Protected Areas

Sundarban National Park, India.

A protected area is a geographical location where the landscape and wildlife are being managed and protected from harm. It is considered an extremely important and effective tool for maintaining healthy ecosystems and biodiversity.

Types of Protected Areas

According to the IUCN, there are several different categories of protection:

Strict nature reserve

An area where human use is strictly controlled to protect and preserve biodiversity and the location’s natural features.

Wilderness area

An area generally larger than a nature reserve with minimal human presence.

National park

A large area set aside by a national government for preservation that usually allows human visitation, including educational and recreational tourism.

Natural monuments

Protected lands and waters that are nationally important and/or historically significant

Habitat and species management areas

Areas with habitats and species requiring continuous protection.

Protected landscapes and seascapes

Protected areas of land or sea with a significant natural or cultural value that allows public recreation and tourism.

Protected area with sustainable use of natural resources

Large protected areas where most of the land is in a natural condition and managed to maintain sustainable use of natural resources. Various tools and resources are used to manage protected areas, including decision-making, monitoring, and assessment tools.

Wild cat conservation management

Wild cat management typically involves monitoring routines, ranges, habitats, distribution, population health, and genetic status.

One of the top management tools is the Spatial Monitoring and Reporting Tool (SMART), which collects, stores, communicates and evaluates data on wildlife and conservation areas.