The protection of transborder areas in an ecological network system which take account of clusters of conservation areas represents an important step towards protecting natural heritage in Europe. Cross-border co-operation can help provide larger protected areas with uniform management and thus make a considerable contribution to the conservation of biodiversity. This report reflects the transborder co-operation in countries of central and eastern Europe, including Russia, the Baltic countries, Belarus and Ukraine.

Following in the footsteps of Hotspots, Wilderness, Wildlife Spectacles, and Hotspots Revisited, Transboundary Conservation is an essential resource for all those concerned about the future of our environment.

L'établissement du Réseau écologique paneuropéen représente un des objectifs majeurs de la Stratégie paneuropéenne de la diversité biologique et paysagère. La protection de zones transfrontalières dans le cadre d'un tel réseau écologique composé de groupes de zones protégées pourrait être une étape importante vers la protection du patrimoine naturel en Europe. La coopération transfrontalière offre la possibilité de créer des zones protégées plus vastes et d'harmoniser leur gestion, apportant ainsi une contribution très importante à la préservation de la biodiversité. Le présent rapport traite de la coopération transfrontalière dans les pays d'Europe centrale et orientale, y compris les pays en transition d'Europe orientale, dont la Russie, les pays Baltes, le Bélarus et l'Ukraine.

PProtected areas are vital for life on earth. They safeguard biological and cultural diversity, help to improve the livelihoods of local communities, provide the homelands for many indigenous peoples and bring countless benefits to society at large. It is now generally understood that conservation planning cannot just be site-specific; plants and animals do not recognize national boundaries, nor do many of the forces that threaten them. Strategies to conserve biodiversity in the 21st century must therefore emphasize transboundary co-operation , and may at the same time foster better co-operation and understanding between countries. This publication reports on the work undertaken by IUCN's World Commission on Protected Areas to focus attention on the conservation and security benefits of transboundary protected areas.

The Iron Curtain, running from the Barents Sea to the Black Sea, divided Europe for almost 40 years and no activity was allowed in this "forbidden" zone. When it fell in 1989, it left a strip of land that runs the entire length of Europe and that has remained comparatively undisturbed - a green belt. The Green Belt initiative aims to integrate this entire strip of land with its key habitats and ecological areas as part of an international network of valuable ecosystems. This book provides background information on the initiative, reviews current activities in a number of case studies and looks at how the initiative can fit into current and future global efforts to protect European biodiversity.

IUCN's Protected Areas Management Categories, which classify protected areas according to their management objectives, are today accepted as the benchmark for defining, recording, and classifying protected areas. They are recognized by international bodies such as the United Nations as well as many national governments. As a result, they are increasingly being incorporated into government legislation. These guidelines provide as much clarity as possible regarding the meaning and application of the Categories. They describe the definition of the Categories and discuss application in particular biomes and management approaches.