IUCN, the International Union for Conservation of Nature

As per IUCN classifications, around 12.4 percent of the world's forests or 479 million ha currently enjoy protected area status. However, even though the last ten years have witnessed an unprecedented increase in the area of forest under formal protection, on-going forest lost and degradation is expected to put an estimated 5-15 per cent of the world's species in danger of, at least, local extinction by 2020. There is now a pressing need to build on the success of the past decade by ensuring that existing protected areas are part of well-managed and systematic networks whose existence does not violate, and where possible enhances, the rights of poor, vulnerable communities. Greater attention is also needed to be paid to the establishment and management of transboundary protected areas in the face of violent regional conflict and threats posed to biodiversity by global warming. The IUCN Forest Conservation has been actively involved in this effort at both the field and policy levels.