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
