More than 2 500 dignitaries, government officials, indigenous leaders, businessmen and conservationists from over 170 countries are converging on
Durban for a once-in-a decade event that will take stock of the world’s protected areas and set priorities to safeguard them.
For the next 10 days, the Vth IUCN World Parks Congress will tackle a broad spectrum of issues relating to protected areas – the national parks, World Heritage sites, nature reserves, and marine sanctuaries.
The South African Minister of Environmental Affairs and Tourism, Mohammed
Valli Moosa, said “This Congress could not have come at a better time for Africa, as we are looking at the economic revival of our continent across a whole range of spheres, with conservation being one of the fundamental priorities.”
Minister Moosa added that, “Parks and protected areas have a critical role to play in contributing to Africa’s sustainable development and poverty eradication. The Southern African initiative for Trans-frontier Conservation Areas is set to bring enormous economic benefits for surrounding communities and the participating countries.”
“There is virtually no nation on earth today that has not made a commitment to parks,” says Dr Kenton Miller, Chair of the IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas. “While this is a great achievement, we call for greater support for protected areas for the myriad of benefits they provide us with.”
With its theme “Benefits Beyond Boundaries,” the Congress is the first ever to bring together such a large variety of groups who will focus on the big issues that will impact on and influence protected areas in the 21st century.
The main thrust is to highlight the benefits that protected areas bring to people and the range of services they provide such as pure water, clean air, buffers to natural disasters, recreation, and not least, spiritual well-being. Key outputs will include a Durban Accord, the vision for protected areas, and an Action Plan that outlines the road map to achieve it.
“In less than 150 years we have created an outstanding legacy of 12% of our terrestrial surface under protected areas, but also a number of challenges,” says Yolanda Kakabadse, President of IUCN. “Too often protected areas have alienated people, too many exist as only a line on a map or are encroached on for resource exploitation, and too few are adequately resourced.”
While climate change or alien species invasions pose significant threats to the future of protected areas, the greatest challenge is securing unconditional political and public support for them.
A vigorous debate is expected at the Congress over issues such as extractive industries’ operations, indigenous peoples’ rights and the growing commercialization of protected areas.
“This Congress is a platform for debate, bringing together disparate groups and interests. It is about finding the balance between allowing protected areas to fulfill the roles they were created for, whilst ensuring that the people most affected by them are fully engaged in their establishment and management,” added Kakabadse.
“Protected areas are essential to a sustainable future. The only way to ensure that they thrive is to ensure that local communities, business and even the military have a stake in their development,” says David Sheppard, Secretary General of the Vth IUCN World Parks Congress.
Among a packed and cutting-edge programme will be workshops on topics such
as building broader support for protected areas, and how to find funds for parks conservation in a world of shifting priorities. The Congress will look at the extent of the protected area estate and try to answer questions such as is it omprehensive enough and what more is needed to form a fully representative system. A host of side events, receptions, launches and training courses, as well as a colourful exhibition will flank the Congress. — Department of Environmental affairs and tourism / IUCN