WWF Dinaric Arc Parks: Protected Areas Benefit Assessment Andrea Štefan, astefan@wwfmedpo.org; Kasandra-Zorica Ivanić, kivanic@wwfmedpo.org; Deni Porej, dporej@wwfmedpo.org We can help you create effective arguments for PAs through stakeholder consultation www.parksdinarides.org
An overview of the largest regional stakeholder participatory assessment of protected assets ever undertaken Aim To find out what local people (professionals and local residents) value in protected areas across the Dinaric Arc. How they, and other sectors of society, benefit from these values. According to findings develop strategies to create, better maintain and enhance benefits from protected areas. Protected Area Benefit Assessment Tool (PA-BAT) 22 indicators of values and benefits Flow of benefits to 8 stakeholder groups 6 grades of responses Discussing stories, issues and opportunities WWF database has over 22,000 items of information Dinaric Arc Parks Area 8 countries in Western Balkans 1.300 local people 58 Protected Areas (IUCN II & V) over 50% of all PAs territory in the Dinaric Arc* *The Dinaric Arc is a region of SEE, covers some 100. 000 km2 and more than 6.000 km of coastline, stretching over the area oriented towards the Adriatic Sea from Trieste (Italy) to Tirana (Albania).
Developing priorities from the assessment of major economic value in 50% of protected areas in the Dinaric Arc Findings could be used in individual protected areas, at a national and regional/biome level
Effective methodology process as important as results Credible data: direct from local people Efficient and inexpensive process : WWF team available to help you Neutral facilitation Learning opportunity, Making connections, Collecting stories Assessing baseline of full range of current and potential socio-economic & environmental benefits Assessing flow of benefits to different stakeholders groups Key achievements Recommended as baseline to increase engagement with stakeholders Arguments for better protection and dialogue with resource use sectors, politicians and businesses Engaging the private sector in adopting sustainable business practices Guidelines for: Management planning, Business planning, Communication strategies, System-level policies, Ecosystem services assessments, Interpretation and education, Rural development projects, Mobilize and generate funding for protected areas Implementation of Aichi Biodiversity Targets and CBD PoW PA
Drivers of success: PA-BAT provide a relatively painless way of collecting information on wider social and environmental benefits of PAs Standard typology of values and benefits allow the results to be aggregated and used in individual protected areas, at a national and regional/biome level Opportunity for developing priorities from the assessment of current and potential economic benefits Enabling factors: Dinaric Arc Park project with the vision to create a network of protected areas by connecting all nature parks in the Dinaric Arc region, and establish Dinaric Arc Parks Association PA BAT - Ready to use, friendly & inexpensive methodology that helps PA managers to develop best policy and conservation strategies Local team able to understand & engage with stakeholders Initiative is undertaken within the WWF Dinaric Arc Parks project (2012-2014), for more information on using the protected area benefit assessment tool (PA-BAT) see: w w w.discoverdinarides.com/pabat