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The IUCN categories are applicable to all types of protected areas, whether terrestrial or marine. the 2008 Guidelines for Protected Area Management Categories (2008 Guidelines) provide considerable detail on the use and application of the categories, including for marine protected area (MPAs).

The importance of strengthening ecological coherence and resilience as necessary conditions for both biodiversity conservation and sustainable development has attracted growing attention in recent years in a wide range of conservation and development fora. The World Summit on Sustainable Development, that was held in Johannesburg in September 2002, adopted the goal of securing by 2010 a significant reduction in the current rate of biodiversity loss. In setting out how this can be achieved within the context of sustainable development, the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation called for the promotion of ‘national and regional ecological networks and corridors’.