The under-financing of protected areas in the Congo Basin: so many parks and so little willingness-to-pay

摘要: Protected areas in the Congo Basin cover approximately 6% of landscape, and several international NGOs are proposing substantial additions to present network parks reserves. Yet, chronic under-funding has long precluded effective management most reserves resulting their progressive ecological impoverishment, loss biodiversity. Furthermore, not only indebted nations a position contribute significantly recurring costs protected area management, growing opportunity setting aside is increasing incentives local communities national governments 'illegally' exploit economically valuable resources within If global value biodiversity contained considered worth preserving then donors must work with reach consensus on an optimal that (a) contains representative assemblage forest species; (b) composed blocks sufficiently large, intact, likely persist; (c) zones active speciation (e.g. ecotones), (d) can expect receive sufficient long-term financial support ensure management. Given 'need eat today' reality economies Basin, community decide shoulder conservation globally important continue under-finance rather than make hard choices associated prioritizing spending if all will exhibit reductions biomass individual species, risk extirpation or extinction slow reproducing rare endemics.