How wilderness contributes to the Green Infrastructure programme
Undisturbed ‘wilderness’ habitats have higher carbon storage capacity
The importance of wilderness and wild areas to a fully functioning ecosystem is stressed in a campaign launched by Wild Europe.
The EC's Green Infrastructure programme seeks to establish priorities for restoration in particular, as related to Target 2 of the new EU Biodiversity Strategy which focuses on reinstatement of 15% of degraded ecosystems in Europe by 2020.
“There is much the EC can do to enhance the already substantial contribution of wilderness to its Green Infrastructure programme – and it isn't just about paying the bill" said Toby Aykroyd, Wild Europe director. "Facilitating new and innovative funding opportunities from ecosystem services and other sources is an equally important role”.
“The Green Infrastructure programme should also promote a strong protection agenda, focusing for example on inclusion of wilderness - particularly all remaining old growth forest - in forest management plans. It's far cheaper to keep an existing ecosystem intact than to restore a degraded one”.
The benefits of wilderness and wild areas have a substantial role to play in supporting the objectives of the Green Infrastructure programme.
Call for assessment of progress on parliamentary wilderness resolution
Heeding the mandate for wilderness…. What action is being taken?In February 2009, the European Parliament passed a Resolution, by an overwhelming 538 votes, calling for improved protection and funding for Europe’s last wilderness areas.
Over four years later, there is growing support for an assessment of what has been achieved by the Commission and Member States in heeding this request.
The Resolution contained seven key elements:
- Better protection of wilderness areas
- Management of wilderness in Natura 2000 areas
- Developing wilderness areas
- Promotion of wilderness areas
- Wilderness and climate change
- Definition and mapping of wilderness
- Tackling alien species in wilderness areas
Wild Europe, in tandem with PAN Parks Foundation, is launching a proposal to review progress with implementation of the Resolution and identify priorities for action still required.·
This should be paralleled by an appraisal of achievement with recommendations contained in the ‘Message from Prague’ at the wilderness conference organized by Wild Europe in May 2009.
Heeding the mandate for wilderness
The European parliamentary Resolution constituted a massive populist endorsement of the importance of wilderness by Europe’s directly elected representatives.
At a time when budget cuts are enforcing ever more stringent prioritisation, it is important to ensure appropriate attention is being paid by the Commission and Member States to this issue.
The value of wilderness was stressed during a forum on wilderness organized by PAN Parks and Wild Europe at the Parliament in January 2012, where the European Commission’s Stefan Leiner, Head of Natura 2000 Unit, confirmed that “wilderness is an essential mainstream element of the European Biodiversity Strategy.”
For an overview of what the European Parliament requested in 2009, and who it called upon for delivery · ··
Conference: Wilderness in a modified Irish landscape NEW
Location: Westport, County Mayo, Ireland
A key element in this involves restoration or ‘rewilding’ of former farmland and commercial forestry, often economically marginal, where the economic & social benefits of wildness can provide an additional motive. The Westport conference includes a field trip to the recently unveiled Wild Nephin, an 11,000 hectare tract of forest, grassland and marsh born from a collaborative project between Coillte (the Irish Forestry agency), Ballycroy National Park and the Mayo County Council.
Bill Murphy and Toby Aykroyd in Nephin video Other Top Stories
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World Wilderness Congress planned for Europe in 2013 Altamira cave paintings. A window on the past – and perhaps a pointer to future landscapes?
WILD10, the 10th World Wilderness Congress, is to be held in Salamanca, Spain from 4-10thOctober 2013. The event is likely to involve some 1500 - 2000 direct participants from around the world, together with several thousand more through social media. Support has recently been secured from the Spanish Environment Ministry to develop the planning phase. Further funding is now being sought. This international Congress will help substantially raise the profile for wilderness in Europe, majoring on its wide range of benefits for local interests – as well as its relevance in a global context. Wild Europe is a member of the Executive Committee.
Wild Europe 2012 - 2013
2012 was a successful year for Wild Europe and its partner organizations, and 2013 is proving equally fruitful. Much of our work does not appear on the website. Instead of providing regular updates, we generally report progress on a particular initiative once this has been concluded. For a strategic outline of our achievements and our aims |
The Million Hectare protection project moves ahead
The Million Hectare Project aims to safeguard 1 million hectares of European wilderness by 2015. Launched by PAN Parks, the initiative will build partnerships with managements of protected areas. It offers an urgently needed opportunity to upgrade the current scale of protection for wilderness. Although the World Database of Protected Areas cites more than 1 million hectares of wilderness in Europe, many are threatened and the areas involved are often comparatively small and fragmented. Who can become a Wilderness Partner? Eligibility to join PANParks Europe-wide wilderness movement is extended to protected areas containing wilderness (see definition) that are willing where necessary to improve their wilderness management.
Economic Benefits Group to be established
Focus will be on non extractive, no-impact benefits derived from ecotourism, ecosystem services and usage for social betterment: including youth development, healthcare, and conflict resolution. The group will initially comprise business people, economists, ecosystem specialists, landowners, farmers, social enterprise entrepreneurs – all of whom share a profound regard for wilderness as well as contributing their professional expertise. Of course the true intrinsic value of the wild is priceless. But there is no doubt that realization of its economic value can attract essential support for its protection and expansion. Further detail of this Group, including key areas of work, and participation, will be announced shortly.
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