Solutions for development challenges: insights from protected and conserved areas
Alongside their contribution to biodiversity conservation, protected and conserved areas are increasingly recognised as important sources of a wide range of benefits, or ecosystem services, that humans gain from intact, natural ecosystems. Well-governed and well-managed protected areas are among the most effective tools for maintaining ecosystems – such as forests, natural grasslands, coastal areas and freshwater wetlands – and their associated ecosystem services. This report explores how protected areas contribute to achieving the SDGs. It does this by analysing case studies from PANORAMA – Solutions for a Healthy Planet, an initiative of IUCN and several partners that aims to provide knowledge and facilitate exchange and learning on successful approaches in conservation and sustainable development, and to support the broader application of proven solutions.