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Soomaa NP © Arne Ader
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Wilderness at the edge of survival in Europe: science and policy

Nov 11, 2014

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Education

Zoltan Kun

This presentation was used during the 3rd European Conference on Conservation Biology as a start up speech for the wilderness symposium entitled the Wilderness at the of survival in Europe. It was follow
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Page 1: Wilderness at the edge of survival in Europe: science and policy

Soomaa NP © Arne Ader

Page 2: Wilderness at the edge of survival in Europe: science and policy

Paanajärvi NP © Viktor

Gritsuk

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

Zoltán Kun, Executive DirectorPAN Parks Foundation

Page 3: Wilderness at the edge of survival in Europe: science and policy

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

Page 4: Wilderness at the edge of survival in Europe: science 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

Page 5: Wilderness at the edge of survival in Europe: science and policy

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

Page 6: Wilderness at the edge of survival in Europe: science and policy

The scope of our wilderness focus

Page 7: Wilderness at the edge of survival in Europe: science and policy

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

Page 8: Wilderness at the edge of survival in Europe: science and 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

Page 9: Wilderness at the edge of survival in Europe: science and 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

Page 10: Wilderness at the edge of survival in Europe: science and 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

Page 11: Wilderness at the edge of survival in Europe: science and 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

Page 12: Wilderness at the edge of survival in Europe: science and policy

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?

Page 13: Wilderness at the edge of survival in Europe: science and policy

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

Page 14: Wilderness at the edge of survival in Europe: science and policy

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

Page 15: Wilderness at the edge of survival in Europe: science and policy

Peneda-Geres NP © Marcos Veiga

Defining vs interpreting wilderness

Page 16: Wilderness at the edge of survival in Europe: science and policy

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

Page 17: Wilderness at the edge of survival in Europe: science and policy

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

Page 18: Wilderness at the edge of survival in Europe: science and policy

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

Page 19: Wilderness at the edge of survival in Europe: science and policy

Final words

WILD 10

International Year of Wilderness

Sumava

Research database

Research network

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

Page 20: Wilderness at the edge of survival in Europe: science and policy

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

[email protected]