Editing Protected area (section)

{{Short description|Areas protected for having ecological or cultural importance}}
{{distinguish|Cricket_pitch#Protected_area{{!}}Protected area in the cricket pitch}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2023}}
[[File:Protected areas by percentage per country.svg|thumb|upright=2.35|World map with percentage of each country under protection (2005 data) {{legend|#000000|0–3.9% of the country is protected}}{{legend|#800003|3.9–11.3% protected}}{{legend|#d40000|11.3–22.7% protected}}{{legend|#f3b113|22.7–41.8% protected}}{{legend|#fffd61|41.8–72.3% protected}}{{legend|#e0e0e0|No data}}]]
[[File:Share of important terrerstrial biodiversity sites that are protected, OWID.svg|thumb|Share of important terrestrial biodiversity areas under protection, as of 2018|220x220px]]
'''Protected areas''' or '''conservation areas''' are locations which receive protection because of their recognized natural or cultural values. Protected areas are those areas in which human presence or the [[exploitation of natural resources]] (e.g. firewood, [[non-timber forest product]]s, water, ...) is limited.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Lele|first1=Sharachchandra|author-link=Sharachchandra Lele|last2=Wilshusen|first2=Peter|last3=Brockington|first3=Dan|last4=Seidler|first4=Reinmar|last5=Bawa|first5=Kamaljit|author-link5=Kamaljit S. Bawa|date=1 May 2010|title=Beyond exclusion: alternative approaches to biodiversity conservation in the developing tropics|url=http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S187734351000014X|journal=Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability|language=en|volume=2|issue=1|pages=94–100|doi=10.1016/j.cosust.2010.03.006|bibcode=2010COES....2...94L |issn=1877-3435|url-access=subscription}}</ref>

The term "protected area" also includes [[marine protected area]]s and [[transboundary protected area]]s across multiple borders. As of 2016, there are over 161,000 protected areas representing about 17 percent of the world's land surface area (excluding Antarctica).<ref name="PPR16">{{cite web|url=https://wdpa.s3.amazonaws.com/Protected_Planet_Reports/2445%20Global%20Protected%20Planet%202016_WEB.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160902060339/https://wdpa.s3.amazonaws.com/Protected_Planet_Reports/2445%20Global%20Protected%20Planet%202016_WEB.pdf |archive-date=2016-09-02 |url-status=live|title=Protected Planet Report 2016|publisher=UNEP-WCMC and IUCN|access-date=7 February 2020}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|last=Soutullo|first=Alvaro|date=2010|title=Extent of the Global Network of Terrestrial Protected Areas|journal=Conservation Biology|language=en|volume=24|issue=2|pages=362–363|doi=10.1111/j.1523-1739.2010.01465.x|pmid=20491846|bibcode=2010ConBi..24..362. |s2cid=32390446|issn=1523-1739}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://mdgs.un.org/unsd/mdg/Host.aspx?Content=Products/ProgressReports.htm/|title=unstats - Millennium Indicators|access-date=28 August 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170927112249/https://mdgs.un.org/unsd/mdg/Host.aspx?Content=Products%2FProgressReports.htm%2F|archive-date=27 September 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="MoraAndSale2011">{{ cite journal |url=https://www.int-res.com/articles/theme/m434p251.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110911180618/http://www.int-res.com/articles/theme/m434p251.pdf |archive-date=2011-09-11 |url-status=live | author=Mora C, Sale P | year=2011 | title=Ongoing global biodiversity loss and the need to move beyond protected areas: A review of the technical and practical shortcoming of protected areas on land and sea | journal=Marine Ecology Progress Series | volume = 434 | pages = 251–266 | doi=10.3354/meps09214| bibcode=2011MEPS..434..251M | doi-access=free }}</ref><ref name="PR">{{Cite web |title=Protected Planet Report 2020 |url=https://livereport.protectedplanet.net/ |access-date=24 April 2023 |website=Protected Planet Report 2020}}</ref>

For waters under national jurisdiction beyond inland waters, there are 14,688 Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), covering approximately 10.2% of coastal and marine areas and 4.12% of global ocean areas.<ref name="PPR16"/> In contrast, only 0.25% of the world's oceans beyond national jurisdiction are covered by MPAs.<ref name="PPR16"/><ref name=Paddison/>

In recent years, the [[30 by 30]] initiative has targeted to protect 30% of ocean territory and 30% of land territory worldwide by 2030; this has been adopted by the [[European Union]] in its [[EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030|Biodiversity Strategy for 2030]], Campaign for Nature which promoted the goal during the [[Convention on Biodiversity]]'s COP15 Summit<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.campaignfornature.org/petition|title=Sign the 30x30 Petition Today!|website=Campaign for Nature}}</ref> and the [[G7]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.euronews.com/green/2021/05/21/g7-commits-to-end-support-for-coal-fired-power-stations-this-year|title=G7 commits to end support for coal-fired power stations this year|date=21 May 2021|website=euronews}}</ref> In December 2022, Nations have reached an agreement with the [[Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework]] at the COP15,<ref>{{Cite news |last=Briggs |first=Helen |date=19 December 2022 |title=COP15: Nations reach 'historic' deal to protect nature |language=en-GB |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-64019324 |access-date=19 December 2022}}</ref> which includes the [[30 by 30]] initiative.<ref name=Paddison/>

Protected areas are implemented for [[Conservation biology|biodiversity conservation]], often providing habitat and protection from hunting for threatened and [[endangered species]]. Protection helps maintain ecological processes that cannot survive in most intensely managed landscapes and seascapes.<ref>Dudley, N. (ed.) ''Guidelines for Applying Protected Areas Management Categories'' (IUCN: Switzerland, 2008)</ref> Indigenous peoples and local communities frequently criticize this method of [[fortress conservation]] for the generally violent processes by which the regulations of the areas are enforced.<ref>{{cite web |title=Decolonize Conservation |url=https://www.survivalinternational.org/conservation |website=www.survivalinternational.org |publisher=Survival International |access-date=24 June 2023 |language=en}}</ref>