GAP ANALYSIS OF PROTECTED AREAS IN THE DINARIC ARC ECO-REGION WITH FOCUS ON ALBANIAN RESULTS

One of basic goals of the scientific part of the Program of Work on Protected Areas of the Convention of Biological Diversity is a Protected Area Gap Analysis. Gap analysis is to be produced and made available to all key actors involved by mid-2009. in order to help countries within the region to fulfill this goal the WWF Protected Areas for a Living Planet – Dinaric Arc Eco-region Project supported the preparation of Protected Area Gap Analysis in the Dinaric Arc eco-region. One of the most important aspects of the gap analysis is that it provides a new broader perspective of the region’s biodiversity. By identifying areas with little or no protection, more sound management decisions in planning a protected area network can be made. The gap analysis compares biodiversity distribution with current protected area systems, in order to identify areas where species and ecosystems are unprotected or under-protected. The analysis showed that the level of protected area designations in the DAE is not sufficient to ensure adequate biodiversity protection.