For millions of people across the Americas and around the world, a vacation often means a visit to a national park. National parks can be a source of great national pride, a way to showcase unique landscapes and educate visitors about an area's flora and fauna, history, and culture. It also can be an important source of revenue that national parks and protected areas provide benefits equivalent to 3% of GDP.
However, the national parks and other protected areas are threatened by air pollution or encroaching development—they are now confronting intensifying threats due to climate change.