Sustainable Development: Protected Landscape

Unlocking Protected Areas: How Sustainable Development Can Save Our Natural Treasures

Lena Kashyap in Climate & Environment August 2025 • 4 min read.

"Discover the untapped potential of protected areas and how balancing environmental goals with economic and social needs can lead to a brighter future for all."

In an era where conserving nature is more critical than ever, the importance of protecting our environment, natural and cultural heritage has led to an expansion of protected lands. These areas, managed under various protective regimes, not only safeguard biodiversity but also play a significant role in regional development.

The challenge lies in balancing environmental objectives with the economic and social needs of the communities that depend on these areas. Protected areas often have a developmental role in addition to their nature protection function, necessitating a geographical inventory and evaluation of their specific development potential.

This involves identifying and activating endogenous development potential through sustainable and responsible multilevel actions. Only then can we transition from passive to active biodiversity and geodiversity conservation, ensuring these areas contribute to both ecological preservation and regional prosperity.

Rethinking Development in Protected Areas

Sustainable Development: Protected Landscape

Historically, protected areas were established with regulations primarily focused on safeguarding natural components and cultural heritage, often restricting spatial interventions and economic activities. However, this approach frequently overlooked the broader consequences for regional development. Sustainable planning within these areas remains weak, and the roles of those managing development are often unclear.

Assessing the development potential of protected areas—including ecologically significant zones and Natura 2000 network sites—is strategically vital. These regions, comprising over half of many nations' territories, require tailored regional development strategies that align with their protection regimes. Sustainable management must conserve nature and the environment while preserving cultural landscapes and unique settlement patterns. For instance, in highly forested countries like Slovenia, where forests cover over 60% of the land, depopulation and overgrowth threaten landscape, ecosystem, habitat, and species diversity.

To achieve balanced and sustainable development, consider these key factors:

Prioritize environmental objectives without neglecting economic and social goals.
Implement ecosystem management to meet ecological and human needs.
Recognize the importance of protected areas in adapting to climate change.
Promote awareness of the value of biodiversity.

The core mission of protected areas is to conserve nature by preserving biodiversity and all other natural values. These areas should be seen as priority preservation zones and unique development areas. Guidelines for sustainable development emphasize environmental objectives, but economic and social goals also play a key role. Ecosystem management, as recognized by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), is crucial for balanced responses to natural resource management, meeting both ecological and human needs. Simultaneously, understanding the importance of protected areas and biodiversity preservation is essential for adapting to climate change.

The Future of Protected Areas

Sustainably designed planning for regional and spatial development in protected areas hinges on prioritizing and activating development potential. This approach facilitates the conservation of biodiversity and broader environmental protection. Experiences in managing diverse protected areas highlight the need for integrated and systematic strategies, addressing current deficiencies in managing systems and development within individual protected areas.

About this Article -

This article was crafted using a human-AI hybrid and collaborative approach. AI assisted our team with initial drafting, research insights, identifying key questions, and image generation. Our human editors guided topic selection, defined the angle, structured the content, ensured factual accuracy and relevance, refined the tone, and conducted thorough editing to deliver helpful, high-quality information.See our About page for more information.

This article is based on research published under:

DOI-LINK: 10.21861/hgg.2011.73.02.04, Alternate LINK

Title: Geographical Identification Of Development Potential For The Sustainable Development Of Protected Areas In Slovenia

Subject: Earth-Surface Processes

Journal: Hrvatski geografski glasnik/Croatian Geographical Bulletin

Publisher: University of Zagreb, Department of Geography

Authors: Barbara Lampič, Irena Mrak, Dušan Plut

Published: 2012-03-01

Everything You Need To Know

What role do protected areas play in regional development, beyond just environmental conservation?

Protected areas are managed under various protective regimes to safeguard biodiversity and play a significant role in regional development. They aim to conserve nature by preserving biodiversity and all other natural values, functioning as both priority preservation zones and unique development areas. The developmental role involves geographical inventory and evaluation of specific development potential, activating endogenous development through sustainable and responsible multilevel actions.

Why has the historical approach to managing protected areas been insufficient for sustainable development?

Historically, protected areas focused on safeguarding natural components and cultural heritage, often restricting spatial interventions and economic activities. This approach often overlooked the broader consequences for regional development. Sustainable planning within these areas remained weak, and the roles of those managing development were often unclear, failing to balance environmental, economic and social needs.

What key factors are critical for achieving balanced and sustainable development in protected areas?

Sustainable development within protected areas hinges on prioritizing environmental objectives without neglecting economic and social goals. Ecosystem management, as recognized by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), is crucial for balanced responses to natural resource management, meeting both ecological and human needs. Recognizing the importance of these areas and biodiversity preservation is essential for adapting to climate change.

How can integrated strategies improve the management and development of protected areas?

Integrated and systematic strategies for regional and spatial development are essential. This includes addressing current deficiencies in managing systems and development within individual protected areas to promote biodiversity and broader environmental protection. Prioritizing and activating development potential facilitates the conservation of biodiversity and broader environmental protection.

What are the specific threats to biodiversity in highly forested countries and how can sustainable management address them?

Forests covering over 60% of the land, as seen in countries like Slovenia, face threats such as depopulation and overgrowth, leading to landscape, ecosystem, habitat, and species diversity loss. Sustainable management of these areas involves balancing nature conservation with cultural landscape preservation and unique settlement patterns, requiring tailored regional development strategies aligned with protection regimes to avoid these negative impacts.