Protected Area Management Effectiveness
Protected areas face widespread management challenges worldwide. This page outlines global efforts to evaluate and improve protected area management effectiveness, guided by the CBD Program of Work and the WCPA framework. It describes key assessment elements, their role in master planning, and the primary types of evaluations used by countries.
Subject Tags
- Conservation Planning
- Ecosystem management
Summary
Protected areas number more than 114,000 worldwide, yet many face serious management challenges, including poaching, encroachment, limited staffing, and gaps in planning and infrastructure. In response, 188 countries committed to the Convention on Biological Diversity’s Program of Work on Protected Areas, calling for standardized methods, indicators, and evaluations to improve management effectiveness. A global framework developed by the World Commission on Protected Areas guides assessments across key categories such as context, planning, inputs, processes, outputs, and outcomes. These evaluations support protected area system master plans by identifying threats, capacity needs, policy issues, and funding gaps. Conducted for accountability, planning, and better conservation outcomes, assessments range from in‑depth evidence‑based studies to rapid scorecards. This document outlines the main assessment types and provides examples from around the world.