The State of the World’s Parks: An International Assessment for Resource Management, Policy, and Research

There are currently more than one thousand national parks around the world, from Yellowstone in the United States to Darmitor National Park in Yugoslavia. Many of these parks are threatened by poaching, development, pollution, overuse, and a host of other problems. The State of the World’s Parks is the first systematic, international study of the pressures these special places face. The book examines two questions- what are the threats to national parks worldwide, and what can be done about them? The authors borrow from the disciplines of ecology, anthropology, and sociology, as well as from the applied fields of wildlife management, park management, and environmental science. Their arguments are based on data collected from a survey of 135 parks in more than fifty countries; the voices of park managers, conservation officers, and game wardens are heard throughout the book. Recommendations, some controversial, are made for resource management, policy, and research. The State of the World’s Parks is important reading for conservationists, park managers, policymakers, scientists, and citizens interested in national parks and their future.