Strategy and Actin Plan fr Engagement f Lcal Cmmunities in Nature Cnservatin, Kemeri Natinal Park Jūrmala, 2014 1
Cntents Intrductin... 3 1. Backgrund fr the strategy... 3 2. Our cmmunities... 4 3 SWOT analysis f ur relatinships with lcal cmmunities... 4 3.1Strengths... 4 3.2 Weaknesses... 5 3.3 Threats... 5 3.4 Opprtunities... 6 4. Objectives fr imprving cmmunicatin and cmmunity engagement... 6 5. Mnitring and renewal f the strategy and actin plan... 7 Annex 1 Actin Plan... 8 2
Intrductin Engagement f lcal cmmunities is crucial fr supprt f nature cnservatin effrts. It helps t create the feeling f stewardship ver the area and shared respnsibility fr prtecting and taking care f it. Als part f sustainable management f prtected areas is t make sure that ur management effrts increase the quality f life f lcal residents. Engagement in nature prtectin is ne way hw t d it it prvides empwerment (by invlving lcal peple in decisin making prcess), educatin, entertainment, and imprves health. There are als ther ways t imprve the quality f life f lcal residents, fr example, increasing the share f benefits frm turism, that stay in the lcal ecnmy and prviding gd service when dealing with administrative issues cncerning lcal peple. These areas are cvered in mre detail in Management Plan and Sustainable Turism Strategy. This strategy was elabrated within a prject Cmmunity Prgram fr Sustainable Develpment partly financed by NORDPLUS Adult prgramme. It cvers the main areas f civic engagement: decisin making, educatin and direct invlvement in nature prtectin. It was created as a separate dcument, that will later be included as a part f ur Sustainable Turism Strategy and Management Plan. We want t thank all ur prject partners, lcal cmmunity leaders and staff f the natinal park authrity (Pieriga Reginal Administratin f Nature Cnservatin Agency (NCA)) fr their supprt and cntributin in develping this strategy. 1. Backgrund fr the strategy The Kemeri Natinal Park was established relatively recently in 1997 and we are still trying t wrk ut the best ways t cmmunicate and cperate with ur cmmunities. The main principles, aims and actins are laid ut in several dcuments ur Management Plan has chapters n Public Relatins and Nature Educatin, we have a separate Cmmunicatin Strategy, the Sustainable Turism Strategy and a strategy fr ur Nature Educatin Centre. But mst f these dcuments were develped sme time ag, fcused mstly n cmmunicatin and educatin and cver a wide range f target grups (including nt nly lcal residents, but als visitrs, pliticians, media etc. We have already develped a lt f gd practices that are wrking well, but still frm time t time we run int sme unslved issues and lng standing cnflicts with sme grups within ur cmmunities. S we tk part in the prject t develp a new mre fcused strategy that cvers specifically the engagement f lcal cmmunities. 3
2. Our cmmunities After the territrial refrm f rural municipalities, ĶNP is included in the territries f five municipalities: City f Jūrmala, Regin f Tukums, Regin f Jelgava, Regin f Engure, and Regin f Babīte. (TS) When cnsidering lcal cmmunities we think abut the peple living inside the Kemeri NP (abut 4500 mainly in Ķemeri and Lapmežciems) and in apprximately 5 km (ņemts n scekn pētījuma tūrisma stratēģijai) wide area surrunding ur natinal park (anther 32 000 peple mainly in Kauguri, Slapme, Smārde). The survey f lcal residents within the NORDPLUS prject included nly lcal residents living inside the Natinal Park but the actin plan fr engaging lcal cmmunities in nature prtectin includes bth the residents living inside the natinal park and in the area surrunding the natinal park. The mst imprtant lcal target grups are: lcal residents in general lcal municipalities lcal NGOs land wners and business wners (frestry, agriculture, fishing, turism) educatinal and scial rganisatins hunters anglers 3 SWOT analysis f ur relatinships with lcal cmmunities The analysis f the external factrs (pprtunities and threats) is based mainly n the results f the survey carried ut in the NORDPLUS prject, the assessment f internal factrs (strengths and weaknesses) is based n the discussins amng the staff f the natinal park authrity. 3.1Strengths Mre r less regular meetings (nce a year) with lcal inhabitants rganised by the NCA staff. Publicatins in lcal newspapers, mainly abut nature educatin events Participatin in the meetings f Kemeri Lcal Inhabitants Sciety Cperatin started with the Slampe Lcal Inhabitants Sciety Organising events tgether with lcal residents Kemeri Festival, Participatin in lcal culture events Night f the Museums, Opening f Summer Seasn f Jurmala Resrt Excursins exclusively fr lcal inhabitants within special/larger? events Gd cperatin with lcal schls (rganising camps) and libraries (exhibitins abut the natinal park, Green afternns ) Turism Frum 4
Cnsultative Cuncil Cperatin with lcal municipalities Enthusiastic staff Infrmatin abut the attitudes f lcal residents twards turism and nature prtectins and abut the main infrmatin channels (NORDPLUS survey) Emplyees wh knw the histry f relatinships between natinal park authrity and lcal residents Prject n infrming landwners in 2008 (financed by Latvian Envirnmental Prtectin Fund) Engagement f lcal cmmunities f Slampe and Smārde by staff f LIFE+ prject HYDROPLAN 3.2 Weaknesses Lack f cnstant tw way cmmunicatin with almst all target grups Meetings with lcal residents that are rganised by NCA staff are nt effective (almst n ne is attending them) Lack f infrmatin abut lcal NGOs and their meetings Lack f infrmatin in lcal newspapers and hmepages f lcal municipalities abut the nature prtectin / nature management issues that affect lcal residents Weak inner cmmunicatin abut the cnflicts, recent develpments and plans regarding lcal residents/municipalities Lack f human resurces Lack f understanding hw imprtant it is t create and maintain gd relatinships with lcal cmmunities Old prblems/issues (see threats fr mre details) that are tn being slved Sme f the turism stakehlders (lcal residents, prducers) are nt represented in turism frum NCA (Central ffice) lacks a strategy fr engaging lcal cmmunities in nature prtectin in Latvia (as well as fr raising general awareness abut the nature prtectin etc.). lack f financing fr rganising nature educatin events, infrmatin campaigns 3.3 Threats Peple have negative attitude twards several aspects f prtected area management (= Old prblems ) Dead trees in the frest (lk hrrible, make it hard t walk), prblems t get firewd while at the same time NCA is cutting frests Quality f rads Prblems related t hydrlgy drainage diches are nt cleaned, beaver activity, spring flds, wetland restratin prjects Garbage, brken turism infrastructure Lack f picnic places In future crmrants (cnstantly increasing ppulatin and damage) building restrictins, restrictins in general (lack f infrmatin abut the restrictins and pssibilities t receive permits) 5
Sme lcal residents have prblems distinguishing respnsibilities f NCA, lcal municipalities and ther state rganisatins invlved in envirnmental prtectin Lcal peple thing that NCA staff members are arrgant Lack f tw way cmmunicatin (feedback) mst f ur cmmunicatin ges nly ne way 60% f lcal inhabitants have never attended ur nature educatin events, partly because f lack f infrmatin Peple think that nature prtectin has relatively negative impact n lcal ecnmy and emplyment Peple think that very small prprtin f turism benefits stay in the lcal ecnmy 50% think that turism creates waste and degrades the envirnment 3.4 Opprtunities We have an up t date infrmatin abut the mst imprtant infrmatin channels used by lcal residents Lcal residents think that the availability f infrmatin abut the natinal park has increased by abut 20% since 2002. Lcal resident in general have mre psitive (than negative) attitude twards the nature prtectin. They thing that it has a psitive impact n the landscape, image f the regin, scial wellbeing, turism. ½ f lcal residents are willing t participate in nature prtectin activities (clean ups, mnitring etc.) There are cmpensatins available fr the restrictins n ecnmic activity impsed by nature prtectin (fr frestry) There are sme legal pssibilities t get firewd in Kemeri NP Lcal residents have a psitive attitude twards turism they think that it increases pprtunities fr recreatin and that the number f turism can be increased Part f lcal residents want t participate in turism develpment help t create infrastructure, participate in discussins Lcal peple are willing t share their ideas abut the turism develpment (new trails, infrmatin signs etc.) 29% have attended nature educatin events rganised by NCA at least nce 4. Objectives fr imprving cmmunicatin and cmmunity engagement Main aim is t create and maintain gd relatinships with lcal cmmunities and increase their engagement in nature prtectin. Objectives: Imprve tw way cmmunicatin with all target grups: 6
Imprve internal cmmunicatin abut the cperatin with different stakehlders (pen cases etc.) Raise awareness f the staff abut the imprtance f creating and maintaining gd relatinships with lcal inhabitants and engaging them in nature prtectin Try slving the ld cnflicts: Dead trees in the frest (lk hrrible, make it hard t walk), prblems t get firewd while at the same time NCA is cutting frests Quality f rads Prblems related t hydrlgy drainage diches are nt cleaned, beaver activity, spring flds, wetland restratin prjects Garbage, brken turism infrastructure Lack f picnic places In future crmrants (cnstantly increasing ppulatin and damage) building restrictins, restrictins in general (lack f infrmatin abut the restrictins and pssibilities t receive permits) Imprve the invlvement f lcal residents in turism planning Imprve understanding f lcal peple abut the diferences in respsibilities f different gverning rganisatins (NCA, lcal municiaplities, etc...) Imprve the reach f infrmatin abut nature educatin events Imprve understanding f the ecnmic benefits f turism and hw they can be increased Increase vlunteering 5. Mnitring and renewal f the strategy and actin plan T mnitr the results f the strategy, carry ut repeated surveys f lcal residents every 5-10 years 7
Annex 1 Actin Plan 8
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