DURBAN, South Africa, Sept. 8 (Xinhuanet) -- The 5th World Parks Congress opened in the South African coastal city of Durban on Monday with the theme "Protected Areas: Benefits Beyond Boundaries."

　　The congress is a once in a decade opportunity to take stock ofthe global protected area estate and define priorities for future action. It attracts 2,500 specialists, government officials and representatives from the private sector from 170 countries.

　　South African President Thabo Mbeki officially inaugurated the 10-day congress from Sept. 8 to 17. Former president Nelson Mandela and Queen Noor of Jordan also attended the congress.

　　United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan extended his message to the congress via United Nations Environment Program Executive Director Klaus Toepfer, which is entitled "Johannesburg to Durban: Protected Areas and the Millennium Development Goals."

　　In his message to the congress, Director General for the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) Achim Steiner said, "This World Parks Congress marks a turning point for the world's protected areas. These areas,now covering more than 10 percent of the earth's surface, represent an extraordinary inter-generational gift from past and present to future generations."

　　Protected areas, a generic term covering national parks, wilderness areas, multiple-use areas and other types of reserves, conserve those special places on earth that are vital for sustainable development.

　　They provide water, protect soil and filter air. They help to regulate climate and provide a buffer against natural disasters. They offer materials from nature to meet the needs of poor communities and hold the promise of improving food and medicines from their unexplored genetic resources.

　　There are now 44,000 protected areas in the world, covering 10 percent of the world's land surface, an area equivalent to India and China combined.

　　The Durban congress will be a milestone for catalyzing a renewed commitment to protected areas and spurring global action. It will develop the Durban Accord and Action Plan which will address key challenges to the protected area system and guide its development in the next decade.

　　The previous IUCN World Parks Congress was held in Caracas, Venezuela, in 1992.

　　Since then, a great deal of progress has been achieved: The number and proportion of the Earth's surface with protected area status more than doubled in the past 10 years; the overall target of 10 percent of land and sea covered by protected areas has been surpassed; and protected areas are recognized as a key element in the implementation of the Convention on Biological Diversity ratified by 187 nations.

　　Protected areas have been successfully linked across international boundaries and in some cases made a significant contribution to peace.

　　The value of traditional and other non-scientific knowledge hasbeen recognized and local communities are becoming increasingly engaged in protected area management.

　　However, protected areas have failed to become a truly representative system that covers terrestrial, freshwater and marine biomes. For example, only 1.5 percent of all lake systems in the world enjoy protection.

　　Loss of species of animals and plants continues at an intolerable rate. There are 11,167 species of animals and plants known to be globally threatened with extinction. Enditem