Exchange programmes - IUCN

Implementation of an Exchange Programme for Protected Areas in East Asia
employment in the contemporary world. Thus whereas once, protected area managers
needed to be skilled only in the traditional areas of forestry, biology, botany and
zoology, now they require expertise in communications theory, conflict resolution and
negotiation, business planning, tourism management, community involvement, multisectoral
planning and so forth. Consequently, a broad spectrum of training is required to
ensure that protected area managers have the skills to manage the conservation estate in
the 21 st century.
The training of protected area managers occurs throughout the world. A number of
conservation departments, usually in wealthier countries, conduct training courses for
conservation staff, often in co-operation with international organisations such as IUCN,
UNESCO, FAO, WWF and UNEP. Also many education institutions, governments and
NGOs offer courses, certificates and degrees in nature conservation and protected area
management, but there are differing levels of funding available for this work. Within the
region, for example, the Japanese Environment Agency organises several training
courses for park managers and public sector personnel involved with nature conservation
and protected area management. It also runs an international training course on
nature conservation and national park management in co-operation with the Japanese
International Co-operation Agency (JICA) and the Japan Wildlife Research Centre. To
date, trainees from Asia, Africa, Latin America and Eastern Europe have participated in
these courses.
Despite the existence of such training initiatives, training is often neglected, both
globally and within the East Asia region. Managers in poorer countries are often further
disadvantaged by the limited funds directly available to the protected areas in which they
work – which have to compete with the need to address pressing social issues, e.g. poor
education, poverty, ill health – and by language and cultural barriers. So it is no surprise
that a lack of management capacity in parts of East Asia has been identified as a major
issue (Li, 1993; IUCN, 1996; Jim and Li, 1996; Environment Agency of Japan,
UNESCO-WHC, IUCN, 2000).
A key feature of training for protected area management is the exchange of experience
between protected area managers engaged in similar tasks, both within a country and
internationally. Notwithstanding the national and cultural diversity across the region,
and the contrasts between East Asia and other regions, similar management problems
are often encountered in different countries. The exchange of information and expertise
amongst managers can help them deal with these problems.
Currently, most information on protected area management is exchanged between
experts in different countries through informal arrangements, for example via publications,
web-based information, training courses, and personal contact between managers.
This form of exchange of information often has rather limited learning value,
however, and has usually developed in an ad hoc way.
There have also been a few formal exchange programmes involving protected area
managers within the region. Though limited in scope and number, they have been
beneficial in building capacity amongst protected area managers. This gives encouragement
to look beyond the region to see if lessons can be learnt from more ambitious
exchange programmes elsewhere.
Examples of successful global exchange programmes include the European
Commission-funded EUROPARC Partnership and Exchange Programme; the North
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