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Exchange programmes - IUCN

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Executive Summary<br />

The East Asia Action Plan (<strong>IUCN</strong>, 1996) recommended exchange <strong>programmes</strong> as a<br />

means of improving protected area management capacity in the East Asia region.<br />

<strong>Exchange</strong> <strong>programmes</strong> were favoured because they can help share experience, expertise<br />

and information on critical management issues in a way that benefits all parties.<br />

The objectives of this report are to: (1) establish the value and reasons for success in<br />

protected area-related exchange <strong>programmes</strong> by reviewing past experience world-wide;<br />

(2) summarise experience world-wide with exchange <strong>programmes</strong>, and review its<br />

relevance to East Asia; and (3) present recommendations for protected area exchanges in<br />

the East Asia region. This information will give protected area managers and policymakers<br />

a better understanding of what is required to implement exchange <strong>programmes</strong><br />

for protected areas in the East Asia region.<br />

The experience of exchange <strong>programmes</strong> from round the world shows that they can<br />

bring great benefits. When executed and managed effectively, an exchange programme<br />

can:<br />

� build leadership and strengthen the capacity within institutions and individuals,<br />

by providing new ideas, access to state-of-the-art management tools and strategies,<br />

and to shared experiences, and stronger connections to international networks;<br />

� advance new approaches to conservation and sustainable development, including<br />

innovative legislation and policy, through a transfer of experience, and through<br />

mutual exchange among peers;<br />

� promote international links between protected areas and communities in different<br />

environments to address common environmental and cultural issues;<br />

� encourage citizen diplomacy by bringing together people of differing ethnic and<br />

geographic backgrounds to work together on areas of shared interest; and<br />

� improve the long-term prospects for co-operation by expanding and strengthening<br />

global networks for protected area conservation.<br />

There are many types of exchanges and they can bring many benefits (Part 1). There<br />

are a number of well-documented and often successful exchange <strong>programmes</strong> (Part 2).<br />

This experience, using a ten stage planning process for initiating and undertaking an<br />

exchange programme was developed (Section 3.1). The recommended planning process<br />

could be used by protected area managers (at the protected area site level) and administrators<br />

(at the protected area system level) to develop, and ensure the success of<br />

exchange <strong>programmes</strong> in the East Asia region. The process can be adapted for use at the<br />

local, national and regional scale.<br />

A strategy (3.2) is recommended to introduce protected area exchange <strong>programmes</strong><br />

into East Asia, as follows:<br />

1. Create a favourable climate for exchanges, through action at the site, system and<br />

regional levels;<br />

xi

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