Photo: IUCN Imène Meliane
Securing the systems
WCPA supports and endorses the Aichi Target of the Convention on Biological Diversity especially
Target 11: By 2020, at least 17 per cent of terrestrial and inland water, and 10 per cent of coastal and marine areas, especially areas of particular importance for biodiversity and ecosystem services, are conserved through effectively and equitably managed, ecologically representative and well connected systems of protected areas and other effective area-based conservation measures, and integrated into the wider landscape and seascapes.
Our goal is to be an advocate for the pursuit of strong comprehensive, adequate and representative protected area systems in both the land and sea as the core lands and seas of any conservation effort.
Building Resilience in the face of climate change
The continued expansion of these most cost effective extant ecosystems has become even more crucial in the face of climate change as healthy functioning natural systems will both secure carbon (mitigation) and provide the key refugia and offer the greatest prospects for resilience for human wellbeing and all species (adaptation).
‘Islands to Networks’- Landscape Scale Connectivity Conservation
WCPA is having a key role in promoting and achieving the international consensus that biodiversity conservation requires connecting protected areas with other lands and seas under conservation, or ‘conservation supportive’ management into large-scale ecosystem networks. The imperative to achieve landscape /seascape wide initiatives has become more urgent in the face of the many challenges protected areas will face from climate change.
Socially inclusive Conservation
Landscape scale networks involve a more socially inclusive form of conservation involving many sectors of society. This will involve an innovative approach to provide a broad range of governance types covering the lands of indigenous people, traditional local communities, forestry lands, private land owners involved in sustainable land uses, tourism operators, local governments, private trusts and corporations. The issue of traditional community governance is especially important in our region where in many cases community law and management is a strong and recognised instrument of resource management.
Marine Conservation
Expansion of conservation in the marine environment is a clear international direction which WCPA in the region can promote. It is central to the peoples of the Pacific not only to maintain the rich cultural and livelihood resources of the sea but to provide the means to more sustainable economies. Improved high seas governance is particularly important in the Pacific.
Building the Conservation Community
WCPA needs to broaden the constituency of both support for, and active involvement in, conservation through building partnerships and alliances. The NatureforAll# and Health and Nature directions are of great relevance and are being taken up by agencies across our region.
Management Effectiveness
WCPA has already established a powerful Task Force on Management Effectiveness and inaugurated the Green List to identify and promote best practice in management. The Green List will be rolled out in the near future in Australia. In the Pacific the capacity of nations to plan and manage various forms of protected areas and achieve their Aichi targets will be assisted by the BIOPAMA programme in which WCPA is an active partner.
