Prudent development - a shared responsibility
5 Biodiversity Nature protection and public access to nature
Sustainable development means that we must safeguard nature's scope for development out of consideration for future generations. Important instruments include the protection of species and genetic diversity, the establishment of green networks and the restoration of destroyed ecosystems.
Public awareness must increased for people to understand that certain values associated with natural and man-made landscapes, habitats and the diversity of species and gene pools are unique and irreplaceable. Denmark must reduce its emissions of nutrients and environmentally harmful substances, and utilise nature in a way that allows future generations access to the same natural resources as found today.
Outdoor recreation and nature experiences are important to people's well being and quality of life. Providing greater access to nature, forests and other open landscapes will help insure that the public is supportive of sustainable nature and environmental policies.
Since the 1992 Rio Conference, Denmark has increased its efforts to prevent the decline of nature and to strengthen biodiversity. The biodiversity strategy of 1995 forms the basis of this intensified activity.
Under the Danish Nature Protection Act, vulnerable habitats corresponding to 9 per cent of Denmark's area are protected and 4.5 per cent of this area is preserved. During the last 10 years, more than 14,000 hectares of new natural areas, forests and outdoor recreational areas have been created, and 13,000 hectares of new forests have been established through private afforestation. 194 international nature reserves have been established as part of implementing the EEC directive on the conservation of natural habitats of wild fauna and flora (the Habitats Directive). Since 1994, nature and wildlife areas have been doubled and they now cover 330,000 hectares. These initiatives have curbed the decline of Denmark's natural areas, and the numbers of certain species, such as waterfowl, which Denmark has an international commitment to protect, are increasing.
The quality of nature in agricultural land, the sea and protected areas continues to decline, however. The 1997 Red List of extinct, endangered, vulnerable and rare plants and animals states that in Denmark, about 30 per cent of species are "acutely endangered and vulnerable". 1,500 species are experiencing such a decline that their continuing existence in this country is threatened. Denmark has also registered a negative development in the case of several ordinary species and natural habitats that are given priority in the EEC Habitats Directive.
Habitats and biodiversity are exposed to harmful sources such as nutrients and other environmentally damaging substances or physical impacts. A major challenge is to ensure that these impacts are considerably reduced. To achieve this aim, all sectors affecting nature - agriculture, forestry, fisheries, households, transport and energy - must meet nature policy objectives and integrate nature considerations into their sectoral activities. Strategies and production methods taking increased account of nature must be developed, particularly in agriculture and fisheries.
To avoid the loss of more species and habitats, we must also restore semi-cultural areas and support a number of species through nature restoration and increased protection in green networks. A growing challenge is the existence of GMOs and the introduction of non native species on land, in lakes, watercourses and the sea.
Ecosystem restoration results in the return of rare gallinaceous bird In 1998, an ecosystem restoration project in the Varde river valley and water-meadows of the bay of Ho in Jutland commenced on the initiative of the farming community in the hope that the rare land-rail would return. Today, the call of the land-rail can once again be heard in the Varde river valley. The project has established a green network of water-meadows in the river valley.
Extensive grazing increases the dynamics and variation of the area while safeguarding a
high degree of biodiversity. Today, large parts of the river valley are semi-natural areas
and form a mosaic of wet, non-fertilised meadows and areas with increased vegetation. The
National Forest and Nature Agency and the European Union (LIFE-nature) have contributed
over DKK 9.5 million to the ecosystem restoration project, but great efforts have also
been made locally to achieve the objective. |
Furthermore, man-made climate change will have a major impact on the development of flora
and fauna in the years to come.
Authentic nature and culture experiences are an important part of welfare in modern society.
To increase awareness of cultural environments, local culture and identity must become more visible. Villages, burial grounds and churches from the Middle Ages are examples of important elements of identity in local and national cultural history. Cultural environments may be the foundation of uniting local communities and tourist needs alike and may also contribute to maintaining and developing viable local communities. The balance between conservation and utilisation must be maintained.
Objectives and activities 2001-2006
The Government will be intensifying its efforts to protect and restore habitats for indigenous animals and plants in order to have large viable populations on land and in freshwater and marine environments. The efforts will include areas where nature is allowed to develop freely with no significant degree of human influence.
The Government has set up a broadly composed committee (the Wilhjelm Committee) to strengthen the scientific basis for prioritising activities aimed at safeguarding biodiversity and protecting nature. This will form the background for a national action plan to safeguard biodiversity and protect nature as a follow-up to the Biodiversity Convention.
The action plan will lay the framework for future initiatives to secure, strengthen and target activities to safeguard biodiversity and nature protection. One way of achieving this objective is to ensure that activities in agriculture, forestry, fisheries and other sectors are carried out on a sustainable basis to take nature and biodiversity into account.
The action plan is to explore different ways of further targeting the current activities more precisely, including developing a green network of protected nature areas, continuing the protection of species and genetic diversity, and supporting preventive measures against the introduction of non native species into nature.
Research and nature monitoring are to be expanded to increase knowledge about sustainable use and protection of nature. Authorities and citizens affected must interact to realise the intensified nature protection activities. Education and information about managing biodiversity and nature must be promoted.
Outdoor recreation increases the quality of life, experiences of nature and a greater awareness of natural and cultural environments. The public should have the best opportunities for enjoying nature. The aim is to improve the opportunities of the public for enjoying the countryside and the forests. A broadly composed access committee set up by the Minister for Environment and Energy is to formulate a strategy to improve public access. The committee expects to complete its work in 2001.
Further efforts will be made to create a network of paths and to establish new forests near old country towns and major cities. Rangers and nature schools, etc. , are to contribute to increasing children's knowledge about nature. Easily accessible information about options for outdoor recreation like the www. naturnet. dk website is to be promoted.
Local, regional and national cultural identity must be strengthened while creating the dynamic between development and history. The Government has therefore set up an intergovernmental committee on cultural heritage. In 2001, Denmark will formulate the basis for a coordinated, general political vision with an action-oriented strategy for the future national policy on cultural heritage.