Capacity development is a key BIOPAMA contribution being highlighted at the IUCN World Parks Congress 2014,  and the Protected Area Governance and Management Book is one of the concrete outputs of the BIOPAMA support for protected areas capacity development.

Competencies, standards, body of knowledge, professionalization of protected areas management, and certification are some of the key words and phrases echoed in numerous discussions at the IUCN WPC, including at the book launch, on Saturday, 15 November. “This is a major contribution to the knowledge and expertise that forms the base for building capacity, and we look forward to promoting and using this resource across Africa, the Caribbean, and Pacific and beyond”, said Nick Cox, BIOPAMA Programme Manager for IUCN.  

And with new protected areas being established around the world, in part to support the Convention on Biological Diversity targets for expansion of protected area systems a new generation of protected area managers will be needed to manage these areas efficiently, in addition to the huge number of protected areas that remain inadequately managed to meet biodiversity goals. 
    
“This is why capacity development is such a major initiative of IUCN and a joint effort of the Global Protected Areas Programme, BIOPAMA (Biodiversity and Protected Areas Management) and the World Commission on Protected Areas (WCP)” stated Pedro Rosabal, Deputy Director of the IUCN Global Protected Areas Programme. “Protected areas need to be actively and competently managed. This very important volume forms a key source of information for protected area students and others and it will be integral part of IUCN’s capacity development programme.” he added.

The book, officially launched at the IUCN WPC 2014, is an important contribution to the IUCN WCPA professional development programme and an investment of the BIOPAMA programme in the expertise of the next generation of protected areas managers. It represents one of the greatest ever WCPA volunteer projects, and has involved 164 authors, five editors, and 27 reviewers over two and a half years. In one large text for students, policy makers and interested readers, the 28 Chapters and 1000 pages covers all aspects of the protection, governance and management of Earth’s protected areas. The equivalent of an estimated $US2.9 million worth of volunteer time was contributed to the development of the book.

“One remarkably different feature about this book is that it covers three levels of park management expertise” said Graeme Worboys, Project Manager for the development of the Book. “Some specialised Chapters target executive levels of protected area management, and will be suitable for Masters of Business Administration type courses. Another level targets managers in charge of multiple protected areas, while a third level provides a very introductory level of information. This is new way of presenting information and it means a learning journey of a protected area professional can either be thorough and include the entire book or quite selective based on personal needs and the needs of training curricula”, he said.