International Urban Parks Alliance Workshop Dublin 2007 INTERNATIONAL URBAN PARKS WORKSHOP Setting the Agenda for Urban Parks Dublin, September 2007

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Workshop Dublin 2007

INTERNATIONALURBAN PARKS

WORKSHOP

“Setting the Agenda for Urban Parks”

Dublin, September 2007

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The Power of International Action Plans

A Case StudyParks Victoria & the IUCN

Neil McCarthy

Member, World Commission on Protected AreasChair, Parks Forum

Trustee, Centre for Economic Development of AustraliaGeneral Manager, Parks & Marine, Parks Victoria

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Title?

• Setting the Scene– IUCN & WCPA

• World Parks Congresses• Durban Accord 2003• Management Effectiveness Task Force• The Impact on a Park Agency• Benefits

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Setting the Scene

IUCN & WCPA

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Title

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PROTECTED AREAS

URBANPARKS

Parks & open space

IUCN

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• Vision– To influence, encourage and assist societies throughout the world to conserve the

integrity and diversity of nature and to ensure that any use of natural resources is

equitable and ecologically sustainable.

• Purpose– Continue to improve scientific understanding of what natural ecosystems provide

to humans.

– Seek to ensure this knowledge is used in practical ways by bringing together scientists, policy makers, business leaders and NGOs to impact the way the world values and uses nature.

• Founded in October 1948• 1,000 staff located in 62 countries (70% from developing countries). HQ in Gland,

Switzerland.• 1,000 member organizations:• World Conservation Congress (General Assembly) meets every 4 years:• Total operating revenue 2005: 100.2m Swiss Francs

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Species Survival Commission

World Commission on Protected Areas

Commission on Environmental Law

Commission on Education and Communication

Commission on Environmental, Economic and Social Policy

Commission on Ecosystem Management

Commissions

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PROTECTED AREAS

Parks & open space

URBANPARKS

IUCN

WCPA

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• Vision– To promote the establishment and effective management of

a world-wide representative network of terrestrial and marine protected areas, as an integral contribution to the IUCN mission .

• Objectives– To help governments and others plan protected areas and

integrate them into all sectors, through provision of strategic advice to policy makers;

– To strengthen capacity and effectiveness of protected areas managers, through provision of guidance, tools and information and a vehicle for networking;

– To increase investment in protected areas, by persuading public and corporate donors of their value; and

– To enhance WCPA's capacity to implement its programme, including through co-operation with IUCN members and partners

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Profile• 1300 Members worldwide:

- Managers of protected areas

- Experts in the fields of interest

- Academic specialists

- NGO officials

- Ex-officio members from partner organisations

• Membership process is by nomination

• 29 staff in 6 offices worldwide

• World Parks Congress every 10 years

- 3000 delegates from around the world

- “Durban Accord” 2003: Call for global commitment and action

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ProgramHighlights • Protected Area Management Categories:

- “speaking a common language”- classification according to objectives- Promoting / prioritising action / raising standards

• Guidelines and standards:-Protected area management-Conserving biological diversity

• World Heritage “List”:- Identify & protect heritage sites of “outstanding universal value”- Under contract from UNESCO

• Capacity Building / Awareness / Education:-PALNet: “on-line” protected area learning network-Conferences: Management of visitors in recreational and protected areas

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World Parks Congresses

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World Parks Congresses

• IUCN, with leadership and support from the World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA) stages World Park Congresses (WPC) every 10 years for the benefit of the conservation community and the world at large.

• The Congress brings together the largest global assembly of protected area specialists, managers and experts to focus on the state of the planet's protected areas, the challenges they face and the opportunities before them.

• The WPCA acts as a catalyst for global protected area action and recommends future directions for these special places on earth.

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The World Parks Congresses have been held in:

• Seattle, USA, 1962

• Yellowstone, USA, 1972 Theme "National Parks - A Heritage for a Better World"

• Bali, Indonesia, 1982 Theme "Parks for Development"

• Caracas, Venezuela, 1992 Theme "Parks for Life"

• Durbin, South Africa, 2003 Theme “Benefits Beyond Boundaries”

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First World Congress - Seattle (USA) 1962

• The purpose :– to establish a more effective international understanding of

national parks and to encourage further development of the national park movement on a worldwide scale.

Issues discussed included: • the effects of humans on wildlife;• species extinction; • the religious significance and aesthetic meaning of certain parks and

wilderness;• international supervision of boundary parks;• the economic benefits of tourism;• the role of national parks in scientific studies; and• the practical problems of park management.

• The overall consensus was that national parks were of international significance.

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Second World Congress Yellowstone (USA) 1972

• This coincided with the centennial of Yellowstone. • By 1972 the nations of the world could count more than 1,200 national

parks or equivalent reserves• Issues discussed at the conference included:

– the effects of tourism on protected areas; – broad aspects of park planning and management; – special, social scientific and environmental problems within national parks

in wet tropical, arid, and mountain regions; – controversial aspects of wildlife management in protected areas; – the social, scientific and environmental problems of marine, island, polar

and sub-polar protected areas; – the problems associated with communicating park values to visitors and

engendering environmental awareness; – improving international training opportunities; – opportunities to expand and improve the global park system; and– the needs and benefits of public support for national parks and equivalent

reserves.

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Third World Congress - Bali (Indonesia) 1982

• Focused on the role of protected areas in sustaining society. • The attendance was some 350 PA professionals

• Ten major areas of concern were recognised by the congress:– The inadequacy of the existing worldwide network of terrestrial PAs. – The global need for more marine, coastal and freshwater PAs. – The ecological and managerial quality of existing PAs needed to be improved. – A system of consistent categories of PAs was noted as crucial to balance

conservation and development needs. – PAs should be linked with sustainable development as nature conservation is

not accomplished only by the setting aside of specially protected natural areas.

– Capacity to manage PAs must be developed. – Economic tools such as cost-benefit analysis are needed to support and

promote the true value of PAs. – Monitoring is vital to ensure that PAs can meet the needs of society and that

they are effectively managed. – International cooperation mechanisms must be promoted. – A global programme on PAs must be developed using the IUCN network.

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IVth World Congress Caracas (Venezuela) 1992

• WPCA, Caracas was the largest of all the congresses attracting 2,500 participants

• The major messages coming from the congress included:

– The relationship between people and PAs is too often ignored:

– Conserving biodiversity: – Conservation on a regional scale: – Funding for PAs– Building a stronger constituency for conservation:

• The goal of the "Caracas Action Plan" was to extend the PA network to cover at least 10% of each major biome by the Year 2000.

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Vth World Congress Durban, South Africa 2003

The challenge before the 2003 Congress was to demonstrate how protected areas are relevant to the broader economic, social and environmental agenda for humankind in the 21st Century.

The theme of the Congress responded to this challenge: "Benefits Beyond Boundaries". It captured the opportunities for protected areas in the next millennium and the range of meanings or interpretations implicit within the terms "benefits" and "boundaries" provided the flexibility to explore a wide variety of relevant sub-themes for the Congress.

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Durban Accord 2003

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Durban Accord 2003• Key Outputs

– Congress recommendations

• 80 page document containing the key recommendations from each of the Congress Streams

– Durban Accord

• 38 page document outlining the key directions and actions for the next ten years

• 186 Actions at International, Regional, National and Agency level

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Durban Accord -Management Effectiveness

• A key IUCN & WCPA objective:

– To strengthen capacity and effectiveness of protected areas managers, through provision of guidance, tools and information and a vehicle for networking;

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• Durban Accord– Outcome 4: There are effectively managed protected areas,

with reliable reporting on their management

– International Action

• Assess globally, through the CBD process, the effectiveness of protected area management and associated compliance mechanisms…..

– National Action

• Establish quantifiable, verifiable and sustained monitoring and evaluation systems to chart the state of protected

areas and their key attributes, as developed by WCPA

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• Protected Area Authority Action– Support the implementation of monitoring and

evaluation systems, consistent with the WCPA framework for assessing management effectiveness, that are sustainable and resource-efficient, and that engage other institutions and local communities. Use the results to improve all aspects of management and to ensure that these results are made available to all relevant constituencies.

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Management Effectiveness Task Force

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• WCPA established Task Force– Management Effectiveness Task Force

• Chaired by a WCPA Vice-Chair• Representatives from all continents

• Priorities include Strengthening – Protected Area Management Effectiveness, – Protected Area Management Categories,– Integration of Conservation Science (including traditional

knowledge) in management decisions, Tools and Mechanisms, and

– Setting and Maintaining Protected Area standards

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• Management effectiveness as a priority: – Many protected areas around the world are not effectively

managed.– In response, management effectiveness will continue as a

priority with a focus on improving on and learning from past approaches.

– New protocols are needed to evaluate the efficacy and effectiveness of management in relation to the IUCN Protected Areas Management Categories, and to take on board the increased recognition of cultural and spiritual factors in the effective management of protected areas.

– Information arising from the assessment management effectiveness must be better applied to on ground management actions and also to guide donor support for protected area investment.

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• Certification as a priority:

– Certification may open new opportunities, benefits and incentives for protected areas management at national and international levels. WCPA aims to explore this possibility with the full involvement of protected areas agencies and key PAs stakeholders. Indicators of management quality to assess the potential application of methods for “certification” of protected areas at national and international levels will be reviewed and applied, as appropriate

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• Global meetings:

– Melbourne 2003

– Durbin 2003

• Publications

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State of the Parks State of the Parks

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Parks Victoria Profile • Management of 4.1 million hectares of parks & reserves:

− 17% of State of Victoria− 70% of Victorian coastline

• 73.5 million visitors per year:− 40 million to terrestrial parks and reserves− 2.7 million to marine national parks & sanctuaries− 30.8 million to piers, jetties, bays

• Over 1,000 employees at 120 workcentres:− 75% in regional Victoria− over half trained in emergency wildfire response

• Annual Budget of $158m:− Capital program of nearly $20m per year− Parks & Reserves Trust $60m per year − Earned revenue growth through commercial program

MELBOURNEMELBOURNEMELBOURNEMELBOURNEMELBOURNEMELBOURNEMELBOURNEMELBOURNEMELBOURNE

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see inset

0 50

kilometres

100

Type of park(and National Parks Act Schedules)

National Park (Schedule 2)Wilderness Park (Schedule 2A)State Park (Schedule 2B)Other Terrestrial Park or Reserve (Schedule 3 & 4)Other Marine Park or Reserve (Schedule 4)Marine National Park or Marine Sanctuary (Schedule 7 & 8)Conservation ReserveRegional ParkMetropolitan Park

Map 1.5.1 Victoria's parks and reserves

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State of the Parks 2005Expanded

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Purpose of SoP

• To report on outcomes of Parks Victoria’s management of the parks network by identifying long-term trends in response to 10 year directions outlined in the Corporate Plan;

• To report on all of Parks Victoria's Key Output Groups: natural values management, cultural values management, visitor services and wildfire and other emergency management, and be released every five years.

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Background• Initial SoP report produced in 2000. First in Australia.

• Changes from SoP 2000 and second edition

• Links to State of the Environment and State of The Forests

• Fits within long-term reporting within PV Output Model

• Strong focus on management effectiveness

• Based on world best-practice models (PSR, WCPA)

• Framework reviewed and endorsed by experts in “State of” reports, and PV’s independent Environment Committee

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What is SoP based on?

• Use of both quantitative and qualitative data

– corporate databases (e.g. EIS, AMS)

– statewide datasets (e.g. Flora Information System)

– commissioned reports such as statewide risk assessments & asset condition reports

– monitoring programs

– staff questionnaire (400 parks & 250 staff)

– Review of framework by leading Science Panel

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Management Effectiveness Cycle

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ROLE of SoP in Management

Setting objectives,identifying priorities

& planning

LEGISLATION & POLICY

Resourcing & implementing

Service & protection outcomes

Annualreporting

Corporate Plan & Review

State of the Parks

Delivering annual actions

1 yearall parks

3 yearsmost parks

5 yearssome parks

Evaluation & Reporting

10 yr3 yr1 yr

Levels of Protection & Service

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SCOPE of State of the ParksSCOPE of State of the Parks

Inventory of values & assets

Achieving Objectives

Condition of values

Effective services &Mgt of risk

Efficient delivery of

services

Planning

Indigenous Cultural

Values Mgt

• community involvement / satisfaction

• appropriate interpretation

• mechanisms in place to reduce threats

Heritage Cultural Values Mgt

• summary of site condition

• sustainable use of sites

• appropriate interpretation

Natural Values

Mgt

• case studies showing trends & condition of values

• extent of & trends in pests: staff opinion & case studies

Visitor Services

• asset cond.• visitor &

community satisfaction

• achievement of service

offer

summary of activities undertaken annually

planning mechanisms in place & implemented

OUTCOMESOUTCOMES

(10 yrs)(10 yrs)

OUTPUTSOUTPUTS

(3 yrs)(3 yrs)

INPUTSINPUTS

(1 yr)(1 yr)

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Benefits beyond Boundaries

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How does SoP fit in?

• International / national context

– use of SoP reporting to improve park management & report to community

• based on world best-practice models (e.g. WCPA)

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Scope

Inventory

Method

Priorities

Resourceallocation

PV ParksCanada

US NPCA

NSW2001

system & parkpark

some issues

maps & quant.

descriptive & semi-quant.

descriptive

system & park

generalrecom’d

specific recom’d

system & park

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• initial SoP report produced in 2000 (1st in Australia)

• links to “Whole of Government” (State of the Environment & State of the Forests)

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How does SoP evaluate effectiveness?

• outlines medium-long term management objectives for each of NVM, CVM, Recreation etc

• establishes a framework of indicators & measures

• for the parks network:

– summarises trends and activities over a five year reporting period

– where possible reports on trends and outcomes (e.g. visitor satisfaction trends, impact of rabbits)

– highlights information gaps

– summarises progress against management objectives

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Benefits in Australia & New Zealand

• Major Commonwealth, NSW Parks, Parks Victoria, Parks Forum and University of Queensland “State of Parks” linkage research to establish the ongoing benchmarks and standards for Parks

– Precursor for the international benchmark and certification system

• Innovative management decision making

– Levels of Service

– Levels of Protection

– Governance Park Risk Management system

– Park Business Excellence Framework & Peer Review

• Major funding decisions by Government

– 3 year $100m Infrastructure redevelopment

• First actual landscape scale baseline data for climate change impact

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Benefits Beyond our Shores

• Ability to report on the STATE of the key biodiversity assets in Australia as required under International Treaties through the IUCN & WCPA

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Questions ? ?

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INTERNATIONALURBAN PARKS

WORKSHOP

“Setting the Agenda for Urban Parks”

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International Urban Parks Alliance Workshop Dublin 2007 INTERNATIONAL URBAN PARKS WORKSHOP Setting the Agenda for Urban Parks Dublin, September 2007