Aquatic environment protection in protected areas: a comparative study

• Main Author: Spyksma, John Randall
• Format: Others
• Language: English
• Published: 2009
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/2429/3718

Protected areas are established to preserve representative natural ecosystems and pristine environments and to provide opportunities for recreation. Water is critical to ecological processes and so must be an important factor in protected area management. Despite the importance of water to protected area integrity, the protection of the aquatic environment has been given very little consideration when compared to terrestrial environments. This lack of consideration for the management and protection of the aquatic environment is evident in the protected areas of British Columbia and Thailand. Methods have been developed to help ensure the protection of the environments within protected areas. These methods fall short of giving the aquatic environment due consideration. In addition, managers have very little guidance or mandate to address external threats to the aquatic environment within protected areas. This deficiency is critical as external threats to protected areas will continue to intensify. Recommendations are made to improve the protection of the aquatic environment within and entering protected areas. These recommendations include the improved use of present protection activities such as use permits, visitor management, and general management planning. In addition, more comprehensive land use planning, the use of public trust and instream flow legislation, and possible corridor protection programs are examined to improve the protection of the aquatic environment in protected areas. Monitoring plays an important role in the protection of the aquatic environment in protected areas, but was lacking in Thailand. Monitoring efforts in B.C. protected areas could benefit from increased coordination. A framework is developed to guide protected area managers in the development of aquatic environment monitoring programs. === Forestry, Faculty of === Graduate