Protected areas are the most effective tool for conserving biodiversity. In addition to conserving natural values, these areas also increase nature awareness and rural development, reduce the possible effects of climate change, and strengthen cooperation between many different partner groups. Furthermore, protected areas are shelters for genetic resources and guarantees of food security, especially since they also contribute to the protection of gene resources. Therefore, effective area management is crucial. Effective and sustainable area management requires legal and administrative regulations, a culture of cooperation and collaboration, financial and human resources, and of course monitoring and assessment of processes and results. With the assessment of management effectiveness, good and bad situations, needs, and lessons learned are revealed and thus necessary measures are taken as quickly as possible. This book covers the assessment of the management effectiveness of national and natural parks managed according to National Parks Law No. 2873 and the National Parks Regulation, comparison of the assessments for 2005 and 2009 with 2022, and suggestions for protected area systems.

This set of Guidelines is aimed at protected area staff, conservation scientists, managers and stakeholders involved in the management of protected areas in Turkey. It provides substantial support to protected area planners, decisionmakers and managers, and staff of the MAF, helping them to assess and improve management effectiveness for protected areas and monitor regularly the management effectiveness of these unique and valuable sites. Protected areas are the cornerstone of biodiversity, habitat and ecosystem services conservation. However, unprecedented global losses due mainly to human activities are exerting pressure on these sites. Achieving long-term sustainability and the expected benefits of these areas requires effective management, a key to which is a well-prepared management plan. A second vital component for effective protected area management – in addition to legal and administrative regulations and management plans – is the availability of quantitatively and qualitatively equipped human resources. The third element necessary to ensuring that management and protection goals are achieved in a protected area is the establishment of participative opportunities and the integration of purposeful processes that include all relevant stakeholders. The mechanism for management effectiveness assessment evaluates the presence and efficiency of all of these aspects.

The Framework for management effectiveness developed by the IUCN World Commission for Protected Areas was published in the first version of this Best Practice Guideline. It is further explained and interpreted, although not substantially altered, in this version. A number of key guidelines for good practice in evaluation are presented from many practitioners around the world, and important needs and directions for the future are identified.

Protected areas can be found in a wide variety of environments, ranging from mountains to the sea, deserts, forests and freshwater lakes, and even traverse borders. They differ in almost every respect, including the purposes for which they are managed, their size, the types of sites and resources they protect, and their management. In recent decades, the number of protected areas has increased rapidly. Although, there has been good progress in expanding the coverage of terrestrial protected areas 14.9%, the further areas are needed for a full representation of areas of particular importance for biodiversity and ecosystem services (UNEP-WCMC, IUCN and NGS, 2018). In general, this rapid and recent growth in protected areas has not been accompanied by commensurate expansion in management capacity. The designation of protected status both on land and water has often failed to resolve (and in some cases has heightened) conflicts over access, use or control of the areas concerned. Economic recession and hardship have thrown such issues into sharper focus in recent years. Protected areas will not survive unless they enjoy broad public support, which is dependent on people’s fundamental needs being met. Land use and resource management conflicts, inequities or impacts do not cease to exist simply because an area is granted protected status. When established by nation states or related entities, protected area boundaries often reflect considerations of sovereignty, governance and tenure as much as the environment types they seek to protect. For all these reasons, the planning and management of protected areas must be coordinated with the use and management of other areas rather than treated in isolation. The long-term success of protected areas must be framed by the search for more sustainable patterns of development in general. The present Guidelines are intended to support the establishment process for protected areas.

The Guidelines for Engaging Stakeholders in Managing Protected Areas have been developed as part of the Conservation and Sustainable Management of Turkeys’ Steppe Ecosystem Project. The guidelines are designed for managers and staff of protected areas, as well as conservation scientists and stakeholders involved in the management of protected areas in Turkey. They cover a strong theoretical base highlighting the relevance and importance of stakeholder participation in protected area management, as well as the current state of stakeholder participation in Turkey’s protected areas system. The guidelines focus primarily on the international and national development of stakeholder engagement in protected areas. They also discuss the process of establishing, planning and managing protected areas, and explain how to engage with stakeholders at the national level through internationally accepted approaches.

Management planning guidelines represent the second major step in the process for planning protected areas, following implementation of the Establishment Guidelines. This publication was developed as a part of the Conservation and Sustainable Management of Turkeys’ Steppe Ecosystem Project. It is the one of seven sets of guidelines designed for the development of recommendations and strategies for the management of the country’s natural assets. This guidelines are based on international and national standards and are divided into 15 steps for successful management. A fundamental pre-condition for any form of management planning is clear definition of the overall management objectives to be achieved. These management objectives are linked to the IUCN protected area categories, which form the basis for the guidelines. Important recommendations for successful management include the creation of thematic preparatory maps on topography, habitats, borders and zones, and habitat-based planning. The guidelines provide basic recommendations for the integration of global trends and requirements connected with nature conservation and protected areas into the protected area management process. A central element of this process is the management plan, which sets out the management approach and goals, together with a framework for decision-making to be applied in the protected area over a given period of time. The management plan is usually valid for a period of 10 years but may include a mid-term review. Changes can only be made to the plan on the basis of ecological or natural reasons.

This document is one of seven guidelines developed to provide standards and recommendations for management of the country’s natural assets. The Guidelines for Biodiversity Monitoring is intended for conservation scientists, managers and stakeholders involved in the management of ecosystems. It specifically provides support for natural resource managers, protected area planners, decision-makers and managers, staff of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF), NGOs and universities, with a view to elaborating adequate and realistic monitoring plans for individual steppe protected areas, in order to establish a working monitoring system for steppe ecosystems. The Guidelines provide a methodology and structure to set up clear indicators and targets for a comprehensive monitoring system for ecosystems. They offer a working basis for national and local experts and specialists, and support the steps towards a comprehensive monitoring scheme. They constitute the first stage in a longer process of defining clear objectives and indicators for individual pillars of monitoring for the ecosystems and their components.

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.