Dr. Kenton Miller Dr. Kenton Miller Chair, IUCN World Commission on Protected AreasChair, IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas

The State of the World’s Parks The State of the World’s Parks and Protected Areas and Protected Areas

Current Status

•102,101 protected areas

•18.8 million square kilometers (USA+Canada+Germany)

•12.63 percent of the world’s total land area

•More than doubled in 10 years

•Europe has the most number of protected areas, with North America as second with half the number

Failures

•Not truly representative, e.g. only 1.5 % of all lake systems in the world enjoy protection

•Unable to halt species loss, with 11,167 species known to be globally threatened

•Unable to achieve unconditional public and political support

•Inadequately funded

Importance of Ecosystems to Humans

•About 41 out of every 100 people live in water-stressed river basins

•Some 350 million people are directly dependent on forests for their survival

•One out of every six humans depend on fish or fish protein, but already 75 percent of world’s fisheries are over-fished

Global Changes

•Climate change

•Rising sea levels

•Invasive species of plants and animals

•Fragmentation of habitats by roads

•Growing human populations

•People’s changing tastes and preferences

Responding to Global Changes

•Connect parks by building corridors

•Build buffer zones

•Zone parks to avoid fragmentation

•Control alien species

•Provide incentives to encourage human settlements, farming and other harvesting practices to suitable areas