Wilderness at the edge of survival in Europe: science and policy

Soomaa NP © Arne Ader

Paanajärvi NP © Viktor

Gritsuk

Wilderness at the edge of survivalResearch arguments for wilderness conservation to convince politicians

Zoltán Kun, Executive DirectorPAN Parks Foundation

Oulanka NP © Kimmo Salminen

Presentation outline

• why wilderness• wilderness policy• intro to PAN Parks• challenges

• defining wilderness• where wilderness is

• research agendaAim: creating stronger linkage between science, practice and policy

Borjomi-Kharagauli NP © Kote Gabrichidze

„...about 1% of Europe’s territory ...can be called wilderness area”Ladislav Miko,EC DG Environment

Wilderness is a scarce resource in Europe!

Why focusing on wilderness

Wilderness is not a priceless heritage for future generations! Europeans are not valuing wilderness as much as they should!

Oulanka NP ©Michael Hennemann

Why focusing on wilderness

The scope of our wilderness focus

Archipelago NP © Janne Gröning

Threats and Opportunities exist parallel in Europe

• wilderness comes up on the agenda (catch phrase?)• land abandonment provides opportunity to restore• wilderness disappears• restoration is more attractive than protection of existing areas!

Developing wilderness policy

©iStock/Graeme Purdy

Lobbying in Europe and developing a wilderness momentum

• 2008 Wilderness resolution

• 2009 European Parliament’s special report on wilderness & European Commission- ‘Agenda for Wilderness’ both calling for more scientific linkage

• 2011 Wilderness in Biodiversity Strategy

Developing wilderness policy

Wilderness guidance for Natura 2000 areas

• Alterra, Eurosite, PAN Parks

• guidance for manager

• best practice examples (also for restoration)

Wilderness register (by Oct 2013)

• Alterra, University of Leeds, PAN Parks

• public and government consultation based on

preliminary list

BUT there is no overall Wilderness Research

Agenda

Developing wilderness policy

Central Balkan NP © Evgeni Diniev

Setting up a searchable, public Wilderness Resource Bank (analogy to Aldo Leopold Wilderness Research Institute website)• top 3: PA management, ecosystems, species conservation• down 3: climate change, ecosystem services, financing wilderness protection• Coordination is needed

Developing wilderness policy

Paanajärvi NP © Viktor Gritsuk

What is PAN Parks?

PAN Parks works to protect Europe’s wilderness, the continent’s most undisturbed areas of nature

PAN Parks links wilderness protected areas to form theEuropean Wilderness Preservation System

The size of Spain0,5 mio ha by now

What is PAN Parks?

Archipelago NP © Heidi Arponen

Challenge 1 - locating

How the definition of wilderness applies to the case of indigenous / local needs (is it an excuse in Europe?)

• Example 1: Fenno-Scandinavia• Example 2: Mediterranean forest fires• Example 3: ‘traditional’ land use in CEECs

Fulufjallet NP © Vitantonio Dell’Orto

Defining vs interpreting wilderness

Defining wilderness through the Wilderness Working Group NO extractive use such as•hunting•fishing•mining•logging•grazing•grass cutting•road and building constructionis allowed in wilderness

Peneda-Geres NP © Marcos Veiga

Defining vs interpreting wilderness

Paanajärvi NP © PNP Archives

Challenge 2 - protecting

Wilderness vs HCV farmland

We are still in a stage in Europe when we need to explain the biodiversity benefits of wilderness

Borjomi-Kharagauli NP © Kote Gabrichidze

Why dealing with the economics of wilderness?

the European Parliament report on wilderness Calls on the Commission and Member States to co-operate with local non-governmental organisations to promote the value of wilderness (point 6);

Challenge 3 - financing

Helping to enhance the protection of existing

wilderness and to restore wilderness

attributes

• mapping wilderness

• proving biodiversity benefits

• innovative ways to finance wilderness protection

• wilderness protection in larger landscape level

• wilderness and social benefits

• restoring wilderness attributes

Wilderness Research Agenda

Final words

WILD 10

International Year of Wilderness

Sumava

Research database

Research network

Research fundingCentral Balkan NP ©CBNPAppenine Chamois © Bruno D’Amicis

PAN Parks works to protect

Europe’s wilderness, the

continent’s most undisturbed areas

of nature

http://panparks.orghttp://facebook.com/panparks

http://panparks.org/user/registerhttp://linkedin.com/panparksgrouphttp://youtube.com/user/PANParks

http://storiesofwilderness.panparks.orghttp://mymillionproject.ning.com

zkun@panparks.org