Monitoring the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) frameworkusing evaluation of effectiveness methods. The Italian case

tProtected areas play an important role in the preservation and implementation of bold environmentalagreements, among which the 20 Aichi Targets (Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011–2020, COP 10), withtheir focus on effective management systems supporting the conservation of biodiversity and eco-systemservices (Aichi Biodiversity Target 11). The aim of this paper is to illustrate the MEVAP (Monitoring andEValuation of Protected Areas) methodology, Italy’s contribution to the topic of evaluating the effective-ness of protected areas within the international landscape (WDPA–IUCN, World Database on ProtectedAreas – Union for Conservation of Nature). The purpose of MEVAP is to provide a periodical review pro-cedure as part of the process to improve the management of protected areas. Its starting point is theanalysis of qualitative and quantitative data pertinent to the environmental, social and economic aspectsof protected areas and to their governance.This paper illustrates the results obtained using the MEVAP method and its application to severalclusters of Italian national parks. While highlighting the potential of this method, the document alsoproposes an initial assessment of the environmental, social and economical performance of protectedareas and how performance is connected to its governance.Underpinning the study is the need to expand the use of evaluation practices and to spur scientificdebate in the direction of widely spread adaptive management methods, with a view to optimisingpolicies and management procedures and, therefore, achieving the protection targets that must be metby protected areas through their institutions