Protected natural area
Introduction
A protected area or protected natural area is a geographical area legally regulated in pursuit of the conservation of its biological diversity.[1] “Protected areas are areas of land and/or sea especially dedicated to the protection and maintenance of biological diversity, as well as associated natural resources and cultural resources; and are managed through legal or other effective means.”[2].
The value of these areas often extends to the ecosystem services they provide and their associated cultural diversity. There are different types of protected areas depending on the objectives of their declaration, the intensity of their protection and their form of management. Protected areas are a key tool in the conservation of threatened natural heritage. Currently, protected areas represent 15% of the land surface and 7% of the marine surface.[3] According to Article 2 of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), a protected area is a “geographically defined area that has been designated or regulated and is managed in order to achieve specific conservation objectives.”
Definition
The most widely accepted definition of a protected area is that established by the International Union for Conservation of Nature:.
"A protected area is a clearly defined, recognized, dedicated and managed geographical space, through legal or other effective means, with the aim of achieving the long-term conservation of nature and its associated ecosystem services and cultural values." [4].
Key elements of this definition are:[5].
Countries with the most protected terrestrial areas
These are the countries and dependencies with the highest percentage of their land territory protected.
Note: That a territory has a higher percentage of its protected lands does not mean that its extension is greater than that of a territory with a lower percentage, everything depends on the land area of each country.