Vital sites: Protected and conserved areas offer solutions for building back better

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic presents both challenges and opportunities for nature conservation. This paper reviews the social and economic values of protected and conserved areas—in water supply, food security, carbon storage, climate change adaptation, and human health. IUCN is well placed to advocate for a green recovery with protected and conserved areas playing a critical role as cost-effective nature-based solutions, along with better ecosystem management and ecological restoration. The Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework of the Convention on Biological Diversity offers a unique moment in time to agree on new priorities for biodiversity conservation and a more sustainable future.