Internationally Recognised Areas

Internationally Recognised Areas are protected areas that have been internationally recognised by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) (A “protected area” is defined as: “a clearly defined geographical space, recognised, dedicated and managed, through legal or other effective means, to achieve the long term conservation of nature with associated ecosystem services and cultural values”). To gain this level of protection the protected area is submitted to the World Database on Protected Areas (WDPA) and must conform to the IUCN definition (as above) to be given their designation. These protected areas are classified into categories by the IUCN according to their management objectives. The categories are recognised by international bodies such as the United Nations and by many national governments as the global standard for defining and recording protected areas and as such are increasingly being incorporated into government legislation. These categories are as follows: Strict Nature Reserve Wilderness Area National Park Natural Monument or Feature Habitat/Species Management Area Protected Landscape/ Seascape Protected area with sustainable use of natural resources