Management of Natura 2000 sites in Italy: An exploratory study on stakeholders' opinions

Abstract

ABSTRACT:The Natura 2000 network includes the sites of community importance identified by Directive 92/43/ EEC and the special protection areas defined by Directive 79/409/EEC. This network can be considered the cornerstone of the European Union (EU) nature conservation policy in order to ensure the long-term protection of endangered species in their natural habitats. The European Union has adopted an integration approach to the Natura 2000 network. The integration approach is based on combining human activities and nature conservation purposes in Natura 2000 sites and in neighbouring areas. Furthermore, the stakeholders' involvement in the site management is considered a fundamental point for the success of the network. The application of integration approach in Italy was different from one region to another, often presenting a framework where institutional actors collaborate with environmental non-governmental organizations and other groups. These stakeholders influence the Natura 2000 implementation with different strategies, increasing the complexity and unpredictability of the policy outcomes. The objective of this study is to analyse stakeholders' opinions concerning the coexistence of different human activities in the Italian Natura 2000 sites. In order to achieve this objective a semi-structured questionnaire was administered by email to 146 stakeholders. 56 stakeholders filled in the questionnaire and the collected data were statistically processed. The stakeholders assessed the importance of five human activities (nature conservation, environmental education, recreational activities, agricultural activities and forestry activities) in Natura 2000 sites through a pairwise comparison and identified the main opportunities and obstacles of the network. The results show that the most relevant activities are nature conservation and environmental education according to stakeholders' opinions. In addition, the respondents highlighted that the main opportunities are the possibility of access to EU funding and the enhancement of local green economy, while the main obstacle is the restriction of agricultural and forestry practices not adequately compensated.

Qualitative Assessment of Forest Ecosystem Services: The Stakeholders’ Point of View in Support of Landscape Planning

“…It is striking, on the other hand, to find a keen sensitivity towards issues such as air and water quality and nature conservation, which one would not expect in highly rural areas, such as the districts investigated. It is a clear sign that people's perception is changing and this may be in part due to the existence of protected areas which, despite having initially caused conflicts with local populations, are now producing a slight evolution of their awareness [60].…”

Hindrances to Effective Implementation of the Habitats Directive in Italy: Regional Differences in Designating Special Areas of Conservation

“…It is worth remarking that, in this article, only the documented implementation of the participatory processes was analyzed. Two recent works [21,22] have proposed an assessment of the participatory processes carried out in some Italian regions; by surveying a small group of stakeholders, the authors have examined issues of inclusiveness, democracy, and conflicts concerning Natura 2000 management and planning, and have argued that only selected stakeholder groups were involved and that information, rather than participation, often took place, seldom allowing for effective integration of local knowledge within MPs. Hence, the authors have examined (not randomly or systematically, but through a snowball sampling technique) stakeholders' perceptions concerning their participation in the making of MPs, while this work has proposed a systematic assessment of official documents that have recorded such participation.…”

“…As for process evaluation, a number of interdisciplinary studies analyzed the establishment of the Natura 2000 network [16,17], its management [18], participation processes [19][20][21][22], and conflicts [23,24].…”

Stakeholders’ Social Network in the Participatory Process of Formulation of Natura 2000 Management Programme in Slovenia

“…A large number of stakeholders and institutions have a direct or indirect role in these processes regarding the land designated as Natura 2000 sites [22][23][24][25][26][27]. However, there are no regulatory rules on stakeholder participation [28,29], as the Habitats Directive does not clearly establish participatory approaches. It states that conservation measures shall take into account human (economic, social and cultural) needs and local characteristics, but site designation is only based on (ecological) scientific criteria, while social criteria are not even mentioned.…”