Global Analysis of Durable Policies for Free-Flowing River Protections
| Autor: | Stephannie Fernandes, Alana Nichols, Sarah Burnham, Denielle M. Perry, Ian Harrison |
|---|---|
| Rok vydání: | 2021 |
| Předmět: |
Wild and Scenic Rivers
010504 meteorology & atmospheric sciences Geography Planning and Development Biodiversity TJ807-830 010501 environmental sciences Management Monitoring Policy and Law rights of rivers TD194-195 01 natural sciences Freshwater ecosystem Renewable energy sources freshwater biodiversity conservation hydropower development riverine ecosystem services Global network GE1-350 Environmental planning 0105 earth and related environmental sciences Environmental effects of industries and plants Renewable Energy Sustainability and the Environment Building and Construction Policy analysis Environmental sciences Business Protected area |
| Zdroj: | Sustainability; Volume 13; Issue 4; Pages: 2347 Sustainability, Vol 13, Iss 2347, p 2347 (2021) |
| ISSN: | 2071-1050 |
| DOI: | 10.3390/su13042347 |
| Popis: | Freshwater ecosystems are poorly represented in global networks of protected areas. This situation underscores an urgent need for the creation, application, and expansion of durable (long-term and enforceable) protection mechanisms for free-flowing rivers that go beyond conventional protected area planning. To address this need, we must first understand where and what types of protections exist that explicitly maintain the free-flowing integrity of rivers, as well as the efficacy of such policy types. Through policy analysis and an in-depth literature review, our study identifies three main policy mechanisms used for such protections: (1) River Conservation Systems; (2) Executive Decrees and Laws; and (3) Rights of Rivers. We found that globally only eight counties have national river conservation systems while seven countries have used executive decrees and similar policies to halt dam construction, and Rights of Rivers movements are quickly growing in importance, relative to other protection types. Despite the current extent of protection policies being insufficient to tackle the freshwater and biodiversity crises facing the world’s rivers, they do provide useful frameworks to guide the creation and expansion of protections. Ultimately, as countries act on global calls for protections, policy mechanisms must be tailored to their individual social and ecological geographies. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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