Protected areas and human well-being: Experiences from Indonesia, Mexico, Peru and Venezuela’

Abstract:

Time is growing short. The 2005 Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MA) reveals that all of Earth’s ecosystems have now been dramat ically transformed through human actions. Ecosystem changes have provided substantial short-term benefits for humans, but these gains have resulted in the wide-scale loss, degradation and unsustainable use of natural ecosystems. The MA concluded that approximately 60% of the ecosystem services worldwide are being degraded or used unsustainably. The most rapid changes in ecosystems are now taking place in developing countries, where most of the world’s biodiversity exists. With the loss and degradation of ecosystem worldwide has come a biodiversity crisis—caused primarily by such factors as land use change, climate change, invasive species, overexploitation, and pollution. Over the past several hundred years, humans have increased the natural species extinction rate by as much as three orders of magnitude. Extinction rates are about 100 times greater today than they were 100 years ago. Such disturbing trends compel the conservation community to start employing new approaches and strategies that can raise the biodiversity issue up the political agenda and lead to transformative action by decisionmakers. By advocating the contributions of protected areas to human well-being, we might tangibly influence political will and financial investments in conservation.

Año de publicación:

2008

Keywords:

Fuente:

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