Abstract
As the world’s largest coordinated network of protected areas, the Natura 2000 network (N2k) encompasses the most valuable and threatened species and habitats in Europe. However, N2k sites have been often criticized due to their rigid management system that focuses only on conservation practice without a strategic vision for linking with the regional plans. This study aims to develop a novel approach for sustainable management of N2k sites in Italy by identifying existing gaps and developing conservation policies. For this purpose, a panorama of the current challenges in the European sites was provided at the first step. Then, the management status of the natural protected sites in Italy was studied by selecting the Umbria Region as the case study. Finally, we develop a strategic approach for boosting the conservation policies and sustainable management of the N2k sites in Italy. The findings highlight that the sustainability of N2k sites requires an inclusive effort in the social, economic, and policymaking fields to meet its conservation objectives. Such an effort encompasses a sophisticated management approach that consists of a network of tools for monitoring the state of conservation, land uses, and socio-economic activities at the regional scale. Furthermore, the integration of environmental policies with regional plans is essential for the sustainable management of the N2k sites.
Highlights
Stretching across all 27 European Union countries and covering 17.9% of its land area, the Natura 2000 network (N2k) protects over 27.000 natural sites
The «Habitats Directive» represents one of the most potent legal tools in nature conservation, and the importance of N2k sites have been discussed by many scholars (Popescu et al 2014), still, biodiversity continues to decline in Europe (Hochkirch et al 2013)
A study on N2k sites located in forest areas in six EU member states including Austria, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, and the United Kingdom, revealed that conflicts are related to contradictory stakeholder interests and perceptions, as well as to procedural issues and feelings of exclusion, especially by concerned land user groups (Blondet et al 2017)
Summary
Stretching across all 27 European Union countries and covering 17.9% of its land area, the Natura 2000 network (N2k) protects over 27.000 natural sites. In addition to biological diversity reservoirs, the natural protected areas are nodes of green infrastructure that provide environmental resilience and ecosystem services; so, these areas contribute to human well-being and wealth on local, regional, and national scales (Bastian 2013; Doak et al 2015). This network is organized based on the 1979 Birds Directive and the 1992 Habitats Directive (European Commission 2019)
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