National Parks in Iceland Development and Operation Park Management The Value of Knowledge and Education Egilsstaðir 11. október 2010 Sigþrúður Stella Jóhannsdóttir
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.
Protected Areas in Iceland Before 1960 1960-1969 1970-1979 Designated 1980-1989 1990-1999 2000-2009 2010- Total National Parks 1 (1) (1) 0 0 2 0 3 (5)* Nature Reserves 0 1 24 5 6 5 0 41 Natural Monuments 0 2 13 14 3 5 0 37 Country Parks 0 0 7 2 3 7 0 19 Habitat Protection Areas 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 2 Other Areas 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 2 45 1 3 (4) (46) 21 13 21 0 104 * Two became part of Vatnajökull National Park in 2008.
Number and size Number of areas hectares
Categories and size 2010 Categories Size (ha) Snæfellsjökull NP 16.694 Nature Reserves 294.922 Natural Monuments 6.587 Habitat Protection Areas 2.172 Country Parks 42.040 Other Areas, special act* 1.615.772 Total 1.978.187 *Þingvellir NP, Vatnajökull NP, Mývatn Laxá Reserve and Breiðafjörður Reserve Source: Environment Agency
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
Governance cont. Ministry of Prime Minister The Þingvellir Committee Þingvellir National Park Þingvellir was declared a national park in 1930. 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. www.thingvellir.is
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
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
Governance cont. The Breiðafjörður Committee Breiðafjörður Reserve Created 1995
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) 2 5 3 10* weeks volunteer work Other Protected Areas (UST) 3 11 5 146* weeks volunteer work Total 18,1 72 33,8 *UST volunteer work, total of 596 volunteer weeks. 105 weeks to other areas than PA. ** 2010 permanent employees were 11,5.
Permanent Staffing 1993 1 Þingvellir 1 Skaftafell
2002 1 Jökulsárgljúfur 1994 1 Snæfellsjökull 2001 3 Þingvellir 1 Skaftafell
1 Hornstrandir Nature Reserve (UST) 2010 1 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)
Visitation Foreign visitors to Iceland
Visitation in the Future?
Þingvellir National Park Þingvellir National Park Created 1930 Enlarged 2004 UNESCO World Heritage Site 2004 Visitation 500.000 Management Plan 2004-2024
Snæfellsjökull National Park Created 2001 Visitation? 100.000 from abroad 70.000 Icelanders to Snæfellsnes peninsula. Management Plan 2010-2020 Mynd: Snævarr Guðmundsson
Skaftafell Skaftafell Created 1967 Visitation 250.000 Vatnajökull NP from 2008 www.vatnajokulsthjodgardur.is
Jökulsárgljúfur Jökulsárgljúfur Created 1973 Visitation 130.000+ Vatnajökull NP from 2008
Vatnajökull National Park Skaftafell Created 2008 Oversees other protected areas. Visitation Management Plan Proposal www.vatnajokulsthjodgardur.is
Mývatn Laxá Nature Reserve Created 1974 New Act from 2004 Ramsar Area Visitation to Mývatn Area 200 250.000 A Draft Management Plan Staffing Permanent 1 Seasonal 35 weeks
Hornstrandir Nature Reserve Created 1975 Visitation 6.000 Staffing Permanent 1 Seasonal 6 weeks
Surtsey Nature Reserve Created 1965 Enlarged 2006 UNESCO World Heritage Site 2008 Staffing Permanent 1 Seasonal 1-2
Fjallabak Nature Reserve Created 1979 The most visited site in the Highlands Visitation 100.000 + Staffing Permanent 0 Seasonal 1
The Value of Our Protected Areas Jökulsárgljúfur Unique resources. Important for science, education and interpretation, recreation and tourism, rural development, and more.
The Need in Our Protected Areas Jökulsárgljúfur The Subject; resources, visitors and society. Pressure Knowledge, research and monitoring.
The Need in Our Protected Areas Jökulsárgljúfur The Framework; laws and regulation, administration, funding and staff. Administration Funding. Staff. Professional background.
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.
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?
Questions Jökulsárgljúfur How can we bridge the cap between science and the public concerning the value of PA and decisions concerning PA management?
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?
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
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?