Natural solutions for water management of the future: freshwater protected areas at the 6th World Parks Congress

Freshwater biodiversity continues to decline. Protected areas are recognized as critical tools in its conservation. Concurrently, despite global efforts to ensure water supplies, billions of people remain without access to pure water. Conversely, flooding kills tens of thousands of people each year. While designated primarily for nature conservation, protected areas supply a range of other ecosystem services to human society. The natural infrastructure they protect should be seen as a key component of water security and improved conservation of ecosystems, and recognized and invested in as a critical tool for water provision and regulation in the landscape. At the 2014 World Parks Congress delegates identified actions needed to maximize the potential of protected areas to contribute to water services: iKnowledge and capacity building: strengthening technical expertise and capacity building with respect to the role of protected areas in water security. iiValuation: to drive positive change in protected area management. iiiPolicy frameworks: covering legal, institutional, economic and social factors that produce a good synergy between protected area management and water security. ivPricing policy: integrating all the information from valuation of the role of protected areas in terms of water supply, regulation and quality. vWater security: considering natural infrastructure as a key investment in addressing water related risks and a legitimate component of water security strategies. viPartnerships: strengthening these across sectors with a wider group of stakeholders to promote the conservation and management of freshwater ecosystems in protected areas. viiLearning lessons from successful water management: by identifying knowledge requirements for legal, institutional, economic and social factors that synergize protected area management and water security management. None of these steps is technically impossible. Providing the right mixture of policies, legislation, economic and social approaches remains the main challenge for their achievement. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.