National Parks and Natural Protected Area Systems

Dear Colleagues,

Over the past century, the global system of national parks and protected areas has made significant progress and, as of 2024, more than 260,000 protected areas have been established worldwide, covering approximately 17% of the Earth’s terrestrial surface. These areas play a critical role in conserving biodiversity, maintaining water resources, regulating the climate, and preserving cultural heritage. International frameworks such as the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and the Global Biodiversity Framework have continually driven countries to expand and strengthen their protected area networks. In 2020, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) released the Guidelines for Conserving Connectivity through Ecological Networks and Corridors, marking a pivotal moment in formally recognizing ecological connectivity within international legal and policy systems. This recognition provides essential mechanisms for countries to fulfill their conservation obligations more effectively. However, protected area systems continue to face mounting challenges. Rapid urbanization and land use changes have led to increased habitat fragmentation; climate change has intensified ecological vulnerability; and, in many regions, weak management capacity and insufficient community engagement remain major obstacles. Meanwhile, global biodiversity loss is accelerating at an alarming rate. Addressing these challenges requires a fundamental shift—from isolated conservation efforts toward an integrated, network-based approach to ecosystem governance. Looking ahead, building efficient, resilient, and inclusive systems of national parks and protected areas will be essential to achieving the global goal of “living in harmony with nature.” This calls for stronger ecological networks, enhanced legal and institutional frameworks, and the equitable participation of local communities in conservation planning and decision-making.

This Special Issue aims to explore scientific conservation strategies for national parks and protected area systems from a global perspective. It seeks to draw on the experiences and best practices of leading countries in developing ecological networks and corridors, with particular attention to the challenges faced by developing countries under the dual pressures of climate change and biodiversity loss. By systematically analyzing the latest theories, governance practices, and innovative mechanisms from around the world, this Special Issue aspires to offer actionable insights and policy recommendations for building and managing effective protected area systems across different development contexts. Ultimately, it contributes to the global vision of achieving harmony between humans and nature.

This Special Issue will welcome manuscripts that link the following themes:

• National park management;
• Natural protected area system construction;
• Natural protected areas under climate threat;
• The land management of natural protected areas.

We look forward to receiving your original research articles and reviews.

Prof. Dr. Chris Zevenbergen
Prof. Dr. Liang Li
Dr. Liyuan Qian
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Land is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• national park management
• natural protected area system construction
• ecological connectivity
• biodiversity conservation
• climate change
• ecosystem governance
• urban threats
• tourism control
• human–environment interation
• restoration