NEW APPROACHES TO THE MANAGEMENT OF NATIONAL NATURAL PARKS IN THE CURRENT CONDITIONS OF INCREASING RISKS
Creators: name: Fomenko, Georgy
name: Fomenko, Marina
name: Loshadkin, Konstantin
name: Goge, Eduard
name: Mihailova, Anastasia
name: Arabova, Elena
Publisher: name: Reliability: Theory & Applications
Year: 2024
Subjects: sustainability
national park
management
climate risks
tourism
natural capital
ecosystem services
recreational degradation

description: The objective of this article is to identify and substantiate new approaches to the management of national parks (NP) under the current conditions of increasing risks. The study demonstrates that in order to preserve ecological capacity and valuable natural heritage, the primary trend in management is shifting towards risk management, particularly concerning climate change and increasing recreational pressures, which adversely affect ecosystem viability. The research conducted in 2023 focused on the territory of the "Curonian Spit" National Park and the adjacent coastal areas of the Curonian Lagoon on the southeastern coast of the Baltic Sea. The study reveals that in a risk-prone external environment, national park management should be oriented towards ensuring strong sustainability through the use of a Sustainable Ecosystem Design (SED-NP) mechanism. This approach offers a systematic vision, flexible and pragmatic solutions, and methods that help to coordinate disparate efforts in sustainable tourism and biodiversity conservation with the aim of preserving the integrity of ecosystems and their capacity to generate ecosystem services in the face of external threats. The application of SED-NP approaches allows for the integration of data on ecosystem services, depletion/degradation and replenishment/restoration of ecosystems, benefits (income and advantages), and other characteristics into the NP management system. The research justifies the conclusion that the studied territory – a narrow strip of land washed by the waters of the Baltic Sea and the freshwater Curonian Lagoon – is, due to historical circumstances, a product of the local population’s climate and natural risk-reflection. The local population ensured their survival and well-being through continuous and deliberate protective actions to reinforce the spit and preserve the Curonian Lagoon, which sustained them. The analysis of the territory's condition identified two primary groups of risks to ecosystem viability and biodiversity: climate-related risks and recreational pressures, which require focused attention. The spatial localization of areas within the "Curonian Spit" National Park most susceptible to climate risks and recreational degradation was determined. A set of measures was developed to mitigate recreational degradation and climate risks. An ecological, social, and economic assessment of the effectiveness of measures to reduce risks to the ecosystem viability of the Curonian Spit was conducted in monetary terms. A mechanism for the ecological, social, and economic justification of decisions regarding the development of the territory from the perspective of strong sustainability and reducing risks to ecosystem viability and loss of ecosystem services was developed and tested. New approaches to managing national parks under the current conditions of increasing risks were developed, which are implemented through a system of restrictions and regulations. The application of a decision-making justification mechanism for NP development, in accordance with the principle of strong sustainability, ensures qualitative control of tourist flows in time and space, the creation of zones for various types of tourism use, and the planning of necessary infrastructure adapted to individual needs, including those beyond the boundaries of specially protected natural areas.