Lessons Learned Technical Brief: Smart Patrols and Protected Area Management
Protected areas are the cornerstone of biodiversity conservation in Indonesia. They must be well-managed if the country is to meet its Aichi Target commitments under the Convention of Biological Diversity. Ranger patrols are an essential part of protected area management and have therefore been a central part of the USAID LESTARI strategy towards enhancing protected area effectiveness. In support of this, LESTARI has significantly invested in the development and implementation of the Spatial Monitoring and Reporting Tool known as SMART.
This brief presents five years of LESTARI (2015-2020) technical assistance to protected area authorities in establishing and operating SMART in the project-supported landscapes in Aceh, Central Kalimantan and Papua. It describes the project partnership achievements in increasing ranger patrol effort to reduce the primary drivers of biodiversity loss and deforestation, and reflects upon the lessons learned, with recommendations made for the future direction of this key aspect of protected area management.
