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conservation areas — English
Natural or human-made areas that have certain qualities which make them so important or unique that they should be protected on behalf of the future generations. Natural areas worthy of protection include a wide variety of mountains, wetlands, coasts, forests, grasslands, rivers, areas containing fossils, areas teeming with wild animals, areas where certain animals breed, and so on. Human-made areas worthy of protection include a wide variety of city sectors, historical settlement sites, areas containing archaeological artefacts, and many more. Some areas that are not entirely man-made, such as important battlefields and graveyards, are also included in the list of conservation areas. All countries have their own conservation legislation, but certain conservation areas are protected by international laws (such as the International Law of the Sea) under the aegis of various Agencies of the United Nations (such as UNESCO). Access to and development in certain conservation areas are strictly forbidden, but in others access and development are only subject to certain rules and regulations. Antarctica is a case in point. The entire continent plus the ice shelves surrounding it, is a conservation area, governed by the United Nations under the International Atlantic Treaty. Access is strictly controlled. No non-endemic plants or animals are allowed. Yet certain development is allowed under strict regulations and only genuine scientific research stations have been permitted. South Africa is one of the few countries in the world that has a research station (called SANAE and dating from 1958) on Antarctica. However, South Africa’s environmental management regulations and laws do not apply on Antarctica, where only the International Antarctic Treaty’s regulations apply. (See “wetlands”.)
