Residents’ Views on Landscape and Ecosystem Services during a Wind Farm Proposal in an Island Protected Area

Vassiliki Vlami,Jan Danek,Ioannis P Kokkoris,Stamatis Zogaris,Panayotis Dimopoulos,Eirini Gallou,George Kehayias

doi:10.3390/su12062442

Abstract

Industrial wind farms are being developed within many protected areas, such as in EU Natura 2000 sites; this includes proposals on small Mediterranean islands, such as Samothraki in Greece. Scarce wild land areas on islands may be particularly vulnerable to landscape-scale degradation; this may have serious negative societal impacts. Samothraki’s resident perceptions were surveyed in the wake of such a proposal, in June 2018. Of 98 respondents, 48% reported they were against the wind farm plan, while 22% did not take sides. We compare for-and-against sub-group perceptions of the proposed wind farm with potential impacts on the landscape and explore residents’ opinions on ecosystem services and environmental pressures and threats. Conflict over the wind farm was prevalent; residents most frequently reported that the proposal threatens aesthetic and landscape qualities. Aesthetic qualities were also the second highest ranked ecosystem services, after freshwater provision. However, other threats, such as livestock overgrazing, top residents’ opinion of major environmental problems on the island. The questionnaire survey used provides a scoping assessment, which may assist in identifying "conflict hotspots" for wind farm development. A critical review of wind farm planning in protected areas is presented in light of insights gained from this survey and other relevant studies.

Highlights

On many Mediterranean islands, wind energy developments are being planned and constructed on wild lands often within protected areas
In the context of such difficulties in protected areas, we focus on a Mediterranean island case study involving a wind farm proposal in a near-pristine island landscape in Greece
Most of the island is covered by two Natura 2000 sites and it has been proposed as a UNESCO MAB Biosphere Reserve [57]

Summary

Introduction

On many Mediterranean islands, wind energy developments are being planned and constructed on wild lands often within protected areas. Modern wind farms are industrial-scale multi-turbine facilities developed by independent power companies to provide electricity to the wider grid [4]. Many such developments are supported by EU government subsidies and actively promoted by member-state government agencies [5,6]. Residents’ perceptions on the impacts of wind farms in protected areas remains poorly studied, in potential conflict hotspots for wind farm development such as the EU’s Mediterranean protected areas [11,12,13]

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Results

Conclusion