Experience in Cross-Border Cooperation for National Park and Protected Areas in Central Europe

Abstract

The European continent has made itself famous in the world for its rapid economic development, particularly industrial development which has involved natural environment devastation. Yet Europe is also the place where the greatest number of national parks have been created (about 240 of a worldwide total of approximately 850). The division of Europe into two political and economic blocs lasted until 1990. The post-World War Two period has been characterized by unprecedented economic development in the West European countries. But also in these countries, achievements in nature conservation were greater, finding expression in the number of established national parks—nearly twice as many as in the countries of the Eastern Bloc. Remarkable achievements were noted in Sweden where 22 national parks were created up to 1990 and in Norway with 19 national parks. Central and Eastern European countries belonging to former communist bloc, were much less active in this respect. New and more effective methods of nature conservation have therefore recently been sought. One of the more important initiatives is transfrontier protected areas. Traditions in this field are poorly established, but the method is promising, notably in regard to large transfrontier national and landscape parks and associated biosphere reserves.