| dc.description.abstract | Protected areas in Latin America have increased significantly in area and number in the last decade. Due in part to lack of personnel trained in the planning and management of these areas, many are threatened or unable to provide their potential goods and services. To remedy this situation, several initiatives are underway to share methodological approaches to planning protected areas in Latin America. We analyze the concepts, methods, and experiences in protected areas planning in Latin America during the last three decades. We conclude that the basic elements and procedures of protected area planning initiated in the 1970s have been maintained, but an important evolution occur-red in the strategy of the planning process. More and varied information is now available to planners and valuable tools have been developed for land use planning. In addition, there has been an important effort to develop a participatory planning process recognizing the potential role of protected areas in the sustainable development of rural, high poverty communities. Participatory planning ensures that protected areas contribute to the ecological, economic, and social environment of adjacent communities. | |
