The state of protected and conserved areas in Eastern and Southern Africa is the first report that brings together information on protected and conserved areas for the whole Eastern and Southern Africa region. The Eastern and Southern Africa region covers 24 countries from South Africa in the south to Sudan in the north and four of the six Western Indian Ocean island nations. The region is culturally diverse and extremely rich in biodiversity, with an abundance of spectacular wildlife, and many endemic species of flora and fauna. Considerable efforts are being made to conserve the biodiversity of the region, but growing human populations, land use conflict, overexploitation of resources, unsustainable recreational activities, deforestation and illegal trade are threatening protected areas, species and ecosystems. This report includes a global overview of conservation and the related policies and programmes, as well as a regional analysis. The report emphasizes the underlying rationale for implementing effective systems of protected and conserved areas. It contains numerous case studies from Eastern and Southern Africa.