the european wilderness convention
DESCRIPTION
In cooperation with Sheila Wren from the John Muir Trust I presented the concept of the European Wilderness Convention during the 1st European Wilderness Academy (www.wilderness.academy)TRANSCRIPT
European Wilderness ConventionFollowing up the WILD10 Resolution for future generations
Sheila Wren, Policy Officer, John Muir TrustZoltan Kun, Chairman, European Wilderness Society
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Background
- Wild 10 Resolution on European Wilderness Convention
- Vision for a Wilder Europe with several signatories
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Link to 10th World Wilderness Congress
- Wilderness and Wild 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
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Why a Wilderness Convention? (I)
- handing over a 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
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Why a Wilderness Convention? (2)
- Strict nature reserve vs. Nationally protectedareas vs. Natura 2000
- Language the meaning of ‘wilderness’
- Unlikely countries will seek to amend theirnational protected area legislation to redefinetheir strictly protected areas as ‘wilderness’
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Challenges
Key propositions
-If wilderness is to continue to exist in Europeit needs to be defined, identified and givenprotection on a legal basis
-We should speak a common language
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The Scope
Wild Europe 10/9/13:
‘A wilderness 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’
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Working Definitions - Wilderness
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.’
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
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Coverage
The European Relevance
A European Wilderness Convention, under theauspices of the Council of Europe, couldpotentially
- engage all European countries
- engender a common understanding aboutwilderness and wilderness values
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Precedents & Purpose
Several successful conventions and supranational legal agreements
Bern Convention
European Landscape Convention
Alpine and Carpathian conventions
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Precedents we can build on
- The enshrinement in 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
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Purposes
Encouraging nations to
educate citizens
recognise existing wilderness areas
extend wilderness through restoration
Do we need an aspirational target?
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Engagement
Proposed Content
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Context Collective will of Member States
International & European
policies and initiatives
Scope Whole territory of member states
Definitions Wilderness’, ‘wild land’, ‘non-
intervention management’ etc
Aims
-Protect existing wilderness and 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
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Engagement
Raise awareness about the essential value of wilderness and wild places to people and nature
Education, training, youth projects
Convention an engagement tool itself
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Implementation and monitoringNational measures, eg integrate wilderness considerations in planning policy
Regulation of activities in Strict Reserves
Reporting requirements
Wilderness Award
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Who is working on this?
John Muir TrustThe John 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
EWSThe European Wilderness
Society works to identify,
designate, manage and
promote Europe’s
wilderness, the
continent’s most
undisturbed areas
of nature
Who can join?
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Any organisations 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.
Workshop questions
Workshop questions
1. What are 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?
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The John 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
www.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