The Role of a Global Protected Areas System in Conserving Biodiversity in the Face of Climate Change

Abstract

Impending global change requires levels of coordination, long-range planning and funding never before required of protected areas. To meet this need a truly global system of protected areas is required. This system will require major funding and must ensure the persistence of biodiversity over decades and centuries. It will need to include corridors of semi-natural areas, as well as core parks and reserves. It must be able to ensure the persistence of biodiversity across international boundaries and in spite of international differences in scientific expertise and financing ability. Conservation of species and habitat types has been traditionally framed in a static, two dimensional view, in which reserves are intended to protect these in their present locations. Yet overwhelming evidence exists for major shifts in vegetation in the recent, mid-term and log-term past. The interplay of climate changes and habitat destruction threatens the existing system of isolated reserves. Climate change will create new ranges for many species. Large areas converted to human use, such as agriculture and housing will cut off existing populations from these new ranges. A truly global protected area system does not yet exist. Currently there is a global group of national systems, some of which are connected through information network. Cross border protected areas have existed to protect shared wildlife resources, particularly in Africa, for decades. IUCN regional reviews have provided information to improve protected area network coverage based on regional needs. None of these efforts fully incorporates climate change considerations nor promotes connectivity in the log-term on a global scale. Only a global protected area system which creates corridors between reserves and protects historic locales of habitat suitability can minimize biodiversity loss in the face of climate change and habitat destruction. Currently more than half the habitable surface of the planet is dedicated to human uses. Climate change will be driving vegetation shifts across this landscape. Species with strong dispersal ability will fill new ranges, while slower dispersing species will be unable to STS jump the gap CCH to a new habitat Species with less dispersal ability will become locally extinct, and eventually large-scale loss of biodiversity will occur. A global system will require a global modelling effort, prioritisation, and novel finance mechanisms. A coordinates global modelling system will be required to determine likely biological changes in response to climate change. Base don model results, priority areas for international investment can be selected. Since biodiversity hotspots are predominantly in the temperate countries, a new international protocol and new mechanisms of finance will be required. Finally, because available land for protected areas is nearly exhausted, global financing will have to buy back land and convert it from human use to natural or semi-natural cover in key corridor areas. This paper present a preliminary proposal for such a system.

This work was funded in part by a grant from the Center for Applied Biodiversity Science (CABS) of Conservation International.