The present publication was written as a resource book for professionals who support capacity development in the field of protected area governance and management. It is designed to help its readers navigate the wealth of existing knowledge products and to give inspiration by presenting examples and project experience. At its core, it provides an overview of a variety of planning, management, financing, monitoring and assessment tools and of instruments and guidance to enhance the recognition and participation of rightsholders and stakeholders. The selection of tools is intended to be sufficiently comprehensive to cover the broad range of different governance and management issues at stake in protected area systems and sites while at the same time limiting the total number of tools presented. The list includes well-established tools for which documented experience is available as well as offering some newer tools that address emerging challenges. In view of the fact that this is a dynamically developing field with existing tools being adapted and new tools being developed, this resource book seeks to provide general guidance based on professional judgement at the present point in time without in any way claiming to be authoritative or exhaustive.

Citation: Auhagen, Bojan; Eißing, Stefanie; Garstecki, Tobias; Koning, Mirjam de; Lobmüller, Janina; Preuß, Stefanie; Renner, Isabel; Schoroth, Marie (2021) Protected area governance and management: A resource book for practitioners in development cooperation. Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, Bonn and Eschborn, Germany.