Year of the Mountains 2002 - last hope for the Alps?
Copyright 2001 WWF
December 10, 2001
Vienna/Innsbruck, Austria – Alpine countries must conserve their most important natural heritage sites in order to stop further loss of species in the Alps, WWF, the conservation organization, said here today.
Tomorrow, the United Nations will inaugurate the official “Year of the mountains” (2002). The aim of this initiative is to permanently conserve the world’s mountains.
Nearly all mountains are under serious pressure from human influence – and the Alps are particularly vulnerable. “EU member states must integrate at least 85 additional alpine sites into Natura 2000, the EU’s web of protected areas,” said Andreas Baumüller, international coordinator of WWF’s European Alpine Programme.
The European Union's tool for the conservation of Europe’s natural heritage is Natura 2000 - a web of protected areas designed to guarantee the survival of endangered species and habitats. After a review of the current situation in the Alps, an expert panel – consisting of member states’ representatives, scientists and conservation organizations – stated that all alpine countries in the EU must nominate more areas for Natura 2000 by March 2002.Experts from WWF, Bund Naturschutz Bayern, Landesbund für Vogelschutz in Bayern and ARGE Natura 2000 South Tyrol undertook an analysis of where extra Natura 2000 sites are needed. Their conclusions were that a total of 85 more Natura 2000 sites should be put in place in Austria, Germany, Italy and France.
The analysis from the NGOs showed that Austria and Germany should create 35 more sites each, with Italy needing to create 10 and France an extra 5.
The regions of Bolzano/Bozen (Italy) and Carinthia (Austria) show the most significant deficiencies. They are responsible for a major part of the missing Natura 2000 sites. “At the starting point of The Year of the Mountains, we expect member states to take action on Natura 2000 after years of talking,” said representatives of the NGOs.For further information: Susanne Grof, Press Officer WWF Austria: tel: +43 0676 83488 249