WWF's Protected Areas for a Living Planet programme is working to help governments meet bold targets for creating a global network of terrestrial and marine protected areas.
Protected Areas for a Living Planet
In February 2004, 188 countries made a huge step towards protecting the world’s biodiversity.
For the first time, the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) committed to a set of tangible targets to deliver a global network of comprehensive, well-managed, and representative terrestrial and marine protected areas - with a deadline of 2010 and 2012, respectively, for their delivery. Three further governments have since joined the CBD and made the same commitment.
Called the Programme of Work on Protected Areas (PoWPA), this commitment is monumental event: a one-in-ten-year opportunity to ensure
on-the-ground conservation action around the world.
This 5-year programme was launched in January 2007 with the support of the MAVA Fondation pour la Protection de la Nature.
It aims to accelerate and enhance implementation of the Convention on Biological Diversity’s Programme of Work on Protected Areas (PoWPA) – an historic commitment by 191 governments to create a global network of comprehensive, well-managed, and representative terrestrial and marine protected areas.
Large-scale approach
Protected Areas for a Living Planet is focused on PoWPA implementation at the ecoregional level, in order to promote the ecosystem-based approach, enhance transboundary cooperation, and ensure national conservation priorities are set with a regional perspective.
Working with partners and stakeholders
The programme is working with key governments, NGOs, IGOs, scientific institutions, and other relevant civil society partners to harmonize and streamline activities in each ecoregion, share experiences, galvanize support, and build momentum in order to ensure that governments deliver on the PoWPA targets.
Bringing benefits to people
By involving these stakeholders, the programme also aims to ensure that protected areas provide benefits to local people and contribute to other international development targets such as the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
Expected outcomes
In each ecoregion in which the programme is working, Protected Areas for a Living Planet will result in:
- A multi-stakeholder process to support PoWPA implementation
- Genuine partnerships between all actors, aligning their activities to priority PoWPA targets
- Effective means to address obstacles (legal, financial, technical) to PoWPA implementation
- Greater recognition of the role of protected areas in achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)
- Enhanced capacity of partners in key areas
- Development and availability of technical assistance needed at the national level
- Additional sources of funding to support PoWPA implementation
- Monitoring and evaluation frameworks to assess progress towards PoWPA implementation using scorecards