Management Assessment in Karst Areas

Author

Elery Hamilton-Smith

Files

Publication Date

2002

Publication Title

Act Carsologica

Volume Number

31

Issue Number

1

Abstract

The key management responsibility in World Heritage Areas is a two-fold one of preserving environmental integrity and quality while at the same time providing for broad-scale public access. Although there is some ambiguity in this mandate, there is no question that these two elements of management are complementary, and that one cannot fully assess one without consideration of the other. This leads to the key question of how management is able to meet the responsibility of this mandate. This paper reviews and assesses various conceptual approaches that have been or might be utilised. These include various visitor impact control schemes generally of U.S. origin; the three faceted (environmental /social /economic) sustainability approach and risk management strategies. This paper concludes that each karst area management agency must develop an on- going assessment plan that both deals with broad-scale issues while also meeting the distinctive challenges which are endemic to their own situation. Any of the approaches discussed may make a contribution to any one such plan.

Keywords

Karstology, Karst management

Document Type

Article

Language

English and Slovenian

Identifier

K26-00144

Recommended Citation

Hamilton-Smith, Elery, "Management Assessment in Karst Areas" (2002). KIP Articles. 34.
https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/kip_articles/34