Landscape management needs cooperation – examples from

Austria Alois WILFLING

OIKOS – Institut für angewandte Ökologie & Grundlagenforschung Hartbergerstraße 40/12

8200 Gleisdorf Styria, Austria

++43 (0)676 544 8824 alois.wilfling@gmx.at

Landscape management needs cooperation

Landscape management in Austria

• Austria offers many examples for good landscape mangement, but also…

• Austria is not part of the landscape convention.

• In times of globalization and climate change Austrian cultural landscapes seem rather vulnerable.

• This is caused by various reasons, which affect all aspects from agriculture to tourism and from nature conservation to rural depopulation.

Landscape management in Austria

Landscape management in Austria

• Four examples show successful cooperation in landscape management between land owners and different authorities/organizations.

Landscape management in Austria

Landscape management needs cooperation – Example 1

Nature communication in styrian nature parks (orig. title: Naturvermittlung für Naturparkpartner, www.naturparke-steiermark.at)

• 92 enterprises for accommodation (hotels, guesthouses…) work to make aspects of nature (conservation) their central tool.

• Landscape is not in touristic background any more.

Landscape management needs cooperation – Example 1

Nature communication in styrian nature parks (orig. title: Naturvermittlung für Naturparkpartner, www.naturparke-steiermark.at)

• The hotels learn to take profit from a healthy environment and natural habitats in a sustainable way.

• Partner group got +20.6% more guests within 5 years, average in Styria 10.5%

Landscape management needs cooperation – Example 1

Nature communication in styrian nature parks (orig. title: Naturvermittlung für Naturparkpartner, www.naturparke-steiermark.at)

• Landscape resources are used in an innovative approach from culinary to wellness and from nature program till the design of the hotels.

Landscape management needs cooperation – Example 2

AGRI-COLA

• getting into a new dialogue with Austrian farmers to develop innovative ways of sustainable land use for the future.

Landscape management needs cooperation – Example 2

AGRI-COLA

• How can the successful term and strategy of “ecological niche” be transferred to “economical niche” in the diverse alpine landscape and its management?

Landscape management needs cooperation – Example 3

Farm management plans in Austria

Within the last two decades a system of on-farm advisory was developed allowing Austrian farmers to keep up the management of ecological highly valuable structures and habitats.

Landscape management needs cooperation – Example 3

Farm management plans in Austria

The OIKOS institute collected valuable experience in negotiating management contracts between farmers and nature conservation authorities.

Landscape management needs cooperation – Example 4

Young gardening - rural gardening

• For centuries landscape management in rural regions was the basis for agricultural production to supply cities with healthy food.

Landscape management needs cooperation – Example 4

Young gardening - rural gardening

• Gardens were the arks of genetic diversity both for edible and decoration plants.

Landscape management needs cooperation – Example 4

Young gardening - rural gardening

• In the current “urban gardening trend” enthusiastic young people develop new forms of agriculture. In the same time the gardens maintained by the senior generation in the rural areas diminish.

Landscape management needs cooperation – Example 4

Young gardening - rural gardening

• The project focuses on the ecological, economical, social and political differences between ‘urban’ und ‘rural’.

• The project encourages new strategies of ‘creative rural gardening’.

Landscape management needs cooperation

Landscape management needs communication

The 4 examples mentioned show that good communication is the key factor of success. Taking the partners concerns, fears and wishes for serious is the main issue.

Landscape management needs cooperation

Landscape management needs communication

Going into a dialogue with a good quantity of humor makes work easier…

Thank you for your attention!!!