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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.

The WDPA User Manual provides information and guidance about the data held within the WDPA, including its history, how it is collected, managed and distributed, and how it should be interpreted and used for analyses and research. The Manual has been prepared for WDPA data providers and users. It is structured in 4 sections and includes 6 appendices.

The Protected Areas Working Group (PAWG) of the Pacific Islands Round Table for Nature Conservation recommended a forum to better connect a diverse range of people and their work relating to protected and conserved areas. To increase efficacy with respect to gaining momentum with communications and conservation work, the Pacific Islands Protected Area Portal (PIPAP) was launched.

Map of the protected areas for Cook Islands with country-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.

Map of the protected areas for Northern Islands, Cook Islands with country-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.

Map of the protected areas for Southern Islands, Cook Islands with country-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.

 Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme

There are 14 terrestrial PAs, which total at least 1407.2 hectares (five PAs are uncalculated), or about six per cent of the Cook Islands’ total 240 km2 land mass. Terrestrial PA are concentrated in a few locations. Three of the 15 islands in Cook Islands are wildlife reserves (Suwarrow, Takutea and Manuae), almost 40% of the terrestrial PAs are represented by four motu on Pukapuka, and three of Rarotonga’s four PAs make up 36% of total terrestrial PAs.

 Ministry of Infrastructure Cook Islands (ICI)

These interactive graphs were derived from the raw data of the Waste Audit conducted under the PacWaste Project for Cook Islands

 Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme

The World Database on Protected Areas (WDPA) is the most comprehensive global database of marine and terrestrial protected areas, updated on a monthly basis, and is one of the key global biodiversity data sets being widely used by scientists, businesses, governments, International secretariats and others to inform planning, policy decisions and management.