MULTIPLE ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGNATIONS - A CASE-STUDY OF THEIR EFFECTIVENESS FOR THE YTHAN ESTUARY

Citation
A. Ross et A. Stockdale, MULTIPLE ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGNATIONS - A CASE-STUDY OF THEIR EFFECTIVENESS FOR THE YTHAN ESTUARY, Environment and planning. C, Government & policy, 14(1), 1996, pp. 89-100
Citations number
21
Categorie Soggetti
Environmental Studies","Public Administration
ISSN journal
0263774X
Volume
14
Issue
1
Year of publication
1996
Pages
89 - 100
Database
ISI
SICI code
0263-774X(1996)14:1<89:MED-AC>2.0.ZU;2-S
Abstract
High-value landscapes, habitats, and species are protected increasingl y through a range of local, national, and international designations a nd policies. Often one site may be protected by a multitude of designa tions. However, international designations are commonly implemented th rough national mechanisms. Using the Forvie Sands and Ythan Estuary ar ea of northeast Scotland as an example, we review the effectiveness of multiple environmental designations. After an examination of existing and proposed designations for the study area, overlaps and loopholes in environmental protection are identified. We conclude that protectio n from more than one designation may either afford the site additional protection or emphasise the importance of the site at different level s; local, national, and international. The principal loophole relates to unregulated activities undertaken beyond the designated site which may have an adverse effect on the protected area. Possible solutions i nclude extending the designation to include the sources of the threat or to combine an appropriate designation strategy with effective regul ation of the threat itself. In developing designation strategies, envi ronmental protection agencies should consider these options.