Exchange programmes - IUCN

Exchanges based on common issues facing protected areas
Examples are:
Recommendations for protected area exchanges in East Asia
� sites with similar political or natural characteristics (see example below of transboundary
protected areas, but also marine or mountain parks etc.).
� sites that face the same management challenge. An exchange programme could be
built around such themes. An obvious example (see below) is tourism. biodiversity
is another theme, and one which probably has the greatest funding
potential from international agencies. Other issues examples of issues are improving
park-community links, creating co-management agreements, combating
poaching, wildlife management or endangered species protection).
Sites with similar characteristics
As an example, we include a short section here on Transboundary Protected Areas:
An example of an exchange programme between protected areas with similar characteristics
is that of Transboundary Protected Areas (TBPAs). IUCN has defined these as
follows:
An area of land and/or sea that straddles one or more boundaries between states,
sub-national units such as provinces and regions, autonomous areas and/or areas
beyond the limits of national sovereignty or jurisdiction, whose constituent parts
are especially dedicated to the protection and maintenance of biological diversity,
and of natural and associated cultural resources, and managed co-operatively
through legal or other effective means. (Sandwith, 2001)
Table 3.2 lists many of the TBPAs in East Asia. Increasing interest is being placed on
transboundary sites for their value in conflict resolution and peace initiatives (Zbicz and
Green, 1997; Brunner, 1999; Sandwith, 2001). A global list of transboundary parks (as
of 2001) is available on the Internet (http://www.unep-wcmc.org/protected_areas/
transboundary/adjoining.pdf).
Two kinds of exchange programmes could be developed between TBPAs:
1. exchanges between the two (or more) areas involved in the TBPA itself. IUCN
has recently published advice on this (Sandwith, 2001). The main purpose of such
an exchange would be to strengthen the TBPA.
2. exchanges between one or more of the protected areas involved in one TBPA with
those in another. The main purpose of this kind of exchange would be to learn
more about TBPAs and their potential.
59