For over a century the establishment of protected areas has been a fundamental strategy to conserve biodiversity. Today we know that well-managed protected areas support not only healthy ecosystems and threatened species, but also provide multiple benefits to people. These benefits include a wide range of ecosystem services such as clean water provision, food security, disaster risk reduction and climate regulation. Thanks to their contribution to local and national economies, protected areas are now recognised as an integral part of sustainable development strategies. They are a tried and tested approach that is widely applied to conserve nature with associated ecosystem services and cultural values. Protected areas come in many shapes and sizes, including strict no-take sanctuaries, sacred natural sites, peace parks, or multiple-use landscapes and seascapes (see also Box 1.1 on page 3). They are managed by governments, local communities, indigenous peoples, non- governmental organisations (NGOs), and/or private entities.