scale up our ambition and conserve biodiversity We need to engage with civil society - local communities – to promote the benefits of protected areas, both for biodiversity and the communities themselves.

13/09/2018 23 Scale up our ambition and conserve biodiversity Protected areas come in a variety of forms with different governance. Governance by local communities has been shown across the world to lead to effective protected areas. In many parts of the world sites governed by local communities are considered to be a key pillar of the protected areas network.

13/09/2018 24 Scale up our ambition and conserve biodiversity We need to ensure these sites are collected so their role in conserving biodiversity can be assessed.

13/09/2018 25 Benefits of protected areas to local communities Protected areas provide series of benefits, some of these are directly for local communities while others benefit the wider community.

13/09/2018 26 Benefits of protected areas to local communities Benefits include: Provision of food; for example mangroves provide valuable breeding grounds for fish Water: A number of cities receive their water directly from surrounding protected areas Raw materials: a number of protected areas allow for sustainable harvesting of key products which both provides raw materials as well as enhances livelihoods Medicine: provide sustainable source of medicinal plants Genetic resources, protection of wild species that are the relatives of domesticated crops

13/09/2018 27 Benefits of protected areas to local communities Regulatory services: Carbon storage; a minimum of 15% of the worlds stored Carbon in in protected areas. This helps mitigate climate change Mitigation of natural disasters: protected against storm surges, landslides, floods, prevent desertification, Clean air and water: help purify air and water Pollination: act as refuges for pollinators

13/09/2018 28 Benefits of protected areas to local communities Cultural services: Recreation & Tourism: increased ecotourism in recent times Physical and mental well being: “Healthy Parks, Healthy People” Education and research: ideal locations for research Cultural identify: a number of sites have cultural or spiritual significance for people or even a country. Peace and stability: protected areas have been used to promote peace and resolve border sisputes

13/09/2018 29 Local communities of Protected Areas Local communities are an integral actor in protecting biodiversity. Protected areas provide a number of direct and indirect benefits to local communities and indeed to the wider society. Local communities need to be engaged with and involved in the governance and management of protected areas, so they have a sense of ownership of the site. The various benefits of protected areas need to be communicated to those people living in and around protected areas to ensure that they see the “value” of the sites.