Transboundary Conservation: Asystematic and integrated approach

Abstract

Ecosystems across the globe are divided by political boundaries. So they are exposed to many different policy, legal and institutional structures, management and governance regimes; they are affected by various social, cultural and economic contexts and systems; and they are sometimes impacted by complex relations between countries. Transboundary1 conservation has emerged as a practical way to overcome these differences and encourage cooperative working across international boundaries so as to achieve shared conservation goals. The frst examples of transboundary conservation practice date from the early 1930s, but its rapid expansion has only been evident since the 1980s, in parallel with the growth of designated protected areas at the national level. Today, there are more than 200 examples of transboundary cooperation, ranging from informal agreements to government-togovernment treaties.