It is called as protected area to that geographical space that as a consequence of the various conditions it presents: the uniqueness of its species, many generally in danger of extinction, material wealth or cultural heritage, among others, is legally protected by the state so that it is not intervened by in no way that directly threatens its condition and conservation.
Geographic space within a territory that is preserved by the originality and danger of extinction of its species or by its aesthetic, cultural, educational and scientific values
For example, this type of area must be administered and handled with special care to avoid being affected in its naturalness and presence.
The corresponding state, then, must provide the necessary means to satisfy their needs and of course their care and protection.
Minimize the action of man against nature
As we know, many times the intervention of man turns out to be very harmful and not at all attentive to those spaces worthy of being conserved, that is, it is essential that the state is present and active in this sense because otherwise the human being may end definitely with the natural and cultural heritage of a community that took years and centuries to build.
The purpose of determining an area as protected is to minimize the consequences of human action on the natural environment.
Unfortunately, the lack of awareness of many human actors, even if they are a minority, can deal a severe blow to these areas, which due to their characteristics cannot be exposed to harm and mistreatment; recovery may be impossible or take years and years to heal.
Thus, in these areas, actions such as lighting a fire, driving a car, building buildings, among others, are normally prohibited.
The non-observance of some of the provisions in force by law, or any criminal act against the health of the protected area, will be punished in accordance with the provisions of the regulations in question.
Classes of protected areas
It should be noted that depending on the nature of what is preserved, we can find various types of areas that have been classified as follows: flora and fauna protection area, natural resource protection area, national parks, biosphere reserve and urban recreational area.
Although there are several issues that determine an area as a protected area, we list some of the most outstanding so that you can easily recognize them and take care of them of course: presence of plant and animal species in danger of extinction, unique; habitats of scientific, recreational or educational interest; spaces with extreme beauty; presence of notable natural elements, such as a geological formation; archaeological value; areas that are of vital importance to the ecosystem in which they participate.
Preserving them, a task for all: governments and citizens
In addition to safeguarding the danger of extinction of the species that live in protected areas, we cannot ignore that in these places research and education tasks are also intense, issues for which they are also preserved, due to their high valuation in matter of obtaining knowledge.
Nor can we ignore the beauty of the landscapes that many of these areas have and that makes them an unforgettable tourist attraction.
Without a doubt, the creation and determination of protected areas is a political decision of the governments that is in the hands of the ministerial portfolio or secretary of the environment.
Fortunately today, there is a collective conscience about the importance of caring for the planet.
This assessment was born as a consequence of the awareness campaigns of many NGOs, but the various natural disasters that have been happening in recent years have also had a lot to do with it, many of them clearly related to the impact that man's unscrupulous behavior has had on the nature.
But of course, the conscience of many is not enough and that is why it is essential that countries develop an environmental policy that tends to reduce the negative impact of human activities on the health of the planet and of course to take care of those areas that keep natural treasures.
