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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 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 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 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 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