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The European Wilderness Convention
The document outlines the need for a European Wilderness Convention to protect wilderness areas in Europe due to increasing pressures from urbanization and unsustainable development. It emphasizes the importance of defining and legally protecting wilderness, while encouraging cooperation among member states for awareness and restoration efforts. Key stakeholders include the John Muir Trust and the European Wilderness Society, which aim to engage various sectors in preserving wilderness for future generations.
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The European Wilderness Convention
- 1. European Wilderness Convention Followingup the WILD10 Resolution for future generations Sheila Wren, Policy Officer, John Muir Trust Zoltan Kun, Chairman, European Wilderness Society I need the JMT logo in png format to insert it on all slides
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- 3. - Wild 10Resolution on European Wilderness Convention - Vision for a Wilder Europe with several signatories ArchipelagoNP©ANPArchives Link to 10th World Wilderness Congress
- 4. - Wilderness andWild Land are disappearing (infrastructure + urbanisation + unsustainable development) - Growing pressure on the EU Directives to ensure minimisation of obstacles to economic recovery Budgetary constraints - Priority for wilderness is lessening ArchipelagoNP©ANPArchives Why a Wilderness Convention? (I)
- 5. - handing overa healthy environment to future generations - ecological benefits including providing space for species to thrive - economic and social benefits - ... Europe needs to catch up with the global approach, where conservation is intrinsically linked to wilderness protection ArchipelagoNP©ANPArchives Why a Wilderness Convention? (2)
- 6. - Strict naturereserve vs. Nationally protected areas vs. Natura 2000 - Language the meaning of ‘wilderness’ - Unlikely countries will seek to amend their national protected area legislation to redefine their strictly protected areas as ‘wilderness’ ArchipelagoNP©ANPArchives Challenges
- 7. Key propositions -If wildernessis to continue to exist in Europe it needs to be defined, identified and given protection on a legal basis -We should speak a common language ArchipelagoNP©ANPArchives
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- 9. Wild Europe 10/9/13: ‘Awilderness is an area governed by natural processes. It is composed of native habitats and species, and large enough for the effective ecological functioning of natural processes. It is unmodified or only slightly modified and without intrusive or extractive human activity, settlements, infrastructure or visual disturbance’ ArchipelagoNP©ANPArchives Working Definitions - Wilderness
- 10. Working Definitions –Wild Land ‘Wild areas have a high level of predominance of natural process and natural habitat. They tend to be individually smaller and more fragmented than wilderness areas, although they often cover extensive tracts. The condition of their natural habitat, processes and relevant species is however often partially or substantially modified by human activities such as livestock herding, hunting, fishing, forestry, sport activities or general imprint of human artefacts.’
- 11. Full wilderness spectrum Wild land in Britain Indigenous areas in Fenno-Scandinavia True wilderness such as our mountain areas The Convention will then be relevant to all countries in Europe ArchipelagoNP©ANPArchives Coverage
- 12. The European Relevance AEuropean Wilderness Convention, under the auspices of the Council of Europe, could potentially - engage all European countries - engender a common understanding about wilderness and wilderness values ArchipelagoNP©ANPArchives
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- 14. Several successful conventionsand supranational legal agreements Bern Convention European Landscape Convention Alpine and Carpathian conventions ArchipelagoNP©ANPArchives Precedents we can build on
- 15. - The enshrinementin European policy of common definitions of wilderness and wild land - The establishment in European policy of European wilderness and wild land mapping - People and organisations inspired to recognise and value the benefits of wilderness and wild land - Encouragement of enforcement of existing laws including the implementation of EC policies ArchipelagoNP©ANPArchives Purposes
- 16. Encouraging nations to educate citizens recognise existing wilderness areas extend wilderness through restoration Do we need an aspirational target? ArchipelagoNP©ANPArchives Engagement
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- 18. ArchipelagoNP©ANPArchives Context Collective willof Member States International & European policies and initiatives Scope Whole territory of member states Definitions Wilderness’, ‘wild land’, ‘non- intervention management’ etc
- 19. Aims -Protect existing wildernessand wild land -Encourage non-intervention management -Restore wilderness and wild land -Maintain Strict Reserves -Encourage European co-operation on wilderness issues, to minimise impacts of human activities ArchipelagoNP©ANPArchives
- 20. Engagement Raise awareness aboutthe essential value of wilderness and wild places to people and nature Education, training, youth projects Convention an engagement tool itself ArchipelagoNP©ANPArchives
- 21. Implementation and monitoring Nationalmeasures, eg integrate wilderness considerations in planning policy Regulation of activities in Strict Reserves Reporting requirements Wilderness Award ArchipelagoNP©ANPArchives
- 22. Who is workingon this?
- 23. John Muir Trust TheJohn Muir Trust owns and cares for some of UK's finest wild land. It also campaigns to protect and enhance wild land and encourages people to connect with wild places EWS The European Wilderness Society works to identify, designate, manage and promote Europe’s wilderness, the continent’s most undisturbed areas of nature
- 24. Who can join? ArchipelagoNP©ANPArchives Anyorganisations from the non-profit, commercial Government, non-government or academic sector are welcome to join if they share the vision of securing wilderness in Europe for future generations.
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- 26. Workshop questions 1. Whatare the advantages and disadvantages of a European Wilderness Convention? 2. What should its aims be? What should it contain? 3. What/who should be included in the engagement strategy? 4. What are the barriers to getting the Convention adopted? How can they be overcome? ArchipelagoNP©ANPArchives
- 27. The John MuirTrust owns and cares for some of UK's finest wild land. It also campaigns to protect and enhance wild land and encourages people to connect with wild places www.jmt.org sheila.wren@jmt.org The European Wilderness Society works to identify, designate, manage and promote Europe’s wilderness, the continent’s most undisturbed areas of nature www.wilderness-society.org zoltan.kun@wilderness- society.org
Editor's Notes
- #21 recognising that wild flora and fauna and untouched natural habitats/territories constitute a common natural heritage of aesthetic, scientific, cultural, recreational, economic and intrinsic value that needs to be preserved and handed on to future generations; recognising the essential role played by untrammelled natural habitats in maintaining biological diversity and halting its loss;