Measures and activities for managing protected areas under climate changes: The analysis of regulatory frameworks in selected countries of central and southeast Europe

Ivana Vasic,Dragan Nonic,Nenad Rankovic,Jelena Nedeljkovic

doi:10.2298/gsf2123187v

Abstract

The paper analyses regulatory frameworks (strategies and laws) in the field of nature conservation and forestry, i.e. measures and activities for managing protected areas under climate changes in selected countries of central and southeast Europe. This research aims to identify the presence of different measures and activities in strategies and laws on nature conservation and forestry, as well as their systematization and comparison. The analysis has been conducted for 5 countries: Germany (the federal state of Baden-W?rttemberg), Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina (the Republic of Srpska). It can be concluded that the level of representation of observed measures and activities for managing protected areas differs within the regulatory frameworks of the selected counties. Within the strategies and laws on nature conservation, it can be noticed that they comprise a larger number of measures and activities for managing protected areas than in the field of forestry. Additionally, there is a clear distinction between the European Union member states and those who are not members. Some activities are insufficiently or barely implemented in both nature conservation and forestry.

Highlights

Protected areas, i.e. all ecosystems they contain can greatly contribute to mitigating negative effects and adapting to climate change, primarily through the capture and storage1 of CO2 (Melillo et al, 2015)
The analysis has been conducted for 5 countries: Germany, Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Within the forestry sector, strategies are present in all selected countries, except for Slovenia which has already implemented the programme, and Baden-Württemberg which is currently developing the strategy13

Summary

Introduction

I.e. all ecosystems they contain (forest, steppe, aquatic, etc.) can greatly contribute to mitigating negative effects and adapting to climate change, primarily through the capture and storage of CO2 (Melillo et al, 2015). National regulatory frameworks (strategies and laws) for nature conservation recognize measures and activities for climate change mitigation and adaptation. National regulatory frameworks (strategies and laws) for nature conservation recognize measures and activities for climate change mitigation and adaptation3 These measures and activities involve establishing protected areas, using them for carbon sequestration, and increasing ecological connectiveness (Naumann et al 2011; Jeong et al, 2017). The issue of protected areas management under climate change, its measures and activities, are not recognized within national nature conservation policies (Cliquet et al, 2009; Tro u w b o rst , 2009). “...there no enough and clearly defined...” international as well as national “...measures and activities for protected areas management in climate change” (G ies et al, 2013)

Objectives

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion