Managing National Parks : How Public-Private Partnerships Can Aid Conservation

Abstract

National parks in developing countries are home to the planet's most undervalued natural assets. Positive experience with public-private partnerships in nature conservation in Africa shows that they can improve service through professional management and marketing, reduce the need for public subsidies, and mobilize capital for investment in park infrastructure and biodiversity. The best choice of structure for such partnerships depends mainly on the capacity of the incumbent public park agency. Within a national system of protected areas a diversified funding strategy makes it possible to focus public resources on the protected areas that cannot be self-financing but are critical to achieving the system's biodiversity objectives.