Stopping biodiversity loss by working together in Natura 2000 sites in cross-generation international team and with local communities

DESCRIPTION

During the BIPs we are planning to visit the selected Natura 2000 sites in the EU, especially those experiencing problems with implementation of the nature conservation law, to discuss the problems in place with local communities and authorities and try to find the solutions. The aim of this BIP is also to set up the future activities within the BIP “Stop Biodiversity Loss”.

The first edition of the BIP would be open to University teachers to discuss the background and the plan of further activities, especially to select the next Natura 2000 sites to be visited in future. In the next editions the involvement of the students and experts are planned. The first meeting we would like to organise is at the Natura 2000 site “Costa Sudoeste” (Aljezur, Portugal). Participants would focus on specific ecosystems (e.g., coastal habitat, forest), visit the sites, and then listen to case studies to develop an approach based on best practices across Europe. One of the problems we would like to discuss during the first meeting is the way of successful protection of the colony of the lesser horseshoe bats (Rhinolophus hipposideros) in Vale da Telha in Natura 2000 site “Costa Sudoeste”. It is the largest colony of this species in Portugal and one of the largest in the EU. The building hosting the colony is privately owned and the bats are endangered by the human disturbance and tourist-oriented development, that may lead to destruction of the entire bat colony and the habitats crucial for conservation of protected species of bats.

The host institution would be CERES International Project, the company which has huge experience in the organization of many ecologically oriented projects. The advantage of this BIP is that Aljezur is one of the most biodiverse places in Europe, with a multitude of different terrestrial and marine habitats.

Due to the relation of BIP “Stop Biodiversity Loss” to Natura 2000 sites existing in the whole member states of the European Union he suggested to the participants representing the partner institutions to organise the next meetings in the selected Natura 2000 sites in their countries. According to this suggestion every partner country will pick up maximal two Natura 2000 sites experiencing the problems in the implementation of the EU Habitat Directive in these protected areas, having the conflicts of interests with local communities, that may, or already is, the threat for future biodiversity conservation, being the aim of the Natura 2000 programme. The planned activity should have both virtual (exchanging the information and documents online, online discussion) and physical (site visit, meeting with the stakeholders) parts. It was suggested that the site visits will involve the experts and students from the partner institutions.

So far the nature conservation within Natura 2000 sites was organised mainly by scientists, especially biologists. Basing on our experience solving the conflicts of interests with local communities requires special skills from sociology and legal sciences. We believe that during the first meeting the interdisciplinary team will be formed and will work together during the BIPs in future.