Protected area personnel and ranger numbers are insufficient to deliver global expectations

Appleton, MR; Courtiol, A; Emerton, L; Slade, JL; Tilker, A; Warr, LC; Malvido, MÁ; Barborak, JR; de Bruin, L; Chapple, R; Daltry, JC; Hadley, NP; Jordan, CA; Rousset, F; Singh, R; Sterling, EJ; Wessling, EG; Long, B

Protected area personnel and ranger numbers are insufficient to deliver global expectations

Appleton, MR Courtiol, A Emerton, L Slade, JL Tilker, A Warr, LC Malvido, MÁ Barborak, JR de Bruin, L Chapple, R

Daltry, JC Hadley, NP Jordan, CA Rousset, F Singh, R Sterling, EJ Wessling, EG Long, B

Permalink

Publisher:: NATURE PORTFOLIO
Publication Type:: Journal Article
Citation:: Nature Sustainability, 2022, 5, (12), pp. 1100-1110
Issue Date:: 2022-12-01

Open Access

Copyright Clearance Process

Recently Added
In Progress
Open Access

This item is open access.

Adobe PDF

Download Accepted versionAdobe PDF (5.9 MB)

View on publisher's site

View statistics

Full metadata record

Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Appleton, MR
dc.contributor.author	Courtiol, A
dc.contributor.author	Emerton, L
dc.contributor.author	Slade, JL
dc.contributor.author	Tilker, A
dc.contributor.author	Warr, LC
dc.contributor.author	Malvido, MÁ
dc.contributor.author	Barborak, JR
dc.contributor.author	de Bruin, L
dc.contributor.author	Chapple, R https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3826-2896
dc.contributor.author	Daltry, JC
dc.contributor.author	Hadley, NP
dc.contributor.author	Jordan, CA
dc.contributor.author	Rousset, F
dc.contributor.author	Singh, R
dc.contributor.author	Sterling, EJ
dc.contributor.author	Wessling, EG
dc.contributor.author	Long, B
dc.date.accessioned	2025-03-23T23:43:48Z
dc.date.available	2025-03-23T23:43:48Z
dc.date.issued	2022-12-01
dc.identifier.citation	Nature Sustainability, 2022, 5, (12), pp. 1100-1110
dc.identifier.issn	2398-9629
dc.identifier.issn	2398-9629
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/186151
dc.description.abstract	The 2020 global spatial targets for protected areas set by the Convention on Biological Diversity have almost been achieved, but management effectiveness remains deficient. Personnel shortages are widely cited as major contributing factors but have not previously been quantified. Using data from 176 countries and territories, we estimate a current maximum of 555,000 terrestrial protected area personnel worldwide (one per 37 km2), including 286,000 rangers (one per 72 km2), far short of published guidance on required densities. Expansion by 2030 to 30% coverage of protected areas and other effective area-based conservation measures is widely agreed as a minimum for safeguarding biodiversity and ecosystem services. We project that effective management of this expanded system will require approximately 3 million personnel (one per 13 km2), including more than 1.5 million rangers or equivalents (one per 26 km2). Parallel improvements in resourcing, working conditions and capacity are required for effective, equitable and sustainable management.
dc.language	English
dc.publisher	NATURE PORTFOLIO
dc.relation.ispartof	Nature Sustainability
dc.relation.isbasedon	10.1038/s41893-022-00970-0
dc.rights	info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
dc.subject.classification	40 Engineering
dc.subject.classification	41 Environmental sciences
dc.title	Protected area personnel and ranger numbers are insufficient to deliver global expectations
dc.type	Journal Article
utslib.citation.volume	5
pubs.organisational-group	University of Technology Sydney
pubs.organisational-group	University of Technology Sydney/Provost
pubs.organisational-group	University of Technology Sydney/Provost/TD School
utslib.copyright.status	open_access	*
dc.rights.license	This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0). To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
dc.date.updated	2025-03-23T23:43:46Z
pubs.issue	12
pubs.publication-status	Published
pubs.volume	5
utslib.citation.issue	12

Abstract:

The 2020 global spatial targets for protected areas set by the Convention on Biological Diversity have almost been achieved, but management effectiveness remains deficient. Personnel shortages are widely cited as major contributing factors but have not previously been quantified. Using data from 176 countries and territories, we estimate a current maximum of 555,000 terrestrial protected area personnel worldwide (one per 37 km2), including 286,000 rangers (one per 72 km2), far short of published guidance on required densities. Expansion by 2030 to 30% coverage of protected areas and other effective area-based conservation measures is widely agreed as a minimum for safeguarding biodiversity and ecosystem services. We project that effective management of this expanded system will require approximately 3 million personnel (one per 13 km2), including more than 1.5 million rangers or equivalents (one per 26 km2). Parallel improvements in resourcing, working conditions and capacity are required for effective, equitable and sustainable management.

Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item:

http://hdl.handle.net/10453/186151