Traditional leaders, Island Councils, communities and government have all contributed to the establishment and management of PAs. Most Cook Islands PAs are not covered by legislation, and the few that are legislated vary in their levels of protection. Only three of the 14 terrestrial PAs are covered by formal government-based legislations and regulations, which include the Suwarrow National Park Declaration, Takutea Island Regulations and Takuvaine Water Catchment Regulations.
Rarotonga’s wetlands, with in-fill areas of wetlands, and other types of land-use. (SPREP, 2015; Data source NES)
Figure 95: Rarotonga’s wetlands near Avarua. (SPREP, 2015, Data source NES)
steams and water intakes rarotonga 2014 or older
Map of the protected areas for the Pacific Islands Region with regional-level summary statistics on the amount of area under protection, count for each type of protected area (terrestrial or marine), and the count of their designation.
