Expanding Partnerships in Conservation illustrates how individuals and institutions can work together better (in new forms of partnership) to meet conservation needs. The book was compiled from contributions made at the IV World Parks Congress in Caracas in 1992. Much of the books' content is on protected areas, but the issues and cases discussed are relevant to conservation in general. Expanding Partnerships provides a good overview of experiments underway across the world to establish more effective and efficient relationships amongst people and institutions to meet conservation needs. It is primarily targeted at people who intend to get or are involved in protected area development.

"Principles of partnership" (part one) discusses in general terms the importance of new forms of partnerships in conservation and examines conceptual models for their creation. The aspects covered include mechanisms to expand public support, corporate ethics, legal instruments in land use planning and management, and insights from the social sciences. In "Partnership with major sectors" (part two) the value of the protected areas is examined in terms of their benefits to fisheries, forestry, tourism, hydrology, and protection against natural hazards. It also examines the links between the protected areas and zoos, botanical gardens, medicinal plants, energy exploitation, investments, gender interests, and national security. In part three, "Partnership with communities," case studies from around the world illustrate possible scope for the private sector, NGOs, and local communities in managing protected areas. Examples include work with North American Aborigines, tribal groups in Southern and Eastern Africa and Nepal, and landowners in the United Kingdom.

Protected areas (national parks, biosphere reserves, wildlife reserves) will only survive if supported by the public, the private sector and a full range of government agencies. Expanding Partnerships emphasizes that obtaining this support requires that people appreciate the protected areas, and that the areas are well managed and seen to contribute to the general, local, and/or national welfare. By implication, the protected areas are treated as "the means" to conserve biodiversity. If they fail, biodiversity would not be conserved. The major challenge is to ensure the "protected areas idea" succeeds rather than, for example, to develop capacity for effective popular conservation programs. The title emphasizes conservation but the book's main focus is protected areas and the need for everyone to work together to preserve them.

Many of the protected areas' problems are universal. The examples in Expanding Partnerships provide useful conceptual models to deal with these problems.

Expanding Partnerships in Conservation would be an important reference for anyone involved with conservation activities. For educators, students, and researchers of natural resources management it brings together examples of prevailing practices. For development agencies, it illustrates new aspects and possible mechanisms for investment, and for work with other stakeholders in conservation programs.

Michael Oneka, <ONEKA@USA.NET> is Protected Areas Designer at Wageningen Agricultural University, Department of Ecological Agriculture, Haarweg 333, NL-6709RZ Wageningen. Tel: +31 317 483522 Fax: +31 317 484995.