Suchergebnisse

Timber production, climate and nature protection or recreation: forests provide a wide range of benefits to society, many of them as public goods without a market price. The German Federal Government with its Forest Strategy 2020 aims at integrating the value of these ecosystem services into political decision-making processes – also by using economic valuation. A model of the Thünen Institute now facilitates this.

In Western European countries like Belgium and the Netherlands several 10.000 hectares of land lie unused every year, awaiting their residential, infrastructural or industrial purpose. Usually it takes a number of years before the spatial designation of such areas is finally implemented. In the meantime these areas exert a strong attraction on certain rare pioneer species, such as Natterjack Toads and Common Terns, which are benefited by human dynamics. However, to avoid the judicial restrictions which could be attached to the presence of such protected species, landowners and developers try to keep nature off their sites, by for instance intensive mowing or regular ploughing. The concept of temporary nature marks a shift in thinking about nature conservation. Instead of preventing the development of a valuable habitat or breeding site from the very beginning, the decision could also be taken to temporarily allow nature to develop on these parcels of 'valuable' land. In this article the author first highlights the results of the application of current nature conservation law on a situation of temporary nature conservation, building on earlier research. In addition, he analyses some recent national case law with respect to temporary nature. Also, some general remarks on the adaptability of nature conservation law for temporary nature are made. The focus mainly lies on the Belgian (Flemish) situation, but, as temporary nature is already being applied in the Netherlands, reference is also made to this practice, too. Given the fact that the applicable nature conservation law in both countries consists mainly in an implementation of the European Directives, the conclusions of this contribution can also serve as an example for other European countries.

Standing My Ground: A Voice for Nature Conservation. By Alan F. Mark (Dunedin: Otago University Press, 2015), pp.312. ISBN978‐1‐927322‐04‐8. NZ$45.00 (pb).

Specialized authorities in the field of environmental protection have existed since the beginning of the creation of the system of organization of environmental services and the amount of them has been steadily widening. This has been particularly evident in case of nature conservation law which is a part of environmental law. The fact of existence of authorities having specialized knowledge is particularly important in the context of new environmental tasks resulting from the implementation of European Union legal norms often using professional knowledge. The purpose of this article is to present the specialized authorities functioning in the field of nature conservation, the scope of taking advantage of their professional knowledge potential. The article also aims at taking of trial of assessment of adopted regulations accuracy concerning the division of tasks and competences of public authorities with regard to administration of forms of nature conservation, as well as presenting de lege ferenda comments aiming at nature conservation tasks performing more effectively. ; Specialized authorities in the field of environmental protection have existed since the beginning of the creation of the system of organization of environmental services and the amount of them has been steadily widening. This has been particularly evident in case of nature conservation law which is a part of environmental law. The fact of existence of authorities having specialized knowledge is particularly important in the context of new environmental tasks resulting from the implementation of European Union legal norms often using professional knowledge. The purpose of this article is to present the specialized authorities functioning in the field of nature conservation, the scope of taking advantage of their professional knowledge potential. The article also aims at taking of trial of assessment of adopted regulations accuracy concerning the division of tasks and competences of public authorities with regard to administration of forms of nature conservation, as well as presenting de lege ferenda comments aiming at nature conservation tasks performing more effectively.

Nature conservation in southern Africa has always been characterised by an interplay between Capital, specific understandings of Morality, and forms of Militarism, that are all dependent upon the shared subservience and marginalization of animals and certain groups of people in society. Although the subjectivity of people has been rendered visible in earlier publications on histories of conservation in southern Africa, the subjectivity of animals is hardly ever seriously considered or explicitly dealt with. In this edited volume the subjectivity and sentience of animals is explicitly included. The contributors argue that the shared human and animal marginalisation and agency in nature conservation in southern Africa (and beyond) could and should be further explored under the label of `sentient conservation'. 0Contributors are Malcolm Draper, Vupenyu Dzingirai, Jan-Bart Gewald, Michael Glover, Paul Hebinck, Tarito Kamuti, Lindiwe Mangwanya, Albert Manhamo, Dhoya Snijders, Marja Spierenburg, Sandra Swart, Harry Wels

This PhD thesis in environmental science aims to contribute to the theoretical and empirical understanding of the relation between participation and legitimacy in multi-level environmental governance. It is widely assumed that actor involvement has great potential to improve the legitimacy of nature conservation through long-term acceptance and target achievement. However, local resource conflicts problematize the way a relation between participation and legitimacy is depicted on other administrative levels. Studies exploring the effect that participation has on legitimacy are relatively rare, especially in multi-level arrangements of coastal conservation. In this thesis the relation between participation and legitimacy on the local level is examined, as well as how this relation is conditioned by multi-level governance and power. The relation is empirical studied with two local implementation processes of the Helsinki Convention's network of marine protected areas (HELCOM MPAs). The cases are located in Sweden. Sweden and the Baltic Sea region are in the forefront of participation in nature conservation, and therefore act as a strong case for the exploration of institutional participation. However, despite apparent political will and international support, the efficiency of actor involvement for nature conservation has been questioned, also for the HELCOM MPA and especially on the local level. Based on the results of this study, I question the assumption that weak legitimacy predominantly is an issue of insufficient information sharing. The findings show that involving actors to legitimize the adoption of strict adherence to a pre-established model of conservation likely fails to create long term support for conservation. Instead, relocation of power to the affected actors seems essential in order to make participation establish legitimacy. It appears important to create room for local influence in the design, management and implementation of a particular conservation area in the particular place/context. In both examined cases, there are elements of participation that support legitimacy, for example the development of a shared vision. There are also elements that hamper legitimacy, such as, for example, the high expectations different actors have on participation to reach consensus on protective values. These unmet expectations seem to fuel conflicts of interests among actors on different levels. ; Världens hav är i kris. Med ett stort internationellt tryck för att skydda dem har den svenska regeringen satt ambitiösa mål för etablering av marina reservat. Beslutsfattare och forskare har höga förväntningar på att lokalt deltagande underlättar etableringen. Men utan verkliga möjligheter för lokalt deltagande att påverka besluten så verkar förväntningarna orealistiska, med allvarliga konsekvenser för legitimitet av miljöskydd. Avhandlingen undersöker relationen mellan deltagande och legitimitet i svensk östersjöförvaltning genom att studera samrådsprocesserna för Gräsö marina naturreservat och St Anna-Missjö marina skyddsområde. Studien visar på både positiva och negativa samband mellan deltagande och legitimitet, beroende på kvalitén av deltagande. Olika lokala aktörer är djupt engagerade i resursfrågor och vill ha möjlighet att diskutera dessa med staten. Lokala aktörer uttrycker besvikelse och frustration om samråden har en begränsad inverkan på faktiska beslut. Besvikelsen kan underminera stödet för naturskydd och försämra relationen mellan stat och lokala aktörer i längden. I ett av de undersökta fallen var de lokala aktörerna engagerade i att formulera en gemensam vision för området tillsammans med myndigheterna, något som annars är ovanligt. Det visade sig ha en mycket positiv effekt på samrådsprocessen och legitimiteten av naturskyddet.

Urban nature conservation is a field that has grown rapidly in importance over the past 20 years and will continue to do so in the coming years as landscape ecology and greenspace planning become established disciplines. A widespread concern and interest in the wild plants and animal life found in urban areas now influences the policies and practices of land management organizations. This book provides a comprehensive overview of the subject. It will assist professionals in formulating strategic management policies that integrate urban nature conservation into the wider context of landscape

Globally, continuing environmental degradation is leading many countries to strengthen their systems of protected areas. However, this may not be sufficient to halt degradation and conserve biodiversity and ecosystem services. To supplement its growing system of protected areas, the Chinese government is adopting a strategy of Ecological Conservation Redlines (ECRs). The ECRs define limits to human encroachment into ecologically sensitive and vulnerable areas and enforce strict conservation in order to guarantee national ecological security. ECRs are integrated in their design, are based on sound science, and provide a systemic management mechanism. ECR supports the formation of a comprehensive ecological conservation system that will lead to effective conservation for the most ecologically valuable and fragile ecosystems. The ECR approach seeks to improve China's ecological security and guide nature conservation in the future. It could also provide a valuable example of an effective approach for improving nature conservation worldwide.

The LIFE programme is the European Union's funding instrument exclusively devoted to the environment. Since its establishment in 1992, the LIFE "Nature and Biodiversity" strand has co-financed more than 1600 projects. This continuous source of targeted financing has radically changed the capacity of many countries and regions to care for and manage Natura 2000 network sites and to support the EU Biodiversity Strategy. The LIFE projects' actions vary and can encompass the development of management plans and other policy documents, support the enlargement of the Natura 2000 network, improve knowledge of species and habitats, direct conservation actions, and organize capacity building and awareness raising activities. Most LIFE projects targeting habitat restoration have enabled the concerned sites to achieve favorable conservation status. The LIFE programme for Environment and Climate Action plays a catalyst role to promote the implementation and integration of environmental and climate objectives in other policies and Member State practice. The new LIFE 2014-2020 Regulation (EC) No 1293/2013 establishes the Environment and Climate Action sub-programmes of the LIFE programme for the funding period, 2014–2020, with the budget set at €3.4 billion in current prices. The 'Environment' strand of the new programme covers three priority areas: environment and resource efficiency; nature and biodiversity; and environmental governance and information. The 'Climate Action' strand covers climate change mitigation; climate change adaptation; and climate governance and information. This communication will present some nature conservation examples and best practices from successful projects addressing conservation challenges in the European Union, with the aim of contributing to their active dissemination and the new LIFE programme approach for 2014-2020. ; peerReviewed

Käesoleva magistritöö eesmärk oli uurida detailplaneeringute koostamise printsiipe - põhitähelepanu all on kohaliku omavalitsuse, kaitsealavalitseja, maaomaniku/arendaja ja huvitatud isikute omavaheline koostöö ja roll planeeringudokumendi valmimisel. Töö teoreetiline baas koosneb Eesti ja Euroopa planeerimissüsteemi kirjeldusest. Intervjuude läbiviimiseks kasutati poolstruktureeritud intervjuude vormi ja analüüsiks kvalitatiivse uurimismeetodi põhistatud teooriat loova uurimuse põhiprintsiipe. Intervjuude käigus tuli välja nii mõnedki seaduse omamoodi tõlgendused (lähteülesande mitte väljastamine, ehitustegevusele tingimuste seadmine projekteerimistingimuste kaudu), praktika kitsaskohad (vähene kogukonna huvi, otsuste tegemisel vähene baasdokumentide olemasolu) ja ka head lahendused (varajane ja tihe koostöö ametkondade vahel, pikaajaline läbimõeldud kohaliku omavalitsuse arenguvisioon). Tutvudes Eesti looduskaitsealadel planeerimissüsteemi kitsaskohtadega pakuti arutelu, järelduste ja soovituste peatükis Euroopa riikide näitel välja lahendusi nendele olukordadele, samuti toodi Euroopa baasil välja näiteid looduskaitsealadel ruumilise planeerimise suunamisest. Looduskaitsealadel detailplaneeringute koostamine on niivõrd keerukas protsess, et kaalutletud ja hiljem igakülgselt loodus- ja maastikukaitseliste põhimõtetega sobitumiseks on vaja põhjalikku baasmaterjali. Käesoleva töö teoreetilist osa läbi töötades sai töö autor mitmekülgse ülevaate sellest, kuidas looduskaitsealadel planeerimisprotsessid käivad ning milliseid aspekte peab sealjuures silmas pidama. Intervjuudest välja tulnud kitsaskohad näitavad aga, et tänases Eesti planeerimisruumis puudub ühtsus. Eestil puudub üleriigiline visioon, mille järgi planeerimisprotsesse ning erinevat liiki mõjude hindamisi läbi viia, seetõttu on ametnikel üsna lai vabadus neid oma parema äranägemise järgi suunata. Selleks, et looduskaitsealadel ruumilise planeerimise protsessi terviklikult arendada tuleks välja töötada üleriigilised põhimõtted (nt maastikupoliitika), mille koostamisse kaasamine peab olema mitmekülgne – lisaks riigiametnikele, ekspertidele, nõuandjatele ja sidusrühmadele tuleb luua piisav võimalus kaasa rääkida ka kodanikel ja maaomanikel. Neid põhimõtteid välja töötades ei tohi unustada, et lisaks loodus- ja maastikuväärtustele tuleb tagada kohalikele inimestele ja huvitatud isikutele inimväärsed tingimused ja majanduslikud võimalused selleks, et inimtegevus ka mitmete piirangutega piirkondades edasi kestaks. Vaid aktiivne ja motiveeritud, oma elukeskkonda kõrgelt hindav, kohalik kogukond tagab maastikuliste väärtuste säilimise ruumis. ; The aim of the present master's thesis was to study the principles of putting together detailed planning, under the main focus is mutual partnership between local communities, reserve administrator, landowner/developer and interested parties and their role when preparing documents for planning. The theoretical base involves overview of Estonian planning system and the ones used in Europe. The form of interview to be carried out was half-structured interview. This form of communicating was used in order to get the whole empiric data which would involve qualitative matters as well as the ones characteristic for details. When conducting interviews, it turned out that there were several interpretations of law as everyone pleased (the initial task not issued, to set stipulations to construction by means of designing stipulations), the bottlenecks of practice (too little interest by local community, too few base documents when making decisions) and good solutions as well (dense cooperation between officials at an early stage, a long-term, elaborate vision of development in local community). When getting acquainted with the bottlenecks of the planning system in Estonian nature protection areas, in the chapter of discussions, conclusions and suggestions with example of European countries solutions to these situations were given, as well as examples concerning European experience to direct spatial planning in nature protection areas. The principles of local authorities as directors of the process in different municipalities are different. Municipalities which have a long-term experience in carrying out planning process, they have also reasoned the directing of putting together detailed planning. When working with the theoretical part of the study, the author got a versatile overview how the planning process functions and which aspects are important to take into consideration. The bottlenecks which came out from the interviews show, that there is no unity in Estonian planning field. There is no nation-wide vision in Estonia how to carry out planning process and the assessment of different impacts, this is why officials are often quite free to direct them on their own. Due to that, directing spatial development has serious shortcomings and according to the author of the thesis even false interpretation of the law. It is good to state, in addition to that in the regions of several local governments and environmental board there are solutions worth recognition. In order to entirely develop the process of spatial planning in nature protection areas, the nation-wide principles should be worked out. The involving into putting together process has to be versatile, in addition to civil servants, experts, advisors and stakeholders, citizens and landowners should have sufficient opportunity to participate. When working out these principles one cannot forget, in addition to valuable nature and landscape, local people and interested parties are entitled to decent conditions and they have to be guaranteed economic opportunities so that human activity would last in regions with different restrictions. Only active, motivated people who highly appreciate their environment can ensure the preservation of landscape values in space. Let us name this document landscape policy or otherwise, it would definitely be a big step forward in directing the activities related to planning and following international principles.