Rist Stephan

Auslegeordnung zu Chancen und Risiken einer Kandidatur der UNESCO-Welterbestätte Swiss Alps Jungfrau-Aletsch als Regionaler Naturpark

Project Number: CH-6792
Project Type: Master
Project Duration: 01/01/2020 - 08/12/2020 project completed
Funding Source: other ,
Leading Institution: Universität Bern
Project Leader: Prof. em. Stephan Rist
Senior research scientist
Critical Sustainability Sciences
Geographisches Institut - Humangeographie
Universität Bern
Hallerstrasse 12
3012 Bern
Phone: ; +41 (0) 31 684 88 62
e-Mail: stephan.rist(at)giub.unibe.ch
http://www.geography.unibe.ch

related to this project.
for which the project has a relevance.


Research Areas:
Governance

Disciplines:
Legal and Social sciences, Economics


Abstract:
Under globalized environmental, social and economic conditions, answering to questions related with these terms is increasingly important at the local level. In Switzerland this demand for regional management is met by the Swiss Parks. The legal basis for this was laid in 2007 by the revised Federal Act on the Protection of Nature and Cultural Heritage (NCHA) and the Parks Ordinance (ParkO), which is based on the latter. According to these principles, a distinction is made between three park categories: National Park, Nature Adventure Park and Regional Nature Park. Regional Nature Parks are model regions for sustainable regional development. The parks receive a federal awarding and cantonal support. The UNESCO World Heritage Site Swiss Alps Jungfrau-Aletsch (SAJA) was awarded in 2001 for its uniqueness, diversity and vividness. At federal level, however, its institution is only obliged to maintain these natural values of the award. Accordingly, Regional Nature Parks receive more federal funding. This is particularly due to the addition of social and economic concerns. When receiving the award, the founding communities of the SAJA committed themselves to sustainable development in their areas in the ‘Charta vom Konkordiaplatz’. In consultation with the state and the cantons, the management center of the World Heritage site advocated the examination of a Regional Nature Park candidature for the 2020-2024 program period. The focus of this work was to examine the opportunities and risks of such a candidature. The aim was to take the current state of research into account, which calls for clear participation and communication, and to give weight to the theories of sustainable development, regional governance as well as theories of actors and their interests. Furthermore, the analysis was carried out from the point of view of the existing SAJA - i.e. the initial situation in the researched space itself. This transdisciplinary research subsequently required system, transformation and target knowledge. Expert discussions on management planning and actors, communication and participation, project and budget planning, as well as a cantonal consultation and subsequent consolidation and contrasting of the results enabled important findings to be recorded. It was shown that, particularly in the special case of a World Heritage Site, where no precedents exist, experts' opinions often deviate from theoretical, research and practical recommendations. Although the individual steps of the first outlined project plans seemed to make sense, in the holistic view it is the long, more complex path which can better ensure the long-term viability of a future model region for sustainable regional development and at the same time fulfil the national and cantonal requirements. The regional political discourse can be controlled and stimulated only through transparency, communication and information. If done correctly, risks might become opportunities. In this context, however, the question may be asked if the demands of theory, research and practice had been considered sufficiently. And this with a good reason: the inclusion of the local population takes place late in the project process and many preliminary investigations are carried out beforehand at official and academic level. In the end, however, it is the federal government and the cantons that finance regional development in a Regional Nature Park. They must therefore also ensure that potential candidates meet the criteria. It is also important to be aware of the initial situation and to capture the pulse of political discourse and thus the official will to support. There must also be a basis for discussion in order to reach the population effectively. It can therefore be said that a regional park candidature always requires a new analysis and cannot be generalized. The demands of theory, research, practice and starting position must be moderated and weighed against each other in a case study to enable a holistic view. This is the only way to consider the initial situation (system knowledge), the path taken (transformation knowledge) and what is ultimately to result from the process (target knowledge). And this was done in the case of the present study. The knowledge gap as to how the participatory process of regional park establishment is to take place, considering the existing SAJA, has thus been clarified. In the future, additional funding for projects at the interface between human and nature might make it possible to counteract local trends and threats holistically in terms of regional management as a Regional Nature Park SAJA.

Publications:

PDF Masterarbeit


Last update: 8/11/22
Source of data: ProClim- Research InfoSystem (1993-2024)
Update the data of project: CH-6792

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