WP9

Requirements of future protected areas (WP Leader: H. Hummel (NIOZ), herman.hummel[AT]nioz.nl)

The aim of WP9 is to deliver a range of practical tools to describe the quality status of Protected Areas (PA) through the development and application of a combination of environmental as well as socio-economic status descriptors, in order to obtain insight in the requirements of current and future novel PA and the possible impacts in response to drivers of change. Thereby, WP9 will help to optimize the process to eventual reach a higher level protected status, to underpin changes to be made in future in existing PA, to define modifications in PA boundaries and extent, to prevent potential obstacles, or to initiate remedial action. This will support the assessment and estimates of current and future ecosystem services, which can set (changes in) the management strategies and policy options for current and (the identification of) novel PA, taking into account potential impacts of drivers of changes and the social and economic needs of ecosystem services beneficiaries. These objectives will ease the political decision making on the future protection of new areas by supporting Coastal Zone Management, the Alpine Convention, and other policies with concrete tools for steering the process towards further protection on the one hand and safeguarding socio-economic services on the other side.