National Parks in Iceland Development and Operation

Transcription

1 National Parks in Iceland Development and Operation Park Management The Value of Knowledge and Education Egilsstaðir 11. október 2010 Sigþrúður Stella Jóhannsdóttir

2 Content Protected Areas an overview Governance Staffing Protected Areas examples The Value of Our Protected Areas and a Need for the Future. Questions for tomorrow.

3

4 Protected Areas in Iceland Before Designated Total National Parks 1 (1) (1) (5)* Nature Reserves Natural Monuments Country Parks Habitat Protection Areas Other Areas (4) (46) * Two became part of Vatnajökull National Park in 2008.

5 Number and size Number of areas hectares

6 Categories and size 2010 Categories Size (ha) Snæfellsjökull NP Nature Reserves Natural Monuments Habitat Protection Areas Country Parks Other Areas, special act* Total *Þingvellir NP, Vatnajökull NP, Mývatn Laxá Reserve and Breiðafjörður Reserve Source: Environment Agency

7 Governance Ministry of Environment Environment Agency (UST) Snæfellsjökull NP Nature Reserves (41) Natural Monuments (37) Habitat Protection Areas (2) Mývatn Nature Reserve. (Special Act) Country Parks (19) Municipalities

8 Governance cont. Ministry of Prime Minister The Þingvellir Committee Þingvellir National Park Þingvellir was declared a national park in A law was passed designating Þingvellir as a protected national shrine for all Icelanders, the perpetual property of the Icelandic nation under the preservation of parliament, never to be sold or mortgaged.

9 Governance cont. Ministry of Environment Board of Directors of Vatnajökull NP Regional Committees, North, East, South and West Created in 2008 Skaftafell (1967) Jökulsárgljúfur (1973) W N S E Enlarged in 2009

10 Vatnajökull National Park The proposed size of the NP Created on June 7th 2008 The size from end of June 2009 North West East South

11 Governance cont. The Breiðafjörður Committee Breiðafjörður Reserve Created 1995

12 Staffing in Protected Areas Year 2009 Permanent Seasonal Annual Other Þingvellir NP 3,6 10 7,6 3* weeks volunteer work Contractors work Vatnajökull NP 9,5** 46 18,2 332* weeks volunteer work Snæfellsjökull NP (UST) * weeks volunteer work Other Protected Areas (UST) * weeks volunteer work Total 18, ,8 *UST volunteer work, total of 596 volunteer weeks. 105 weeks to other areas than PA. ** 2010 permanent employees were 11,5.

13 Permanent Staffing Þingvellir 1 Skaftafell

14 Jökulsárgljúfur Snæfellsjökull Þingvellir 1 Skaftafell

15 1 Hornstrandir Nature Reserve (UST) Mývatn Nature Reserve UST 1 Mývatn (VÞ) 2 Jökulsárgljúfur (VÞ) 2 Egilsstaðir (VÞ) 2 Snæfellsjökull NP (UST) 1 Höfn (VÞ) 1,5 Reykjavík (VÞ) 3,6 Þingvellir 1 Surstey Nature Reserve (UST) 2 Kirkjubæjarklaustur (VÞ) 2 Skaftafell (VÞ)

16 Visitation Foreign visitors to Iceland

17 Visitation in the Future?

18 Þingvellir National Park Þingvellir National Park Created 1930 Enlarged 2004 UNESCO World Heritage Site 2004 Visitation Management Plan

19 Snæfellsjökull National Park Created 2001 Visitation? from abroad Icelanders to Snæfellsnes peninsula. Management Plan Mynd: Snævarr Guðmundsson

20 Skaftafell Skaftafell Created 1967 Visitation Vatnajökull NP from

21 Jökulsárgljúfur Jökulsárgljúfur Created 1973 Visitation Vatnajökull NP from 2008

22 Vatnajökull National Park Skaftafell Created 2008 Oversees other protected areas. Visitation Management Plan Proposal

23 Mývatn Laxá Nature Reserve Created 1974 New Act from 2004 Ramsar Area Visitation to Mývatn Area A Draft Management Plan Staffing Permanent 1 Seasonal 35 weeks

24 Hornstrandir Nature Reserve Created 1975 Visitation Staffing Permanent 1 Seasonal 6 weeks

25 Surtsey Nature Reserve Created 1965 Enlarged 2006 UNESCO World Heritage Site 2008 Staffing Permanent 1 Seasonal 1-2

26 Fjallabak Nature Reserve Created 1979 The most visited site in the Highlands Visitation Staffing Permanent 0 Seasonal 1

27 The Value of Our Protected Areas Jökulsárgljúfur Unique resources. Important for science, education and interpretation, recreation and tourism, rural development, and more.

28 The Need in Our Protected Areas Jökulsárgljúfur The Subject; resources, visitors and society. Pressure Knowledge, research and monitoring.

29 The Need in Our Protected Areas Jökulsárgljúfur The Framework; laws and regulation, administration, funding and staff. Administration Funding. Staff. Professional background.

30 The Need in Our Protected Areas Jökulsárgljúfur The Tools; planning and management. Planning frameworks and Management Plans Staffing Partnerships and public involvement. Information, interpretation and education. Monitoring. Management effectiveness.

31 Questions Jökulsárgljúfur How can we systematically increase research and monitoring on PA resources, their visitors and society to improve the PA management and planning effectiveness?

32 Questions Jökulsárgljúfur How can we bridge the cap between science and the public concerning the value of PA and decisions concerning PA management?

33 Questions Jökulsárgljúfur How can we strengthen cooperation between research institutes, educational institutes and administrational institutes so to improve and increase the professional background of PA Management?

34 Questions How can we assess Management Effectiveness of Protected Areas concerning? Natural and Cultural Resources. Social factors. Economic factors. Management. Management is an ongoing process. The framework for assessing management effectiveness of protected areas Stolton, 2008

35 Questions Jökulsárgljúfur How can we increase the professional capacity of our administration and our staff and in what channel should we put education in PA Management in?