Freshwater ecosystems in protected areas: A synthesis

In 2014 the IUCN issued a call for a specific focus on the coverage and management of freshwater ecosystems in their own right rather than as components of Protected Areas (PAs) established for the protection of terrestrial ecosystems. The argument that freshwater PA managers need to apply freshwater-specific conservation principles and tools to ensure that PAs are effective in protecting aquatic biodiversity and ecosystem services has been extended by others.