Recognizing the increasing rate of species loss on a global scale and that neither pollution nor ecosystems respects political boundaries, cooperation on many different levels is required to conserve biodiversity. This volume uses four protected areas that Poland shares with its neighbors as case studies to explore opportunities to integrate science and management in transboundary protected areas in Central Europe for the conservation of biodiversity. Specific topics include biodiversity conservation theories and strategies, problems of wildlife management, and impacts of tourism and recreational use on protected areas.

Top researchers share their expertise on conservation and sustainability in areas that extend across national borders! This informative and insightful book examines strategies being used by governments and NGOs to protect wild areas that cross national borders and cultural, linguistic, and socioeconomic boundaries. In addition to presenting case studies from five continents, Transboundary Protected Areas: The Viability of Regional Conservation Strategies provides several theoretical overviews that suggest viable approaches to conserving biodiversity in these difficult-to-protect areas. From the editors: “Historically, the borders of protected areas have been defined by convenient social, political, or proprietary boundaries rather than by ecological boundaries. Today, many scientists and practitioners are in agreement that the world's biodiversity and other natural resources can best be conserved on an ecosystem or regional scale, which may or may not be consistent with political boundaries. Efforts to protect land on an ecosystem scale have led to the creation of numerous transboundary protected areas, also referred to as international peace parks or transfrontier conservation areas. These areas, which often cross linguistic, socioeconomic, and cultural boundaries as well as national borders, represent regional conservation at its most complex. While many scientists and practitioners promote eco-regional approaches to conservation, many also advocate pursuing conservation goals on local or community scales. Conservationists therefore endeavor to achieve a seemingly incongruous mandate: to pursue top-down (regional) goals using bottom-up (local) approaches.” Transboundary Protected Areas: The Viability of Regional Conservation Strategies addresses the vital questions associated with this mandate: Is it reasonable and realistic to approach regional conservation this way? What strategies have been employed to achieve these goals—and how successful have they been? Who benefits from transboundary conservation—and what are the costs? Reflecting the information delivered at the 2001 conference of the Yale chapter of the International Society of Tropical Foresters (ISTF), this book provides you with the best answers available at this time. The contributors include social and natural scientists, resource managers, policymakers, and community leaders. Transboundary Protected Areas: The Viability of Regional Conservation Strategies brings them together for an interdisciplinary exploration of these questions and other critical issues related to conservation in and around transboundary protected areas. Specific cases that are thoughtfully examined in Transboundary Protected Areas: The Viability of Regional Conservation Strategies include: the public reaction to the Yellowstone to Yukon (Y2Y) Conservation Initiative the ways in which the establishment of southern Africa's existing and proposed Transfrontier Conservation Areas (TFCAs) can help conserve biodiversity, aid socioeconomic development, and promote international peace development and conservation efforts in the Maloti-Drakensberg mountains of southern Africa, which straddle the borderlands between South Africa and Lesotho the cultural aspects of protected area management in Venezuela and Guyana the impact of transfrontier collaboration as evidenced by the International Gorilla Conservation Programme (IGCP) in the Virunga-Bwindi region of Africa (Uganda, Rwanda, and the Democratic Republic of Congo) how the Nepalese have addressed the problems of poaching, commercial logging, illegal harvesting and smuggling of forest products, and illegal trade of wildlife and wildlife products in the eastern Himalayas by implementing a transboundary biodiversity conservation initiative Helpful maps, tables, and figures make geographical regions and conservation information easy to assimilate.

Transboundary Governance of Biodiversity compiles critical analysis of the regulatory frameworks applicable to the transboundary governance of biodiversity by specialists from Europe and Africa. Drawing on their vast experience as lawyers, political scientists and natural resource management experts, they provide a critique and contemporary perspectives on what has become one of the most challenging aspects of global environmental governance in the Anthropocene: effective biodiversity conservation in times of unprecedented environmetal crises. With a unique North-South focus and a legal focus infused by multi-disciplinary regulatory dimensions, this peer-reviewed publication offers a comprehensive analysis of international and regional environmental law frameworks applicable to the transboundary governance of biodiversity.

This handbook, produced by world renowned experts from the World Conservation Union (IUCN), spans the full terrain of protected area management and is the international benchmark for the field. The book employs dozens of detailed international cases studies, hundreds of concise topical snapshots, maps, tables, illustrations and a colour plate section, as well as evaluation tools, checklists and numerous appendices to cover all aspects of park management from biodiversity to natural heritage to financial management. The book establishes a conceptual underpinning for protected area management, presents guiding principles for the 21st century, reflects recent work on international best practice and provides an assessment of skills required by professionals. As the most authoritative guide ever compiled to the principles and practice of protected area management, this volume is essential for all professionals and students in all countries and contexts.

This 2007 book surveys the global experience to date in implementing land-use policies that move us further along the sustainable development continuum. The international community has long recognized the need to ensure ongoing and future development is conducted sustainably. While high-level commitments towards sustainable development such as those included in the Rio and Johannesburg Declarations are politically important, they are irrelevant if they are not translated into reality on the ground. This book includes chapters that discuss the challenges of implementing sustainable land-use policies in different regions of the world, revealing problems that are common to all jurisdictions and highlighting others that are unique to particular regions. It also includes chapters documenting new approaches to sustainable land use, such as reforms to property rights regimes and environmental laws. Other chapters offer comparisons of approaches in different jurisdictions that can present insights which might not be apparent from a single-jurisdiction analysis.

The present book “Biodiversity, Traditional Knowledge and Intellectual Property Rights“ elaborates principles of biodiversity right from definitions and concepts to strategies for conservation of biodiversity. It also explains the roles and functions of international organizations like CBD in biodiversity conservation. The unique feature of this book is it connects biodiversity, traditional knowledge and intellectual property rights. Different aspects of biodiversity related traditional knowledge and international initiatives undertaken to protect the rights of traditional knowledge holders are discussed.

The central aim of this publication is to consider the key elements of a modern, comprehensive, and effective legal framework for successful management of protected areas. They provide practical guidance for all those involved in developing, improving, or reviewing national legislation on protected areas, be they legal drafters and practitioners, protected area managers, interested NGOs, or scholars. These guidelines include fifteen case studies, eight dealing with the protected area legislation of individual countries and six cases dealing with specific sites providing fundamental solutions that stand the test of time.

Peace Parks examines ways in which environmental cooperation in multijurisdictional conservation areas may help resolve political and territorial conflicts. Its analysis and case studies of transboundary peace parks focus on how sharing of physical space and management responsibilities can build and sustain peace among countries. It examines roles played by governments, military, civil society, scientists, and conservationists, and their effects on both ecological management and potential for peace-building in these areas. After an historical and theoretical overview that explores economic, political, and social theories that support peace parks concept, and discussion of bioregional management for science and economic development, the book presents case studies of existing parks and proposals for future parks--Publisher's description.

This innovative book proposes a conceptual framework to integrate the ecological and tourism aspects of Protected Area regulation, assisting decision-makers to develop contextually effective laws and management plans that avoid over-regulating or under-regulating tourism, given the areas' ecological profiles.