Carpathian Ecological Network: International Legal Basis and Ukrainian Experience

Authors

  • Mariya Vashchyshyn Ivan Franko National University of Lviv

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.15330/jpnu.5.2.170-177

Keywords:

Carpathian Convention,, Carpathian ecological network, protected area, the Carpathian network of protected areas, sustainable development, national and ecological network

Abstract

The article analyzes the importance of the Framework Convention on the Protection and
Sustainable Development of the Carpathians of 2003 (Carpathian Convention). Carpathian
Convention created favourable conditions for the conservation of landscapes and biological
diversity of mountain ecosystems of the Carpathian region. Carpathian Convention is a framework
instrument, in other words, it determines the general principles concerning the solution of
environmental, social and economic problems of the region. The Protocol on Conservation and
Sustainable Use of Biological and Landscape Diversity to the Framework Convention on the
Protection and Sustainable Development of the Carpathians has been analyzed.
The advantages of international cooperation of the countries of the Carpathian region in
achieving a common comprehensive result – conservation of biodiversity and improvement of
social and economic level of the region and its inhabitants on the grounds of sustainable
development have been defined. Carpathian Convention coordinates the economic needs with the
social and environmental protection, promotes the conservation of the unique and authentic
cultural and natural heritage of the Carpathian ecoregion for present and future generations.
Framework Convention on the Protection and Sustainable Development of the Carpathians
provides the creation of the Carpathian ecological network as a type of ecological networks at the
sub-regional level, which is a part of the Pan-European ecological network. Ukraine consistently
follows the bilateral and multilateral agreements, concluded with neighboring countries,
concerning the protection of the environment and is involved in the creation of cross-border
elements of the national ecological network.
The peculiarities of the Carpathian network of protected areas have been considered. The
Carpathian network of protected areas is a special form of international cooperation in
environmental protection, which consists in determining by the Conference of the Parties to the
Carpathian Convention the list of protected areas and in approving of regulations about them. The
Conference of the Parties to the Carpathian Convention encourages the administrations of these
protected areas to participate actively in international cooperation and exchange of experience in
the field of the conservation of the unique biological and landscape diversity, and to reduce the
negative impact on the environment of the region of the Ukrainian Carpathians.
The author proves that the Carpathian Convention, except the traditional approaches
concerning the protection of separate areas and species, recognizes the necessity of a broader
approach to the conservation of nature. Parties to the Carpathian Convention are obliged to
improve the conservation and sustainable management on the areas that are outside of protected
areas, with the help of the ecosystem approach. Such an ecosystem approach to the sustainable
management is applied to the spatial planning, integrated water management, agriculture,
forestry, transport, infrastructure, industry, energy, tourism and cultural heritage conservation.
Herewith, the interests of environmental protection shall be taken into account during the
development and implementation of the economic and social policies

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Published

2018-08-23

How to Cite

[1]
Vashchyshyn, M. 2018. Carpathian Ecological Network: International Legal Basis and Ukrainian Experience. Journal of Vasyl Stefanyk Precarpathian National University. 5, 2 (Aug. 2018), 170–177. DOI:https://doi.org/10.15330/jpnu.5.2.170-177.

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Articles