Rue Mauverney 28

CH-1196, Gland Switzerland

WCPA MOUNTAIN PROTECTED AREA WORKSHOP PROGRAMME, 2005-2008

Three workshops dealing with Mountain Conservation Connectivity Management; Transboundary Conservation Management in Mountains; and, Managing Ecotourism in Mountain Protected Areas are planned. The IUCN World Commission for Protected Areas Mountains Biome Theme has programmed these 3 workshops during the next 4 years for mountain protected area managers. They are an integral part of its 4 year strategic plan for 2005-2008, and involve leading mountain management experts for each subject area.

The aim of the workshops is to develop very practical guidance information for mountain managers which can be published and made accessible for protected area managers and others throughout the world. The workshops will be small (about 40 participants) and will typically run for 3 to 4 days. They will build on and update existing IUCN information on these subjects, and will provide more focused and specific information for managing mountain protected areas. The workshops are described in more detail here, and expressions of interest in participating will be called approximately 12 months before each workshop. The workshops are a direct investment in the future, but will need sponsorship and support. Organisations who may be able to help or who would like to be involved in some way are welcomed and are encouraged to contact Graeme Worboys.

Graeme Worboys

Deputy Vice Chair (Mountains) IUCN WCPA

3 Rischbieth Crescent Gilmore, ACT, 2905, Australia

Email: g.worboys@bigpond.com

2006 WORKSHOP: MOUNTAIN CONSERVATION CONNECTIVITY MANAGEMENT.

Purpose:

1. To finalise two years of development of a practical book on conservation connectivity management (Initiated at the September 2004 International Mountain Corridors Conference, Banff Canada).

2. To workshop and synthesize management lessons learned from at least 8 major global mountain conservation connectivity initiatives.

Objectives of the workshop:

1. To convene a workshop involving experts from around the world who have already developed papers on mountain conservation connectivity management (for the proposed book).

2. To identify and synthesize lessons learned from managing conservation connectivity.

3. To finalise the nature and scope of the IUCN WCPA publication to be developed.

Workshop method:

The workshop will be designed on the following principles:

· Relatively small (say up to 40 conservation corridor management experts)

· Relatively brief (say 3 to 4 days)

· A mix of protected area site inspections and workshop activities

· Each participant will have contributed to a paper for the proposed book.

Convener, location and host:

The workshop will be convened in late 2006 by Graeme Worboys, Deputy Vice Chair IUCN WCPA Mountains Theme. A potential host and venue in South America is currently being considered.

Editor:

Wendy Francis, Conservation Specialist from Toronto Canada has agreed to edit the book.

Cost:

There will be a fee for the workshop to cover costs. Sponsorship will be sought to help cover the cost for some participants.

2007 WORKSHOP: TRANSBOUNDARY CONSERVATION MANAGEMENT IN MOUNTAINS

Purpose:

To identify lessons learned from managing mountain transboundary conservation areas as a basis for publishing an IUCN WCPA management guideline book in 2008.

Objectives of the workshop:

1. To identify the principle management issues and lessons learned for transboundary conservation management in mountains.

2. To provide maximum opportunity for the overlap and exchange of information on mountain transboundary conservation area management.

3. To produce an IUCN WCPA publication arising from the workshop which will be made available for protected area management practitioners around the world.

Workshop method:

The workshop will be:

· Relatively small (say up to 40 mountain transboundary conservation area management experts) and brief (say 3 to 4 days)

· A mix of protected area site inspections and workshop activities

· Each participant will provide a pre-prepared paper for the workshop

Workshop content:

The workshop will build on the work of Sandwith et al 2001 and Hamilton et al 1995. It will be more specific and practically focused. Lessons learned from managing mountain transboundary conservation areas will be described and made available for practitioners around the world.

Location, time and management:

The workshop location will be in the Himal area at a time in 2007 to suit the conditions for this area. Management of the workshop is proposed to be shared by Kishore Rao, Trevor Sandwith and Graeme Worboys.

Participants:

Participants will include managers and experts who are directly involved in transboundary conservation management in mountains and who have identified that they are able to attend and contribute a paper. There will be a fee for the workshop to cover costs. Sponsorship will be sought to help cover the cost of some participants.

2008 WORKSHOP: MANAGING ECOTOURISM IN MOUNTAIN PROTECTED AREAS

Purpose:

To identify issues and lessons learned from managing ecotourism in mountain protected areas as a basis for publishing an IUCN WCPA management guideline book in 2009.

Objectives of the workshop:

1. To identify the principle management issues and lessons learned for ecotourism management in mountain protected areas.

2. To workshop and bring forward management responses to the principle issues.

3. To identify case studies for mountain protected area ecotourism management from around the world.

4. To produce an IUCN WCPA publication arising from the workshop which will be made available as a capacity building document for protected area management practitioners around the world.

Workshop method:

The workshop will be designed on the following principles:

· Relatively small (say up to 40 mountain ecotourism protected area management experts) and relatively brief (say 3 to 4 days)

· A mix of protected area site inspections and workshop activities

· Each participant provides a pre-prepared paper for the workshop

Workshop content and venue

The workshop will build on the IUCN WCPA Sustainable Tourism in Protected Areas work by Eagles et al (2002) to produce a set of ecotourism management guidelines specifically designed for mountain protected areas. It is proposed to be held in East Asia and probably China.

Host and manager:

The host is proposed to be the IUCN WCPA East Asia Region. The managers for the workshop are Professor Shin Wang (Taiwan), Graeme Worboys and probably a representative from China. There will be a fee for the workshop to cover costs. Sponsorship will be sought to help cover the cost of some participants.