Perspectives and problems of transboundary protected areas

Abstract

There are several regions of the world where protected areas or areas with natural values worthy of protection are adjacent to each other. Nowadays several national organizations, among others the International Union for Conservation of Nature and the EUROPARC Federation deal with the questions of these transboundary protected areas, of which connection is varying, having different degrees from the loose co-operation until the integrated organization. While the state borders in the Carpathian Basin are mostly artificial, dissecting uniform landscapes and physiognomic units, it is not surprising that Hungary and the neighbouring countries have several adjacent or transboundary protected areas. In some cases – eg. Neusiedler See–Seewinkel – Fertő–Hanság region and Aggtelek Karst – Slovak Karst region – transboundary UNESCO World Heritage sites, biosphere reserves, Ramsar wetlands and national parks can be found, as well, along the border. Regarding the latter karst region, the situation of the co-operation and the perspectives are analyzed in this paper, and similarly also the case of the transboundary Novohrad–Nógrád Geopark. It can be stated that in spite of the good co-operation of the parties the different law, administration and financial assistance, as well the infrastructural backwardness owing to the peripheral lying causes difficulties in the unification. Nevertheless, these transboundary protected areas offer good opportunity for the local regional development especially due to the eco- and geotourism, therefore it is worth emphasising and broadening the transboundary co-operation based on the nature conservation.