What progress has been made with regard to the national designation of protected areas as a tool for biodiversity conservation?

Figure 5 – Protected areas of the Republic of Moldova (2018)

 

The nationally designated protected area system and the Emerald Network under the Bern Convention are the two most important coordinated European networks of protected areas. The degree of overlap between nationally protected areas and Emerald sites illustrates the extent to which a country has made use of nationally designated areas to underpin its Emerald designation and to what extent Emerald sites extend beyond national systems.

 

The total area of the Emerald Network in the Republic of Moldova is 269 871 ha (52 sites) in 2019, which covers 8.0 % of the country’s territory. In addition, Moldova has 9 candidate sites with the total area of 7 285 ha to be included into the Emerald network in 2019.

 

Data sources:

The map has been produced by the EEA based on the spatial data on protected areas provided by the Institute of Ecology and Geography of Moldova under the ENI SEIS II East project activities .

 

The European Environment Agency, jointly with the Council of Europe and by means of financial support from the EU Neighbourhood Partnership Programme, has been supporting the process of developing the Emerald Network in the country in the period of 2009-2016. In 2018, a total number of 52 sites of the Emerald Network of Moldova have been adopted by theBern Convention. Thus, in the next period it is planned to proceed for the national approval of the Emerald Network. It is expected that the total area of national designated protected areas , including Emerald Network is going to reach 365 536.8 ha or 10.8 % of the territory of Moldova. This would surpasses the national Aichi biodiversity target of the 8 % of the territory of the Republic of Moldova to be covered by the protected areas.

 

Indicator specification

Indicator definition

The proposed definition is a combination of the D1 UNECE Environmental Indicator and of the Streamlined European Biodiversity Indicators (SEBI) 007 indicator.

The indicator shows the terrestrial area protected in compliance with the national legislation and its development over time. It reflects both the extent of protected areas and their share in the total area of the country.

The indicator can be further broken down by IUCN management categories and by category of national designation (national park, strict nature reserve, protected landscape etc.). In addition, a sub-indicator showing the relation between nationally designated areas at national level and areas designated as Emerald sites can be developed.

 

Units

Area (ha) of nationally protected areas as a percentage of the country territory.

Rationale

Justification for indicator selection

 

Establishment of protected areas is a direct response to concerns over biodiversity loss, so an indicator of protected area coverage is a valuable indication of commitment to conserving biodiversity and reducing its loss on a number of levels.

The indicator demonstrates the change over time in one form of protection afforded to components of biodiversity. It provides a measure of the response to the degradation of ecosystems and the loss of biodiversity in a country. It demonstrates the extent to which areas important for conserving biodiversity, cultural heritage, scientific research (including baseline monitoring of processes in the ecosystems), recreation, and maintaining natural resources and other environmental values are protected.

Moldova’s national biodiversity strategy and action plan has defined the expansion of the nationally desginated protected areas as one of the priority areas of work between 2015 and 2020.

 

Scientific references

• Dudley, N., (Editor), 2008. Guidelines for Applying Protected Area Management Categories. Gland, Switzerland: IUCN. x + 86pp. WITH Stolton, S., P. Shadie and N. Dudley (2013). IUCN WCPA Best Practice Guidance on Recognising Protected Areas and Assigning Management Categories and Governance Types, Best Practice Protected Area Guidelines Series No. 21, Gland, Switzerland: IUCN. xxpp. 978-2-8317-1636-7

 

• Roekaerts, M. and Opermanis, O., 2018. Status of the Emerald Network of Areas of Special Conservation Interest in 2018, Group of Experts on Protected Areas and Ecological Networks 9^th Meeting, T-PVS/PA (2018) 11, Council of Europe, Strasbourg. (accessed 15 March 2019)

 

• United Nations Development Programme, 2013. Improving Coverage and Management Effectiveness of the Protected Area System in Moldova. Global Environment Facility, Terminal Evaluation, GEF ID: 3675, UNDP PIMS: 4016, UNDP Atlas Project Number: 00050699. (accessed 15 March 2019)

 

Policy context and targets

 

Context description

National policy context

The National Strategy on Biological Diversity and its Action Plan for 2015-2020 provides the policy framework for further capacity building and measures for the conservation of biodiversity, the improvement of management and the extension of protected areas in Moldova. The Strategy aims to have 10 % of the country under protection, including Emerald Network sites.

The state-funded nature policy is promoted by Law No 1538 of 25 February 1998 on state-protected areas establishes the legal basis of the creation and functioning of a state-funded nature reserve, its principles, mechanism and mode of preservation, as well as the attributions of central and local public authorities, non-governmental organizations and citizens in this field.

Government Decision No 803 of 19 June 2002 approves the regulation on the procedure for establishing the natural protected area regime.

 

International policy context

The United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity aimed at the establishment and maintenance of comprehensive, effectively managed and ecologically representative national and regional systems of protected areas.

The EU Bern Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats, 1979. The Convention aims to ensure conservation of wild flora and fauna species and their habitats. Special attention is given to endangered and vulnerable species, including endangered and vulnerable migratory species of European importance, and establish the Emerald Network of the areas of special conservation to ensure the survival of the protected species and habitats.

Targets

National targets

Moldova’s national biodiversity strategy and action plan 2015-2020 set a target of 10 % of the country’s territory to be under protection by 2020.

 

International targets

Under the CBD, the strategic plan for biodiversity 2011-2020 was adopted, which requires that, by 2020, at least 17 % of terrestrial and inland water areas, and 10 % of coastal and marine areas, especially areas of particular importance for biodiversity and ecosystem services, are conserved through effectively and equitably managed, ecologically representative and well-connected systems of protected areas and other effective area-based conservation measures, and integrated into the wider landscapes and seascapes (Aichi biodiversity target 11).

 

Related policy documents

• National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan 2015-2020 of the Republic of Moldova. Government of the Republic of Moldova, 2015. Approval of the Strategy on Biological Diversity of the Republic of Moldova for 2015-2020 and the Action Plan for enforcing it. Decision No.274, 18 May, 2015, Chisinau.

• Convention on Biological Diversity. United Nations, 1992.

• Aichi Biodiversity Targets of the Convention on Biological Diversity. UN CBD, 2011. Strategic plan 2011-2020.

 

Methodology

Methodology for indicator calculation

It is necessary for this indicator to have a database of all nationally protected areas in the country, including name of the protected area, date of establishment, protection regime in accordance with national legislation (and relevant international requirements), size and digital boundaries.

To break down results by IUCN management category, it is necessary for each protected area to be characterised according to the type of management applied, following the IUCN guidelines.

To assess the (spatial) complementarity between Emerald site designation and nationally protected areas, two datasets are necessary (to be overlaid): (1) spatial delineation of nationally protected areas; and (2) spatial delineation of Emerald sites (only candidate and officially designated Emerald sites to be considered).

The percentage of protected areas can be calculated by the formula:

Share of protected areas (%) = (total area of protected areas in hectares or km²/total area of the country in hectares or km²) × 100.

Protected area coverage can be calculated nationally and by sub-national administrative unit of terrestrial and/or marine area.

 

Methodology for gap filling

No methodology for gap filling has been specified.

 

Methodology references

• The Law on Natural Areas Protected by the State (1998) provides the legal framework for 12 different categories of protected areas in Moldova. Seven different national designation types (scientific reserve, national park, natural monument, nature reserve, landscape reserve, resource reserve, multifunctional management area) correspond to the IUCN protected areas management categories, while three designation types are applied at the local scale (dendrological garden, zoological garden and landscape monument). In addition, two international designation types are implemented for Biosphere reserves and Ramsar sites.

• Dudley, N. (Editor), 2008. Guidelines for Applying Protected Area Management Categories. Gland, Switzerland: IUCN. x + 86pp. WITH Stolton, S., P. Shadie and N. Dudley (2013). IUCN WCPA Best Practice Guidance on Recognising Protected Areas and Assigning Management Categories and Governance Types, Best Practice Protected Area Guidelines Series No. 21, Gland, Switzerland: IUCN. xxpp. 978-2-8317-1636-7

• EEA, 2005. EEA core set of indicators guide. EEA Technical report No 1/2005, ISBN 92-9167-757-4, Luxembourg.

• EEA, 2018. Nationally designated protected areas. CSI 008, SEBI 007.

• UNECE, 2018. Guidelines for the Application of Environmental Indicators, Data template – D1. Protected areas.

• UNECE, 2018. Guidelines for the Application of Environmental Indicators, Description of D1. Protected areas.

• UNECE, 2018. Guidelines for the Application of Environmental Indicators, Glossary of terms – D1. Protected areas.

 

Uncertainties

Methodology uncertainty

The indicator ‘Progress in the designation of protected areas by IUCN categories over time’ could not be clearly defined, as many national protected areas may include a territory with several IUCN categories. A specific definition of the IUCN category is possible by a separate expert assessment.

Data sets uncertainty

There is an overlap between Biosphere reserve and Ramsar site in Prutul de Jos protected area, hence total area of nationally designated protected areas is estimated 196 301 ha.

Moldova does not regularly implement the UNECE environmental indicators in the country. Hence, there is no regular updating of the database in Moldova for developing this indicator.

 

Rationale uncertainty

The indicator does not describe the quality of management or whether or not the areas are protected from incompatible uses. The indicator needs to be complemented by information on management effectiveness or funding or by other elements that would indicate the potential of the designated area to protect biodiversity.

 

Data sources

• Data on protected areas provided by the Institute of Ecology and Geography of the Academy of Sciences of Moldova under the ENI SEIS II East project activities

• Spatial data on protected sites provided by the Institute of Ecology and Geography of the Academy of Sciences of Moldova under the ENI SEIS II East project activities