Rio+20 (19/06/2012) – Paul Grimes, Secretary of Australian Government, Department of Energy and Climate Change comes to the Pavilion studio to talk about protected areas.

He says it is important to realise that protected areas are not only about bringing environmental protection but that they can also contribute to economies and society and have a broader range of benefits.

He uses the example of Australia where protected areas range from those with are set aside just for wilderness and have no development, being left in a pristine state to those which have quite a lot of human activity – for example tourism which allows people to come close to nature.

He says the country also had a wide range of protected areas that are run and management by local indigenous communities. He says these areas cover vast parts of the country and encourages indigenous people to get involved in caring for and protecting their country – giving the benefits to biodiversity and the land itself – but are also encouraged to get involved in economic activities, be rewarded for protecting their lands and encouraging them to get involved in tourism.