Protected Areas

Prof. Abdelraouf A. Moustafa

Protected Areas

What is a protected area?

“An area of land and/or sea especially dedicated to the protection of biological diversity and natural and associated cultural resources, and managed through legal or other effective means (IUCN 1996).”

Benefits provided by protected areas

– Conservation of ecosystems and biodiversity

– Recreation

– Prevention of erosion on watersheds

– Provision of clean water to cities

– Provision of clean air

– Control of biological pests

– Preservation of medicinal and genetic resources

– Maintenance of harvestable resources

– Soil regeneration

– Nutrient cycling

– Carbon sequestration/climatic regulation

Terrestrial protected areas

105,000 protected areas18.4 million km2 land

Location of protected areas

12.65% of Earth’s land surface

IUCN’s* Six Protected Areas Management Categories

Category I. Strict Nature Reserve: managed for science or wilderness

Category II. National Park: managed primarily for ecosystem protection and recreation

Category III. Natural Monument: managed primarily for conservation of specific natural features

Category IV. Habitat/Species Management Area: managed for conservation through active intervention

Category V. Protected Landscape/Seascape: Managed for cultural and scenic integrity, conservation, and recreation; human settlements and agricultural areas are accommodated

Category VI. Managed Resource Protected Area: Managed primarily for the sustainable use of ecosystems

IUCN = The World Conservation Union, previously known as the International Union for the Conservation of Nature

Goals of Protected areas

Protect particular species

Preserve biodiversity: focus on areas of high species richness/endemism

Preserve large and functioning ecosystems and their services

What should be protected?

How would you prioritize what/where is

Protected given constraints on

$$/current land-use/other pressures

What are your criteria?

Systematic conservation planning

ComprehensivenessReserve system contains

Many species Many habitatsMany ecological processes

Representativeness

Reserve contains populations/habitats that cover range of variation in that spp/habitat

9 principal factors to consider

Systematic conservation planning

AdequacyFeatures within reserve will persist

Shapelarge with low edge:area ratios

Better than

Systematic conservation planning

Connectivityfor animals

gene flow, greater arearesponse to climate change

for ecosystem processeseg water flow, fire

Risk spreading

connectivity vs vulnerability

Systematic conservation planning

Efficiency

least possible cost (purchase,management, economic loss)

Flexibilityoptions/opportunities

Systematic conservation planning

IrreplaceabilityImportance of an area in meeting the objectives of the reserve system

Global Gap Analysis Project

if conservation goal is species representation

we should also consider urgency = threat

Global Gap Analysis Project

Priority sites for protected areas based on irreplaceability and threat

Protected areas and climate change

• Protected areas are an essential part of the global response to climate change

• They can contribute to the two main responses to climate change through both:

Adaptationand

Mitigation

Principal of comprehensiveness requires that reserve systems include and sustain ALLbiodiversity and ecosystem processes of the region

But - the knowledge base is limited and

DECISIONS ARE NEEDED NOW

Protected areas in Egypt1983: Passage of Law 102 concerning protected areas1983: Declaration of the first Protected Area, Ras Muhammad National

Park1992: Establishment of the Nature Conservation Sector1992: Egypt signed the Convention on Biodiversity, ratified in 19941993: Passage of Law 4 concerning environmental protection1998: Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan1998: Formulation of the Protected Area System Plan2001: Inclusion of all existing and proposed protected areas on the official

GOE Land Use Map issued by Presidential Decree 2002: First Protected Area management plan, for Wadi El Rayan2002: First Egyptian International Conference on Protected Areas and

Sustainable Development, Sharm El Sheikh2004: Declaration of the 24th Protected Area, Wadi El Gemal National Park2005: Declaration of Wadi El Hitan as the first Natural World Heritage Site

in Egypt