In the scenario we are currently facing, more and more habitats and species are being lost at a faster rate. Given the negative impact generated on the environment, the role of protected areas becomes essential, which help conserve water, function as carbon deposits and contribute to stabilizing the climate. The objective of national parks is to protect natural biodiversity together with the underlying ecological structure and the environmental processes on which it is supported.. In turn, they seek promote educational and recreational use. This is defined by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
The role of these spaces is not only important for the preservation of ecosystems and biodiversity. Following the estimate that the global network of protected areas stores at least 15% of terrestrial carbon, its importance in relation to climate change is increasingly being recognized. National parks are one of the many classifications that make up the set of protected areas, geographically defined spaces recognized and managed in such a way that, in the long term, the conservation of nature, its ecosystems and cultural values is achieved. The IUCN places them in Category II of conservation and protection of the ecosystem of the system that it designed to achieve a global understanding in the management of protected areas. The definitions of this organization are accepted by the United Nations and the Convention on Biological Diversity. National governments are also guided by them. According to what is detailed by the Biodiversity Information System of Argentina, each country should have 5% of its territory protected, with areas evenly distributed among all its biogeographical units.
National Parks in Latin AmericaAccording to data from CEPALSTAT (databases and statistical publications of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean) from 2012, Brazil is the country in the region with the largest number of national parks, since it has 69 of them in its territory. , the fifth largest worldwide and the largest in the region. The list is followed by Mexico (66), Colombia (56), Venezuela (43), Chile (36) and Argentina (34). Four of the parks in the latter country are among the UNESCO World Heritage Sites. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the main challenge for the region is address deforestation which, although it has decreased in recent years, remains high. Even so, this organization highlights that the area of forests designated for the conservation of biodiversity in the region has grown to 3 million hectares per year since 2000.Sources:International Union for the Conservation of NatureBiodiversity Information SystemWhich countries in Latin America protect natural resources the most Protected areas in Latin AmericaFood and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
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