presentation at lab. landscape planning awaji landscape planning and horticulture academy himeji...

Presentation at Lab. Landscape PlanningAwaji Landscape Planning and Horticulture AcademyHimeji Institute of Technology

Nature Protection in AustriaMeinhard Breiling

Jan. 19th, 2004

Nature Protection in Austria

Some theoretical and practical considerations



Jan. 19th, 2004

Overview

Introduction

1. Understanding of Nature Protection

2. Practical Framework for Nature Protection in Austria

3. Three Case Studies related to Nature Protection in Austria



Jan. 19th, 2004

Introduction

• Currently Guest Associate Prof. at Univ. of Tokyo, Lab. Of Land Resource Sciences

• Senior lecturer at Dep. For Landscape Architecture, Technical University Vienna

• Active in international scientific NGOs (IAD, IIASA Society, Snowfuture and others)

• Information about scientific work www.breiling.org

http://www.breiling.org/



Jan. 19th, 2004

PART 1: Understanding Nature Protection

• Nature Protection consists out of 2 terms– Nature– Protection

• What is Nature?– Different concepts to explain nature– 2 principal major views on nature



Jan. 19th, 2004

Understanding of Nature (Ia)

I) Nature is ínfinite, allmighty and everything: harmonic, holistic concept– Synonyms

• God

• Earth

• World

• Thruth

• Reality



Jan. 19th, 2004

Understanding of Nature (Ib)

I) Nature includes everything– Humans– Culture– Landscape– Environment– Ecology– Sustainability



Jan. 19th, 2004

Understanding of Nature (IIa)

II) Nature is finite and partial: conflict, threat concept– Synonyms

• Environment

• Ecology

– Antonym• Culture

– In Between• Landscape

• Sustainability



Jan. 19th, 2004

Understanding of Nature (IIb)

II) Nature includes – Resources

• Land

• Water

• Air

• Energy

• Materials



Jan. 19th, 2004

Understanding of Nature (IIc)

II) Nature is in conflict with culture– Continous loss of nature and increase of culture– Depletion of resources– Deterioration of environment

• Pollution

• Loss of nature variety

• Counteractions required



Jan. 19th, 2004

Understanding of Nature (IId)

II) Landscape– Consists of Nature and Culture

• As everything has today a human sphere of influence, there exists only „landscape“ and no longer nature

– Different intensities of nature and culture• A forest- or agricultural landscape has more nature

than an urban landscape

• Different landscape types derive from this concept



Jan. 19th, 2004

Understanding of Nature (IIe)

II) Sustainability– Consists of Nature and Culture

• Came up 20 years ago and subsituted ecological planning

• Ecologic, Economic and Social Concern is connected to sustainability

– No types available like in the case of landscape

– Has to be defined in space and time to be useful



Jan. 19th, 2004

Protection

• Related to human interests– Human have an interest to conserve nature

• Nature protection is part of „Culture“– a „cultural product“

• Often when other needs are satisfied– Perhaps a „luxurity interest“

– Possibilities for the future should remain varied

– Demand for ecological safety

– Minimise risk of unwanted environmental surprises



Jan. 19th, 2004

Protection related to planning

• Continuous change of circumstances– state should remain in a situation of changing

context



Jan. 19th, 2004

Planning

– Any activity directed toward the future– Nature Planning includes:

• Landscape Planning

• Regional Planning

• Urban Planning

• Comprehensive Planning

• Rural Planning

• Land Use Planning



Jan. 19th, 2004

Different Kinds of Planning (1)

• Co-ordination Planning– Mainly done by administrators

• Municipal, regional or national administration

– Balance of intrests in focus



Jan. 19th, 2004


• Project Planning– One particular project promoted

• Construction of highway,

• Shinkansen railway,

• an industry or

• the establishment of a nature conservation area

– Main interest is stronger than others



Jan. 19th, 2004


• Process Planning– Related to existing (Infra-) Structure or System– Making existing function „better“

• From much pollution to little pollution• Producing more wanted output with less resources

and less waste

• Nature Protection– Can belong to all three mentioned kinds of

planning– Requires interests and actors



Jan. 19th, 2004

PART II Circumstances for Nature Protection in Austria

• Austria– 84,000 km²– 8.2 million (est. 2003)– 27,000 € per caput income– 2% of GDP agriculture– 4% of GDP summertourism– 4% of GDP wintertourism– 9 federal provinces– 99 districts (Bezirke)– 2,355 communities

• Belongs to EU– 15 countries– 24 countries from May 2005



Jan. 19th, 2004

Distribution of population according Altitude

• Living cirumstances are highly diverse in Austria



Jan. 19th, 2004

Nine nature protection laws in Austria

• Provincial Government– Cares for Nature Protection– 9 different laws

• Obligation to obtain permission for projects

• Conservation of habitats• Designing areas protected under

nature conservation law

– Follows International Agreements and Directives of EU

• Alpine Convention• Convention Biological Diversity• World Heritage Convention• European Wildlife, Natural Habitats

(Bern) convention• Wetlands Convention (Ramsar)• Whaling Convention



Jan. 19th, 2004

Regions for Nature Protection in Austria



Jan. 19th, 2004

Biological Variety as an Aspect of Nature Protection

• Vertebrate species (source UBA, Tiefenbach et al. 1998)



Jan. 19th, 2004

Protection of Habitats• Rapid increase in devoted areas since 1980s

– Almost a quarter of the country devoted under 5 categories

– Primarilly for public awareness and tourism



Jan. 19th, 2004

Case 1: Nationalparks in Austria

– I present my first „case“, pictures from National Park „Donauauen“



Jan. 19th, 2004

Case 2: Flooding in 2002• In 2002 large areas of Europe were flooded

– In case of Vienna, the flooding was minor– Retention areas

• Artificial: Danube Island

• Natural: in Nationalpark

– However in other areas, the damming caused large damage.

• Reservoirs should be released



Jan. 19th, 2004

Case 3: Winter Tourism and Global Warming

• 4% of GDP, very high share of winter tourism in Austrian economy– Warming is likely to go on as global problem

• Mitigation is only possible from global point of view

– Adaptation required locally• Water for artificial snow making, energy demand,

etc.

• Season is shrinking, income is decreasing, cost is increasing



Jan. 19th, 2004

Different Spatial Extensions



Jan. 19th, 2004

Different Time Extensions



Jan. 19th, 2004

Sustainability and Nature Protection

• At definition I of Nature– There is sustainability

• Nature will persist• Perhaps not human beings

• At definition II of Nature– Sustainability is related to culture

• On the perception of people• There is certain scale time to sustainability

– Planners have to make people aware of this

• In planning we have to – widen the scope of sustainabiliy– fill gaps in connecting spatial and time scales



Jan. 19th, 2004

Space Time DiagramNature Protection Tasks

• 100 years flooding

• Global warming

• Reconnecting side arm

• Guided tour

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

-1

-2

-3

-4

-5

-6-6 -5 -4 -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3 4 5 6

Time Extension in log Years

Space Extension in log km

Sustainability Egg



Jan. 19th, 2004

Nature Protection• Is not objective but subjective• Is part of Culture and not part of Nature• Depends on

– The perception of people according to culture and preferences

– Social circumstances in country– Interests of people

• Works for the future of mankind– And not for nature itself– In space time understanding of current policy

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