Directory of Protected Areas in East Asia - IUCN

Foreword
During the past 10 years, the IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA) has
prepared a series of regional action plans for protected areas throughout the world. These
plans highlight regional priorities for protected areas, help raise awareness and funding
for protected area projects, and encourage different groups to work together to address
critical protected area issues. The East Asia Action Plan, prepared by the WCPA’s East
Asia network after extensive consultation within the region, was one of the first to be
completed (IUCN, 1996).
The action plan reviews key issues associated with protected areas in East Asia and
identifies 13 priority projects. The Nature Conservation Bureau of the Ministry of the
Environment, Government of Japan generously offered support to implement five of
these projects:
Priority Project 1:
Develop guidelines for sustainable tourism of protected areas in East Asia.
Priority Project 2:
Apply full-cost accounting to a protected area in the region with the aim of
exhibiting the economic importance of protected areas.
Priority Project 4:
Compile a directory of funding and assistance sources for protected areas in East
Asia, covering multilateral, bilateral and regional sources of funds.
Priority Project 10:
Develop an exchange programme for protected area staff of the region with other
regions, e.g. Europe (perhaps through the partnership and technical programme of
EUROPARC).
Priority Project 13:
Compile a directory of protected area personnel and organisations in East Asia.
The Nature Conservation Bureau asked IUCN to take the lead in carrying out these
projects in close consultation with key agencies and individuals in the region. Support
from Japan was provided over a three-year period commencing 1 October 1998 1 . In
response, four sub-projects were undertaken, each addressing one or more of the Priority
Projects in the action plan. As result, four publications are now being issued by IUCN:
Guidelines for Tourism and Parks and Protected Areas of East Asia (Priority
Project 1);
Guidelines for Financing Protected Areas in East Asia (Priority Projects 2 and 4);
Implementation of an Exchange Programme for Protected Areas in East Asia
(Priority Project 10); and
1 The Ministry of the Environment, Government of Japan offered another voluntary contribution for an
additional three years to support the further implementation of these Priority Projects.
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