Workshop “Making an Impact: Putting protected areas at the heart of EU policies for the sustainable development of regions and cities”

Protected Areas were established to protect and preserve biodiversity and the ecosystem services they provide us, however, that doesn’t make Protected Areas places where human activities are not allowed, in fact, during our whole history, those

human activities have created and shaped the landscapes and ecosystems we see, enjoy and that still today provide us with food, freshwater, and spaces to relax and reconnect with nature.

There are so many human activities that if well-managed can grant benefits for both ecosystems and society: such as creation of green-jobs. That is the aim of the project IMPACT #InterregEurope. To create innovative models for Protected Areas. Thank to the project, many examples of good practices on sustainable development have yet been recorded.

For the European Week of Regions and Cities, we will answer to the question…

What can protected areas do to promote sustainable development in both regions and cities?

During this workshop, we will share the best good practices of IMPACT #Interreg Europe, putting Protected Areas as engines of regional sustainable development. We will hear about innovative ways to involve local stakeholders in socioeconomic activities. We will also learn about a successful protocol to promote sustainable tourism in protected areas. Lastly, we will discover how a Periurban Protected Area can play a decisive role in several EU policies to promote sustainability in urban regions.

The workshop will be followed by a networking session during which the IMPACT partners will share their best good practices and we will further discuss this topic.

Speakers: Jean-Marc Dujardin, Teresa Pastor, Stefania Petrosillo, Javier Soto Vázquez

Partner/s: EUCC – Baltic office, EUROPARC Federation, Espaces Naturels Régionaux, National Institute for Research and Development in Tourism of Romania, Regione Molise

Don’t miss the date, Free registrations are open!

8th of October 2019 – Building SQUARE – Brussels Convention Centre, Room Hall 300

Workshop web here, registrations and further information about the European Week of Regions and Cities also available in the official Website.