The establishment of protected areas is not enough to protect biodiversity and maintain ecosystem services. To be effective, protected areas must also practice good governance and their management should be effective and integrated across wider landscapes and seascapes. However, a significant number of managers and agencies lack the capacity to achieve this, resulting in loss of natural and cultural values and resources.

The purpose of the Capacity Development theme was develop and implement a legacy of protected areas capacity development programmes and products that will assist countries to more effectively and equitably manage their systems of protected areas and enhance their ability to meet their commitments under the Convention on Biological Diversity and Aichi Targets and to address the challenges across the suite of themes addressed by the Congress.

Resources

• Capacity Development Fact Sheet [ENG] [ESP] [FRA]
• Strategy of Innovative Approaches and Recommendations to Maximise Capacity Development [ENG] [ESP] [FRA]
• Theme Programme
• Theme Presentations

Theme Lead Organisation

• IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas
• IUCN Commission on Education and Communication
• With support from New South Wales National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) and Parks Australia