IUCN Protected Areas

Protected and conserved areas are the foundation of biodiversity conservation. They safeguard nature and cultural resources, improve livelihoods and drive sustainable development.

IUCN works to establish best practices and standards that maximise the effectiveness of protected and conserved areas and advances justice and equity in conservation, including the rights of indigenous peoples and local communities.

In its work on protected areas and conserved areas, IUCN focuses on three key areas:

• Achieving quality for successful and valuable protected areas
• Enhancing justice for fair, just and inclusive protected areas
• Contributing protected area solutions to development challenge