BACKGROUND

More than half the world's population now lives in cities and the proportion is steadily growing.  Protected areas are connected to cities in many ways.  On one hand, they provide important benefits to cities, ranging from education and healthy recreation to conservation of biodiversity, water supply, and income from tourism.  On the other hand, protected area systems depend on support from political leaders and opinion-makers who are largely concentrated in major cities.

People in cities tend to be less and less connected to nature. Consequently, the quality of their lives is diminished, they have little knowledge of the benefits of natural areas, and they may unwittingly behave irresponsibly toward the environment.  City dwellers gain appreciation for nature less through conventional education than through outdoor experiences.

Agencies responsible for protected areas, working with others, can preserve and restore natural areas in and near cities, and provide opportunities for urban residents to enjoy nature.  In addition, they can promote sustainability in urban settings, and help to bridge divisions in urban society through shared experiences in nature.

Innovative programs exist in a number of countries, but little has been done to exchange information.

GOALS

The goals of this task force are to strengthen the ability of the protected areas community to:

1.  Serve the needs of cities;

2.  Inform urban residents about the benefits of protected areas.

These goals relate not only to urban protected areas but to the full

range of connections between cities and protected area systems.

OBJECTIVES AND OUTPUTS

Planned objectives and outputs are as follows:

1.  Publish and distribute the proceedings of the workshop held at the

Fifth World Parks Congress on "The Urban Imperative: Urban Outreach

Strategies for Protected Area Agencies." 

2.  Produce a volume in the WPCA Best Practice Protected Area Guidelines Series on Cities and Protected Areas. 

3.  Develop a Web site and ListServe to facilitate communication. 

4.  Plan, organize, and conduct an event on cities and protected areas (or cities and conservation) at the 2004 World Conservation Congress in Bangkok, and use that event to encourage broader participation in the WCPA Task Force.

5.  Organize an international training/exchange program on urban outreach for managers of protected area systems. 

6.  Develop case studies and guidelines for formal evaluation of urban outreach activities as a basis for improving such activities and making a stronger case to funders. 

7.  Explore other possible objectives, including sharing experience and developing case studies and guidelines on:

     a.  Management of urban protected areas;

     b.  The role of protected area agencies in promoting sustainable development in urban settings.