Biodiversity Post-2010 Vision and target Conference Socio-economic impact of protected areas on local communities: reasn for a Chanche .-Carlos Sunyer Tierra centro para la política ambiental.

1. Socio-economic impact of
protected areas on local
communities
reasons for a change
Carlos Sunyer
TERRA centro para la política ambiental

2. How to attract them?
• The cost / benefit must be positive, with a direct
impact on local people
• Most used tools
•Investments for improving living conditions
•Grants and incentives
•Awareness

3. Tourism
• Tourist attraction (quality mark)
• 72% of Germans prefer holidays in a region where there is a Park
• Demand for rural and nature tourism
• Increase of nature tourism (10-30%) / conventional tourism (4%)
• Overnight stays in rural accomodations 20%
• 49,4 M visitors to protected areas (2004)

4. Nº de establecimientos de turismo rural en España (Datos
a enero. Fuente INE)
0
2000
4000
6000
8000
10000
12000
14000
2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008
Visitantes en los parques nacionales de España
0
2.000.000
4.000.000
6.000.000
8.000.000
10.000.000
12.000.000
89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07
Nº visitantes
Visitors to national parks
Rural tourism establishments

5. New business
PROTECTED
AREA
TOURISM
•49,4 M visitors(2004)

6. Increasing demand for
differentiated products
• An opportunity for local products

7. Organic farming surface
Economic value of P.D.O. and P.G.I. (excluding wine)

8. New business
PROTECTED
AREA
TOURISMLOCAL PRODUCTSMARKETS
Jobs, wealth, opportunities, local pride,
Involvement of stakeholders,

9. • Nº = 10, 499.895 ha, 130 municipalities
Aging rate, decreases
Rate of activity, increases
Level of training , increases
Castilla y Leon Natural Parks

10. Direct employment = 1.759 full time jobs

12. National Parks
• Nº = 4, 143.591 ha, 30 municipalities
– Aging rate, decreases
– Rate of activity, increases
– Level of training , increases
Direct employment = 2.673 full time jobs
Estimation for Spain (excluding the Balearic and Canary
Islands)
Direct employment of protected areas: 11.140 full time jobs
Total employment of protected areas: 16.732 full time jobs

13. NP Sierra Nevada
• 86.000 ha
– 72% entrepreneurs say the park positively affects the billing
– 27,1% of the turnover is due to the park (334 M€)
– Direct employment = 4.683
• Fernández et al. 2007
Municipalities in
Parks
Other mountain
munipalities
Andalucia Period
Population 0,54 -0,25 0,70 1989-2005
Aging index 60,1 66,3 47,9 1986-2005
Net incomes/inhabitant 6,73 5,07 4,50 1991-2001

14. • Data show:
– Positive impact well beyond that recognized by the local
population and the administration
– Direct impact on the local population
• Promotes:
– the integration of nature conservation and landscape as a
business asset
– more collaborative attitudes

15. CHALLENGES
• Case by case approach
• Too focused on the tourist sector
• Park administration must be more proactive
• More studies socio-economic studies are needed
• Should not be confused with the value of biodiversity
• Results must be shown to the wide public
• Should be a reason for a better understanding
between stakeholders and nature conservation

16. Indeed these are reasons for a change

17. Thanks for your attention
Carlos Sunyer
www.terracentro.org

18. • New business. New jobs
Nº SME. Cabañeros NationalPark
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
Before 1995 1995-99 2000-04 2005-08

19. Some facts
• Huge surface
• 1.300 municipalities, 12.000.000 inhabitats

20. • Most are in less favored areas
– Less oportunities
– Low productions
– Relation cost/benefits is broken
– Intensification-Abandon
• Social, economic and ecological impact