Management of glacial landscapes - legislative frameworks

Question 1

Antarctic treaty System (ATS) - is it successful? - positives + negatives + conclusion

Answer 1

+ Protects area from minerals exploitation
+ Can only be used for scientific research = enables discoveries
+ increases wildlife protection and decreases risk of area being affected by pollution
- Decision making with all nations (53) can be problematic - if one country disagrees - it can stop a resolution going foward
CONCLUSION - Yes successful - after 50 years its recognized as one of the most successful international agreements BUT - needs to go a stage further towards Greenpeace world park concept.

Question 2

The Alpine Convention - is it successful? positives + negatives + conclusion

Answer 2

+ Achieves sustainable development by protecting national environment whilst promoting economic development (balances needs of residents + tourists)
+ countries commit to adopt measures for energy saving production + transport
+ increases awareness to protect the alps
- delays in agreements - as the convention leans towards environmental protection vs economic growth
- harmonization is key for nations to be able to work together + protect the alps - e.g. harmonize energy planning, renewable energy ideas etc.
- Doesnt completely protect alps - as it still encourages economic development
CONCLUSION - Yes - successful - it has been widely cited as a successful example of regional cooperation + WWF supports treaty as the most far-reaching concept to date for sustainable development.

Question 3

CITIES - is it sucessful? - positives + negatives + conclusion

Answer 3

+ individual species protected by this global strategy
+ many arctic species are on the list e.g. polar bears
- conservationists challenge its effectiveness - citing examples of whales - as although these are protected a small number can still be used for scientific purposes e.g. Russia - this is causing global protest from greenpeace
- lack of adequate domestic laws, lack of support from police e.g. trade on internet difficult to police, + courts for wildlife prosecuations + lack of serious punishment.
- many countries do not have the capacity adapt their national laws to enforce CITIES provisions
CONCLUSION - yes/no - as it does help endangered species + its the best known conservation convention in the world - BUT - cannot stop illegal trade - its powerless to defeat well organised transnational crime syndicates, but it can ensure greater success in regulating trade in species + protecting irreplaceable biodiversity.

Question 4

UNESCO - is it succesful? - positives + negatives + conclusions

Answer 4

+ administers a global system of world heritage sities due to their ecological/cultural importance.
+ e.g. wrangel Island owned by Russia is a world heritage ecological site 2004, which protects e.g. the world’s largest pop of Pacific Walrus’ (high levels of biodiversity protected)
- Victims of its own success - as its caused increased tourism to these sites - the principle of these sites diverted to promote tourism.
- Cause locals to have to move as areas being gentrified - as its causing house prices to increase.
CONCLUSION - yes - as evidently shown that these sites maintain high levels of biodiversity.

Question 5

The lake district - Fix the Fells - positives, negatives, conclusion

Answer 5

\+ repairs footpath erosion - via stone pitching or soil inversion 
Stone pitching: 
\+ provides hard wearing surface + low maintenance. 
- uncomfortable for walking on
- expensive (£100 per m)
Soil inversion: 
\+ hard wearing 
\+ Only £20 per m 

+ Without this = increase footpath width = increase vegetation damage + loss biodiveristy
+ done by volunteers = decrease costs = more paths can be fixed = no decrease in tourism due to path having to close
CONCLUSION - YES SUCCESSFUL

Question 6

The Lake district - holiday home ownership - approaches to manage this, positives, negatives, conclusion

Answer 6

+ local councils to contruct more social housing so more people can afford to rent in the area.
- waiting list is significant - 3500 in 2018 + people renting do not have houses secured.
+ placing local occupancy clauses onto residential properties - buyer must be able to prove they live + work in the area. = decrease in potential buyers = house prices decrease = locals could buy.
CONCLUSION - yes successful

Question 7

The Lake District - ‘Go Lakes Travel Programme’ - positives, negatives, conclusions

Answer 7

+ created 50 miles of cycleway to encourage cycling.
+ 5 new bus services
+ electric vechile hire at 9 locations
+ caused 14.5% decrease in vechile usage and 7.8% in CO2 emissions
+ job created by scheme
+ promotes cycling = positive for people’s health
CONCLUSION - YES very successful - as shown by evidence for the schemes success (the %’s)