European Day of the Natura 2000 Network: they expose the shortcomings of these protected spaces. The environmental organization demands active management of the spaces of the Red Natura 2000. The environmental organization emphasizes that although 86% of the protected areas of the Red Natura 2000 They have a management plan, the associated monitoring is not carried out to adequately assess its effectiveness. The lack of monitoring of conservation actions implies a lack of knowledge about the extent to which the objectives for these spaces are being met. Spain is the country that contributes the largest territory to the Natura 2000 networkcovering 23.47% of the land area and 5.11% of the marine area in the case of the SCI/ZEC, and 20.30% and 4.83% respectively in the case of the SPAs.
In the European Day of the Natura 2000 Network, 21 MayThe environmental organization shows this The management of the spaces and the evaluation of their effectiveness is the pending topic. This anniversary has been celebrated for 10 years with the aim of raising awareness, an initiative promoted by the environmental organization and the EFE agency within the framework of the Life+ Activa Red Natura 2000– and which since 2017 has become an official event that Member States celebrate annually.
Under the motto The simple flapping of a butterfly’s wings can change the worldthe campaign calls on citizens to make a gesture for the Red Natura 2000, the largest coordinated network of protected spaces in the world. For example, society is encouraged to share a photo via the internet in which they form a butterfly with their hands www.natura2000day or from the RRSS with the hashtag #Natura2000Day.
For active management of the Natura 2000 network
This year, the environmental organization is asking society for a gesture to… call to the authorities responsible for the management of the protected areas of the Natura 2000 network with the aim of achieving more efficient active management.
The Natura 2000 network is a European ecological network consisting of protected areas designated under the Habitats Directive and the Birds Directive.. These spaces are intended to protect and conserve Europe’s biological diversity in a manner compatible with the development of the territories, as long as they do not pose a threat to the species and habitats for which they are integrated into this protection figure. In Spain the Red Natura 2000 It consists of 1,468 Special Protection Areas and 662 Special Protection Areas for Birds, spread over more than 220,000 km2, of which 138,000 km2 corresponds to land space, representing a contribution of the Spanish territory to the network of more than 27% of the national territory.
To achieve the objectives set for the Red Natura 2000 It is essential that the competent public authorities provide the necessary resources, both with regard to the adoption of the mandatory management instruments and with regard to the provision of the human and economic resources necessary to implement them. Currently, 86% of the protected areas of the Natura 2000 network have an approved management plan, which should result in an improvement in the conservation status of habitats and species, but the reality is that in general The lack of resources for its effective application prevents this.
Pressure and threats
According to the latter Evaluation report on the status of the Natura 2000 network by European Environment Agency, The pressures and threats suffered by habitats and species in these areas in Spain arise mainly from agricultural practices, urban planning, forestry and invasive exotic species..
Some threats that They will worsen due to climate change and global changes, especially in humid areas, forests and high mountains. So, The environmental organization focuses on habitats and species that are still highly threatened, such as many mountain species, such as the capercaillie, or those from steppe environments, such as the European little bustard or the ricotí lark, or habitats such as coastal lagoons or peat bogs..
So, believe that it is essential that the management plans of the Natura 2000 network spaces take into account adaptation to climate change in relation to their conservation objectives, something that is not usually considered..
Improve monitoring and evaluation
The environmental organization also emphasizes the general absence of monitoring in these areaswhich prevents accurate assessments of the conservation status of habitats and species, and about the integrity of those spaces. In fact, This lack of monitoring prevents efficient management of the spaces.as the impact that management measures have on habitats and species is not known, nor on the extent to which established conservation objectives are achieved.
The environmental organization thinks so Improving monitoring would help make governments responsible for habitat and species conservation more efficient. being able to implement adaptive management in a changing context, which would result in a more efficient use of the resources necessary for the conservation of these spaces, and therefore of biodiversity.
Natural spaces are dynamic, and the conservation status of their habitats and species evolves over time, changing with the different uses and human activities that develop within them.The environmental organization understands that management plans must be alive and include mechanisms that allow the integration of necessary adjustments to adapt conservation measures to needs. of both the spaces and the habitats and species that comprise them, to achieve and maintain, where appropriate, the much-needed favorable conservation status.
Finally, the environmental organization wants to draw attention to the necessity to include active restoration in the management of these spaces as a fundamental tool that helps many of the habitats and species of interest improve their conservation status.
SEO/BirdLife has always maintained a very close relationship with the Natura 2000 Network
The environmental organization will celebrate its 70th anniversary in May. Along its history, The environmental organization has always maintained a very close relationship with the Natura 2000 network. The Inventory of Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas (IBA) identifies, using standardized criteria, those places with the most important bird populations where conservation efforts can be made, both on land and at sea. These inventories were crucial for the designation of new Special Protection Areas for Birds (ZEPA). Red Natura 2000.
The Court of Luxembourg indicated that the inventory of the environmental organization must be the reference for the designation of these new spaces. Since then, the IBAs have played a fundamental role in the conservation of our land, not only in the designation of these spaces, but also taken into account by the various promoters when locating their projects. The inventory was then revised in 2011 and came to 469 IBA. In 2013, the environmental association’s proposal for the first 39 marine SPAs in Spain, based on the IBA inventory, added almost 50,000 km2 of marine protected spaces. Now, during 2024, the entire inventory of Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas (IBA) will be updated again.
Celebrate the European Day of the Natura 2000 Network with SEO/BirdLife.