In the Pacific region, protected areas encompass more than just national parks and other areas established by central governments. Protected areas can include locally designated and managed areas affording some level of protection to natural resources and the environment. Although such areas may not be recognised by international rankings such as the Protected Areas Categories of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) nor be displayed in international databases such as the World Database on Protected Areas (WDPA), such areas and instruments of protection are nonetheless an important part of Pacific island cultures, livelihoods and perspective.