Most protected areas (e.g.national parks and nature reserves) have been created to protect wildlife and land- and seascape values. They currently cover over 13% of the world's land surface, around 12% of marine coastal areas and 4% of the marine shelf. Retaining and expanding these areas in the future will depend on showing their wider benefits for society. This book provides a concise and persuasive overview of the values of protected areas. Contributing authors from over fifty countries examine a wide range of values that are maintained in protected areas, including food, water and materials; health; tourism; cultural and spiritual values; and buffering capacity against climate change and natural disasters. The book also considers the role of protected areas in poverty reduction strategies, their relationship with traditional and indigenous people and in fostering conflict resolution through peace parks initiatives. The chapters draw on a series of authoritative reports published by WWF over recent years under the 'Arguments for Protection' banner, in association with various partners, and on additional research carried out especially for the volume. It analyses the opportunities and limitations of protected areas for supplying the various values along with practical advice for planners and managers about maximising benefits. It provides an important contribution to the debate about the role of protected areas in conservation and other aspects of natural resource management and human livelihoods. Published with WWF

Foreword: Arguments for Protected Areas1. Protected Areas: Linking Environment and Well-Being2. Vital Sites: Protected Areas Supporting Health and RecreationCase study 2.1: Protecting Medicinal Resources in ColombiaCase Study 2.2: Parks Victoria (Australia) 'HealthyParks Healthy People Initiative'3. Running Pure: Protected Areas Maintaining Purity and Quantity of Urban Water SuppliesCase Study 3.1: Protecting Water Supplies to Caracas, Venezuela4. Food Stores: Protected Areas Conserving Crop Wild Relatives and Securing Future Food StocksCase Study 4.1: Crop Genetic Diversity Protection in TurkeyCase Study 4.2: Conservation of Endangered CWRs in Mexico's Sierra de Manantl n5. Nursery Tails: Protected Areas Conserving Wild Marine and Freshwater Fish StocksCase Study 5.1: Freshwater Fishery Sustainability in Lake Malawi, East AfricaCase Study 5.2: Managing and Monitoring Success: The Story of Tubbataha Reefs, Philippines6. Natural Security: Protected Areas and Hazard MitigationCase Study 6.1: Environmental Degradation and The Indian Ocean Tsunami of 2004Case Study 6.2: Restoration and Protection Plan to Reduce Flooding in the Lower Danube7. Safety Net: Protected Areas Contributing to Human Well-BeingCase Study 7.1: Population-Health-Environment Approaches in Kiunga Marine National Reserve, Kenya8. Beyond Belief: Linking Faiths and Protected Areas to Support Biodiversity ConservationCase Study 8.1: The Ancient Sacred Natural Sites in Al Hoceima National Park, Morocco9. Living Traditions: Protected Areas and Cultural DiversityCase Study 9.1: Angkor Wat Protected Landscape: Where Culture, Nature and Spirit MeetCase Study 9.2: Inuit Partnerships in the Torngat Mountains National Park, Canada10. Diverting Places: Linking Travel, Pleasure and ProtectionCase Study 10.1: Managing Tourism in South Korea's Protected Area System11. Climate Change: The Role of Protected Areas in Mitigati