Private protected areas: three key challenges

摘要

Private protected areas (PPAs) can be defined as reserves established and managed by non-government entities including civil society organizations, businesses and private individuals. PPAs have several potential advantages over publicly owned and managed reserves: (1) they are a cheaper alternative for states with limited conservation resources, the costs of management, maintenance and protection being paid by landowner; (2) they are often better protected from exploitation; and (3) given the typically high percentage of land under private ownership, there is often scope for PPA expansion. Nevertheless, PPAs do not necessarily represent a universally beneficial solution for conservation. Doubts have been raised about their ability to secure genuine community participation, deal with issues such as natural resource extraction and poaching and, more generally,- deliver long-term conservation benefits for species and habitats (Brockington et al. 2008).