Danish - Lithuanian Environmental Co-operation 1991-2000
Chapter 8
Protecting the diversity of nature
Projects described:
State Park Institutional Development
15 per cent of the Danish grants to Lithuania goes to so-called green projects, which all have the objective of protecting the diversity of the nature. The Danish projects have focused equally on sustainable forestry and nature protection. About 11.5 per cent of Lithuanian territory are officially protected, but even in an optimal system of protected areas, it is not possible to protect all the landscape and biological diversity. Therefore, attempts are made to find ways of creating an ecological compensation zone, as a balance against the network of technological territories.
The present-day Lithuanian landscape has formed itself against a background of longterm human agricultural activity. In terms of the intensity of the anthropogenic effect and land use, the following main landscape types can be identified in Lithuania:
 | cultural (urban and agrarian). |
| natural, or semi-natural ecosystems; which includes forests, wetlands, meadows, water bodies and sand. This covers approximately one-third of Lithuania. Species density is variable, especially in forests. |
To protect species and communities the Lithuanian Red Data Book has been compiled and protected areas have been established. The Red Data Book includes 501 species:
| 210 plants |
| 210 animals |
| 81 fungi which are grouped according to their rarity. |
Danish support to ecotourism
The Danish "green projects portfolio" in Lithuania from 1994 - 2000 amounts to DKK 46 million (EUR 6.19 million) or 15 of the DANCEE grants to Lithuanian projects. The vast majority of the projects have been technical assistance projects focusing mainly on capacity building and transfer of knowledge and methodology. Projects in this area are jointly prepared and managed by the DEPA and the Danish Forest and Nature Agency and their Lithuanian counterparts.
The themes of the projects, subject of the DANCEE programme, have focused equally on sustainable forestry and nature protection. But they have also had components of ecotourism and cultural environment enhancement.
Examples of major projects are:
| State Park institutional development; |
| Afforestation of abandoned agricultural land; |
| Management plans and programmes for Nemunas River Delta Regional Park and Kursiu Lagoon; |
| Approximation of Lithuanian capacity, policy and procedures on nature protection to EU requirements, Birds and Habitats Directives; |
| Baltic InterSAVE programme for Vilnius Old City; |
| Sustainable forest management in private forests. |
Public access, eco-tourism and controlled recreational use are elements of Danish supported nature projects.
A national plan for the biodiversity
In 1995 Lithuania ratified the Convention on Biodiversity, and is thus obliged to prepare a national biodiversity study, strategy and action plan. The Lithuanian Biodiversity Conservation
About 11.5 per cent of 7,280 km3 of Lithuanian territory is officially protected. Of all protected areas:
Strategy and Action Plan has been adopted by the Governmental institutions in the beginning of 1998. They cover a 20-year period although most of the actions are meant to be implemented within 5 years.
In 1993 Lithuania accessed to Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Importance Especially as Waterfowl Habitat and Bern Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitat. Lithuania has recently ratified CITES Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species of Fauna and Flora and Bonn Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals by mid of a year 2001.
Even in an optimal system of protected areas, it is not possible to protect all the landscape and biological diversity. Therefore, attempts are made to find ways of creating an ecological compensation zone, as a balance against the network of technological territories. In Lithuania a juridical legitimised nature frame concept exists. All the natural protected areas are linked into the nature frame, as are other ecologically important and sufficiently natural territories which safeguard general lands stability, to create a general landscape management ecological compensation zone system.
In the period of the country programme previous target areas will be retained, but projects will be focused more specifically on particular issues within each target area, as follows:
| Protected areas and nature protection in terms of public participation/awareness and international conventions and EU policies |
| Sustainable forest management in terms of public environmental awareness and environmental knowledge among private forest owners, and policy/institutional development pursuing implementation of international recommendations, including EU forest policies |
| Preparation of environmental nature and forest projects for other donors like EU and UN funding organisations. |
| Coastal zone management. |
The north European Pond Turtle has its nothern extension in the southern part of Lithuania.
State Park Institutional Development
According to the National Act on protected areas, all national and regional parks are subject to planning schemes as a tool for their future management. The planning methodology was in need of further development and improvement and experience on implementation of planning schemes was scarce in Lithuania. In order to speed up the process and to improve the quality and future utilisation of the planning schemes, a project with Danish assistance was set up.
The project provided guidelines on how to rationalize and improve the planning procedures and how to effectively implement the planning schemes. The project introduced a new kind of planning, named Park Management Plan that was more dynamic and open for revisions and supplements and more flexible as the conditions were changed. The plan forms the basis of the planning scheme and park action plans for concrete actions in the coming three years, revised each year in connection with the budget.
The objective
The main objective of the project was the comprehensive institutional development of the state (national and regional) parks in Lithuania. The National Strategy for the Development of the System of Lithuania's Protected Areas was published in order to improve the management of protected areas in Lithuania.
The procedure
Planning schemes were prepared for Meteliai, Panemuniai and Nemuno Kilpos regional parks and site management organised in all the three parks.
The information campaign "Discover Nature 2000: Welcome to the National and Regional Parks of Lithuania" was initiated by the project in close co-operation with the Lithuanian Ministry of Environment. Based on the experience obtained, it was recommended that the Ministry organises such campaigns every year.
Booklets and leaflets were published. Educational trails, information boards, visitor centres and nature schools were established in order to inform society about Meteliai, Nemuno Kilpos, and Panemuniai regional parks. A website was also devoted to public information about the protected areas and the process and results of the project.
During the project, a great amount of attention was paid to the training of the working party of state park administrative staff and the staff and consultants of the Department of Forests and Protected Areas in order to extend the positive reforms after the termination of the project. Methodological publications were published and study tours and workshops were organised.
The environmental result
The project has resulted in the draft of the National Strategy for the Development of Protected Areas. Planning schemes including Management Plans for Meteliai and Panemuniai Regional Parks have been prepared in addition to recommendations for guidelines for the planning of protected areas.
The planned site management has been carried out in all three regional parks and involved many landowners, local authorities and other stakeholders.
The information campaign performed during the project has increased the attention of the public at large on the protected areas and given good experience to the staff of the Ministry of Environment and the state parks.
