Management Effectiveness Evaluation of Finland’s Protected Areas 2023 – Summary of the Evaluation Report and Recommendations

A comprehensive international assessment of the management effectiveness of Finland’s protected areas was commissioned by PWF and carried out by an independent expert group in 2023.

The Terms of Reference (ToR) were to carry out a comprehensive, nation-wide, agency-level evaluation of the state-owned protected area system operated by PWF.

The PAME assessment confirms that Finland has a world class protected area system. But it has significant challenges. Many species are threatened, threats are increasing due to e.g., climate change and resources available for management are stretched. The Evaluation Team gave a set of recommendations on how PWF might rethink its role as a conservation organisation and develop its management in a changing world. These recommendations are summarised by theme below and spelled out question by question in the complete report.