Protected Areas Climate Change Specialist Group...adapt to climate change. 2. All countries should...

Protected Areas Climate Change Specialist Group

Strategic Framework 2016–2020

STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK 1 2016-2020

Executive Summary

As the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change 21st Conference of the Parties (COP

21) in Paris demonstrated, there is growing receptivity among nations to discuss new solutions to global prob-lems. This presents an unprecedented opportunity for managers, conservationists, and all people interested in the stewardship of parks and public lands to commu-nicate the role nature and Protected Areas play in the global solutions, and to work together to solve our collec-tive challenges due to climate change.

Protected Areas worldwide — including parks, forests, seashores, marine ecosystems and other conservation areas — provide a perfect opportunity to optimize our ability to fight against the harmful impacts of climate change. In the era of globalization, communities across the world’s many borders will benefit greatly as they learn, share, collaborate and cooperate on a large scale. Beyond conserving species and ecosystems, Protected Areas can assist with water and food security, and contribute to economic, social, environmental, and other sustainable development goals. Conservation within and beyond the borders of Protected Areas represents an efficient, cost-effective way to support the life sustaining needs of nature and the communities that depend on it.

The World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA) identified the need to create a cross-cutting group of cli-mate change specialists at the 6th World Parks Congress in Sydney, Australia in November 2014 (WPC 2014). To build on the momentum generated at the Congress, WCPA established the Protected Areas Climate Change

Specialist Group (PACCSG). This group’s task is to strengthen the role and visibility of Protected Areas in providing natural solutions to climate change and to help the stewards of Protected Areas adopt and mainstream best practices for planning and management under a changing climate. To focus their efforts, the PACCSG was given the charge of moving forward the six rec-ommendations of the Responding to Climate Change Stream, produced at the Congress as part of the Prom-ise of Sydney.

At the inaugural meeting held in October 2015, PACCSG members articulated the unique role of the group, developed broad goals, and set high-priority actions for both the near- and long-term. This document defines the direction and activities needed to ensure progress on each of the six recommendations between now and the next World Parks Congress in the year 2024. The group’s vision is to maintain a broad and multidisciplinary scope for its work, including participation from the natu-ral and cultural sciences, planning and management, indigenous groups, youth, regional representatives, and the private sector. Key strategies include development of communication materials and their wide dissemina-tion, harnessing the role of IUCN as an observer of UN processes, and distributing concrete guidance to Pro-tected Area managers around the world. By utilizing the expertise of its participants and implementing identified activities, as well as fostering strategic partnerships, PACCSG expects to further the Promise of Sydney and help mainstream Protected Areas as natural solutions to climate change.

Climate impacts like increased wildfire or storm severity threaten Australia’s cultural heritage such as aboriginal rock art at Kakadu National Park. Photo: Luke Durkin.


Background

The 6th World Parks Congress was a landmark forum for sharing knowledge and innovation to establish the

Protected Areas (PAs) agenda for the coming decade. The Congress was hosted by the Global Protected Area Program (GPAP) and the World Commission on Pro-tected Areas (WCPA) of the International Union for Con-servation of Nature (IUCN). The Responding to Climate Change Stream, led by the United States National Park Service, Mexico’s National Commission for Natural Pro-tected Areas, and Australia’s Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization, organized a series of sessions and events to showcase the importance of Protected Area management and conservation under a changing climate. The Stream assembled tools for enabling the role of PAs as “natural solutions” in helping communities mitigate and adapt to the impacts of climate change. It included case studies to help managers and societies respond to climate change, and it promoted a broad and bold vision for new coalitions that emphasize the key role of PAs in climate change communication and strategies at the international, national, and local level.

The Congress made clear the importance of moving from passive-isolated management of PAs to active-inclusive management and a collaborative approach working with other sectors. The major outcome of the World Parks Congress is known as the Promise of Sydney. Partici-pants in the Responding to Climate Change Stream developed six recommendations to help the PA com-munity move forward in addressing climate change, as well as mainstream PAs as natural solutions. Protected Areas embody solutions for the future as they intersect biodiversity conservation, sustainable development, and resilient communities – all providing opportunities for climate change adaptation across landscapes.

WCPA therefore established the Protected Area Climate Change Specialist Group (PACCSG) to move the recom-mendations forward. To accomplish this, the PACCSG will collaborate with complimentary IUCN programs and other IUCN commissions, specialist groups and task forces, including those on capacity development, marine, species survival, disaster risk reduction, drylands, con-nectivity, natural solutions and gender, to promote good practice and integration of PAs into strategies to combat global challenges and promote equitable solutions. This approach will help focus the work plan for PACCSG to maximize and leverage resources and ensure actions undertaken by PACCSG add value and further the unique mission and goals of the WCPA. The conserva-tion community now has the challenge of coordinating collective work to achieve identified objectives and main-tain the momentum of the Congress.

The first meeting of the PACCSG took place in More-los, Mexico in October 2015. Twenty-three participants attended the meeting to lay the foundation and articulate a vision for the future. This first meeting brought together a diverse group of stakeholders from different sectors and geographies (participant list). Participant back-grounds and areas of expertise spanned a wide variety of topics and perspectives. PACCSG expects to continue to reach beyond this initial group and encourage input and contributions of many WCPA members and other relevant experts and practitioners.

Climate change has heated temperatures and reduced rainfall across the globally unique Namib Desert eco-system, including Namib-Naukluft Park, Africa. This has increased mortality of the iconic quiver tree. Photo: Patrick Gonzalez.


Work Plan Guidelines

RECOMMENDATIONS FROM SYDNEYThe PACCSG will develop and implement products and activities to advance the recommendations developed during the Responding to Climate Change Stream.

1. Countries should bring into international conventions and treaties, including UNFCCC, UNCBC, and UNCCD, the full recognition of biodiversity, ecosystems and particularly protected areas as key to enable countries to mitigate and adapt to climate change.

2. All countries should mainstream the concept of protected areas as natural solutions to climate change into national development plans, communication and financial strate-gies, for natural and social resilience.

3. Governments and relevant stakeholders should enhance adaptation and mitigation strategies within and outside pro-tected area boundaries through carbon management, long term monitoring, and integrated landscape connectivity.

4. Protected areas must actively engage new thinking in plan-ning and management to ensure equitable participation from society, including youth, women and indigenous and local communities, building on traditional knowledge and working together in finding solutions to climate change.

5. Protected areas should adopt and apply innovative, appro-priate, and context-specific adaptation measures to ensure that in the face of transformative climatic change they can continue providing the full array of values, functions, and services for people and nature, including climate protection and disaster risk reduction.

6. New partnerships must be formed and strengthened within and beyond national boundaries to protect and connect landscapes and seascapes as they transform and adapt to climate; we especially must support coalitions in the polar regions, such as the Arctic Council and the Antarctic Treaty System because these areas are experiencing rapid change.

TERMS OF REFERENCEThe following Terms of Reference for the PACCSG serve as general guidance for the group’s overall purpose and function.

Enhance women and men’s awareness of climate change and its impacts to Protected Areas and biodiver-sity in surrounding landscapes and seascapes.

Desired outcome: communities in and around PAs understand how climate change affects the environ-ment and the services on which the livelihoods of women and men depend.

Promote the capacity of PA managers to respond to climate change.

Desired outcome: the development and dissemina-tion of Responding to Climate Change: Guidance for Protected Area Managers and Planners (IUCN 2016) makes it possible for PA managers to strengthen their planning and management as landscapes transform and adapt to climate change.

Mainstream protected areas and natural solutions into climate change strategies, plans and programs.

Desired outcome: all sectors of society adopt PAs as natural solutions in their climate change responses, employing new coalitions across public sector, business, climate science, cultural boundaries and geographies that integrate PAs into mitigation and adaptation strategies at all levels.

Due to increased water temperatures and ocean acidi-fication, traditional subsistence fishing practices may be threatened in Alaska’s protected areas like Noatak National Preserve. USNPS photo.


Taking Action

Coastal erosion threatens invaluable cultural resources at Skara Brae in Scotland. Photo: Crown Copyright Historic Scotland.

UNIQUE ROLEWith so many activities and initiatives surrounding cli-mate change around the world, PACCSG sets itself apart as a gathering of experts with multiple perspectives and diverse backgrounds from Protected Areas worldwide. PACCSG links PAs across the globe to facilitate the sharing of technical expertise and best practices. One effective way to do this is to identify successful initia-tives already underway and seek opportunities to apply them in other settings, scale them up, or enhance their communication potential. Compared with other climate change task forces and specialist groups, PACCSG has responsibility to identify policy models, including mecha-nisms to incorporate Protected Areas into national and international agendas for addressing sustainable and equitable development and climate change.

PACCSG strives to encourage participation of a wide range of experts, embracing a strategic partnership model that extends beyond WCPA. The group is inclu-sive, ensuring the participation of partners from multiple regions and sectors to yield strong, focused outcomes. The character of PACCSG is to maintain optimism and promote positive action toward collective solutions.

DEVELOPING PRIORITIESThe initial work plan was established as starting point, building from the Promise of Sydney recommendations. A central priority will be to connect and communicate the range of climate change initiatives already under-way within the WCPA and support the members’ needs for tools and information. The approach to developing and managing the PACCSG work plan is expected to be iterative and dynamic as the PACCSG grows and accomplishes its tasks.

Climate change effects are changing the migratory route and timing of Monarch Butterflies. Nacional Park Sierra de Órganos Mexico.


Work Plan

RECOMMENDATIONS NEAR-TERM ACTIONS LONG-TERM COMMITMENTS

1. Bring into international conventions and treaties, the full recognition of biodiversity, ecosystems, and PAs to enable countries to mitigate and adapt to climate change.

• Identify leverage points and foster partnerships within and outside of IUCN.

• Identify points of contact for each of the major international conventions and create a timeline for “intervention” points to showcase PAs and climate change messages.

• Collaborate on resolutions (e.g. WCC) that incorporate the message of PAs as natural solutions for climate change mitigation and adaptation.

• Utilize PACCSG and other WCPA mem-bers to consistently deliver messages at key international venues about the benefits of PAs in a changing climate.

2. Mainstream the concept of PAs as natural solutions to climate change into national development plans, commu-nication and financial strategies, for natural and social resilience.

• Encourage regional participation in the PACCSG to further dialogue on climate change solutions.

• Provide support and expertise where needed and feasible for regional capacity development on climate change adapation and mitigation.

• Collaborate with the Natural Solutions Special-ist Group and other WCPA experts to consoli-date and promote shared messages.

• Replicate the REDPARQUES Declara-tion in other regions of the world to promote the importance of PAs in a changing climate.

• Establish linkages between PAs and climate change across Sustainable Development Goals.

3. Enhance adaptation and mitigation strategies within and outside PA bound-aries through carbon management, long term monitoring, and integrated landscape connectivity.

• Promote collaboration and networking between and among WCPA climate change experts and other IUCN entities that bridge PAs with other sectors, such as the Drylands and Disaster Risk Reduction Programs.

• Complete the WCPA Best Practice Guidelines for climate change adaptation and deliver final at WCC.

• Connect adaptation strategies and options to other WCPA efforts related to mitigation, connectivity, and other natural solutions approaches.

• Promote/support projects that demon-strate and apply nature-based solutions for climate change with other sectors, such as agricultural communities.

• Provide capacity building and training for PA practitioners and planners on Best Practice Guidelines.

Orangutans are one of many species being impacted by changes in phenology across Indonesia’s forests like in Tanjung Puting National Park. Photo: Friends of Indonesia National Parks Foundation.


Work Plan

People inhabiting Protected Areas in Mexico depend on the ecosystem services they provide like in the Bio-sphere Reserve Barranca de Metztitlan Hidalgo.

RECOMMENDATIONS NEAR-TERM ACTIONS LONG-TERM COMMITMENTS

4. Engage new thinking in planning and management to ensure equitable participation from society, including youth, women and indigenous and local communities.

• Highlight projects that gather and share traditional and indigenous knowledge about weather and climate, as well as culturally relevant approaches to learning and sharing information, so that audiences will be receptive to climate change messages.

• Support/promote citizen science approaches to community engagement and sharing around climate change and PAs (e.g. coastal archeo-logical impacts in Scotland’s Neolithic Orkney as example).

• Broaden and increase participation from non-traditional stakeholders and groups in PACCSG, especially women and young professionals.

• Ensure common messages related to human well-being and livelihoods are incorporated into natural solutions and climate change frameworks.

5. Adopt and apply adaptation mea-sures to ensure that in the face of transformative climatic change PAs can continue providing the full array of val-ues, functions, and services for people and nature.

• Provide feedback to the Green List Standard to strengthen the climate change component.

• Capture and communicate current examples from leading countries.

• Increase visibility of PACCSG as a resource through Facebook and other social media.

• Champion PAs with robust climate change actions in the Green List.

• Establish ongoing collaborate with the Global Protected Area Programme’s Panorama to expand current successes to other countries and regions.

• Create a website that is linked to Natu-ral Solutions SG to house communica-tions and training materials.

6. Form and strengthen partnerships to protect and connect landscapes and seascapes as they transform and adapt to climate, especially coalitions in the polar regions that are experiencing the most rapid change.

• Promote role of PAs within the Working Groups of the Arctic Council, especially the Conserva-tion of Arctic Flora and Fauna (CAFF) and Protection of Marine Envirionments (PAME) Working Groups.

• Promote NAWPA as a model for transboundary cooperation to improve ecosystem resiliency across borders.

• Increase participation and representa-tion of PAs in transboundary and other international organizations and efforts to promote landscape level science and long-term conservation agendas.


Aiming for the Future

As countries move from discussion and scientific analysis of climate change to action in the form of

technological solutions, sustainable living and on-the-ground management, Protected Areas must play a key role in our future. It is critical that we maintain healthy ecosystems and biodiversity and the PA and conserva-tion communities’ greatest responsibility is to communi-cate and garner support for that in all sectors of society. The chief aim of the PACCSG is to influence positive action through coordinated communication and conser-vation programs and initiatives. By utilizing the strength and diversity of its members PACCSG can connect PAs

across the globe. As greater numbers of land managers start to address climate change effects, PACCSG can ensure best practices are widely shared, so that new efforts begin from a place of awareness, and actions on the ground are successful, moving us collectively toward a more sustainable future.

Climate Change threatens sacred coastal sites at Puuhonua o Honaunau National Historical Park, USA. Photo: Stanton Enomoto.

Participants at the inaugural PACCSG meeting held in Morelos, Mexico October 2015. Back row from left to right: Edgar González, Silvio Simonit, Óscar Guevara, Andrew Rhodes, Bruce Young, Claire Pedrot, Craig James, Margaux Granat, Tom Dawson, and Tomasz Wiercioch. Front row from left to right: Fernando Camacho Rico, Cristina Argudín Volante, Ernesto Enkerlin Hoeflich, Kathy MacKinnon, Mike Wong, Mark Zimsky, Martín Cadena Salgado, Angie Richman, Leigh Welling, Paula Bueno, Nancy Roeper, Alejandra Calzada, Valeria García.


Participants and Resources

Additional Resources:IUCN http://www.iucn.org WPCA http://www.iucn.org/about/work/programmes/gpap_home/gpap_wcpa/ World Parks Congress http://www.worldparkscongress.org Promise of Sydney http://www.worldparkscongress.org/about/promise_of_sydney.html Envisioning the Future - Global Reflections on Climate Change in Protected Areas https://vimeo.com/112215728 Paris Agreement https://unfccc.int/resource/docs/2015/cop21/eng/l09r01.pdf

For more information contact: Leigh Welling, [email protected] Andrew Rhodes, [email protected]

Climate change poses a growing challenge for manag-ers of all Commonwealth parks and reserves like here at the pinnacles of Nambung National Park of Australia. Australia Parks photo.

Or find us on FaceBook https://www.facebook.com/ProtectedAreasCCSG/?fref=ts

NatioNal Park Service (NPS) – USa Leigh Welling, Co-Chair, [email protected]

FiSh & WildliFe Service (FWS) – USa Nancy Roeper, [email protected] Schmerfeld, [email protected]

NatioNal oceaNic & atmoSPhere admiNiStratioN (Noaa) – USaLauren Wenzel, [email protected] Marzin, [email protected]

ParkS caNada – caNada

Mike Wong (IUCN/WPCA), [email protected] Wiercioch, [email protected]

UNiverSity oF St. aNdreWS – ScotlaNd

Tom Dawson, [email protected]

commoNWealth ScieNtiFic aNd iNdUStrial reSearch orgaNizatioN (cSiro) – aUStralia

Craig James, [email protected]

commiSSióN NacioNaleS de ÁreaS NatUraleS ProtegidaS (coNaNP) – mexico

Andrew Rhodes, Co-Chair, [email protected] Camacho Rico, [email protected] García Lara, [email protected]

ParqUeS NacioNaleS – colombia

Paula Bueno, [email protected]

World WildliFe FUNd (WWF)Óscar Guevara, [email protected] Wyborn, [email protected]

UNited NatioNS develoPmeNt Program (UNdP)Edgar González, [email protected]

iNterNatioNal UNioN For coNServatioN oF NatUre (iUcN)Silvio Simonit, [email protected] Granat, [email protected]

PACCSG MEMBERS

Protected Areas Climate Change Specialist Group

Strategic Framework 2016–2020

Front Cover: Paramo ecosystem is vulnerable to reduced snowpack and changes in rainfallParque Nacional Natural Los Nevados, Colombia

Photo: Daniel Ruiz Carrascal

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