1 International Consultant for Dong Van Karst Plateau Global Geo-Park
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International Consultant for Dong Van Karst Plateau Global Geo-Park Planning, Ha Giang Province Until 2030 Appraisal, Initial Orientation, and Preliminary Recommendations Dr. James H. Spencer President and Founder: Third Rock Development, LLC Professor of City & Regional Planning, Clemson University [email protected] Dr. Robert B. Powell Associate Professor of Parks, Recreation and Tourism Development Director, Clemson University Institute for Parks Clemson University Dr. Mai T. Nguyen Associate Professor of City & Regional Planning, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Dr. Timothy F. Green Assistant Professor of City & Regional Planning, Clemson University 1 Task #1: Provide International Experiences and Lessons About Sustainable Exploitation to Develop the Global GeoParks, Especially those Parks of Cultural Geology, Geological Science, and Bio-Geology _____________________________________________________________ Introduction Designated in 2009, Dong Van Karst Plateau International Geopark is located in northern Vietnam in the Ha Giang province. Currently an extensive planning process is being undertaken to ensure the long-term protection of the Dong Van Karst Plateau International Geopark while also developing opportunities for sustained regional economic development through tourism. A Geopark is a geographical area intended to integrate the preservation of geological heritage, biodiversity, and cultural resources with a strategy for regional sustainable socio- economic and cultural development through tourism. According to the Global Geopark Network (GGN), Geoparks that are part of the GGN: 1) Preserve geological heritage for present and future generations 2) Educate the broad public about issues in geological sciences and their relation with environmental matters 3) Ensure sustainable socio-economic and cultural development 4) Foster multi-cultural bridges for heritage and conservation and the maintenance of geological and cultural diversity, using participatory schemes and co-partnership 5) Stimulate research 6) Contribute actively to the life of the Network through joint collaborative initiatives (e.g. communication, publications, exchange of information, twinning, participation in meetings, common projects) 7) Contribute articles to the GGN Newsletters, books and other publications. (GGN website) Every 4 years, member Geoparks must conduct an internal review to assess performance and achievement of the GGN criteria. This review is based on a progress report prepared by the designated management body of the Geopark as well as an external review performed by an UNESCO expert review team. If the complete review meets the GGN standards the Geopark will maintain membership for 4 additional years. If the criteria are not met, the Geopark has 2 years to address deficiencies or it may be removed from Global Geopark Membership. Vision The vision for the Dong Van Karst Plateau International Geopark master planning efforts is to preserve, improve, and promote the values associated with the area while promoting regional economic development. In particular, the objectives of the plan are to: 2 1. Conserve, improve and maintain the geological, biological, and cultural assets and values associated with Dong Van Karst Plateau International Geopark. 2. Develop the Geopark so it may support sustainable tourism development and act as a permanent engine for regional economic development. 3. Promote scientific research, education, and preservation focused on the interdependence of geological, cultural, and historical values (assets), and biological diversity. Sustainable Development: The United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development suggests that sustainable development is composed of four broad themes inspired by the Brundtland definition of sustainable development. The themes of Social Capacity, Environmental Health, Economic Development and Growth, and Effective Governance are thought to be interrelated, interdependent, and all necessary to achieve sustainable development (United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development, 1996, p.21). Below is a list of the four themes of sustainable development and their abbreviated definition. 1 Environmental Health: Ecological Function and Aesthetic (natural and built environment) 2 Social Capacity and Equity: Education and access to participate in the economy 3 Effective Governance: Efficient and transparent governmental framework (policies, laws, regulations, and enforcement) to support environmental health, social capacity, and a healthy economy. 4 Economic Health: An economy that provides intergenerational opportunities and benefits 3 Resilience: Although the concept of sustainable development acknowledges complexity and interconnectedness, there is no mention of the dynamism of any park, community, ecosystem, or economy. Because change should be thought of as inevitable, all systems must therefore be resilient, or in other words be robust enough to adapt or resist things such as climate change, drought, the price of oil, etc. if they are to provide sustainable benefits. Resilience, which is often applied to the study of disasters, is defined as “the capacity of a system, community, society, [institution, or environment] to adapt, [change, or resist when exposed to external forces] in order to reach and maintain an acceptable level of function and structure”(United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction, 2004). The amount of resilience a system contains is determined by the degree to which a system is capable of re-organizing itself by learning and adapting to meet current and future chronic or acute events and challenges. When attempting to improve the resilience of a park/community/region, four interrelated themes again must be addressed: economic health, environment health, social capacity, and governance. Similar to the conceptualization of sustainable development, the interrelationship and reliance on each of these themes fully functioning must be recognized, embraced, and further strengthened if a park or community is to be resilient to inevitable external and internal forces. Recent park and protected area research suggest that each theme of resilience can be supported by the following actions (e.g., Powell, et. al. 2009): 1 Economic Health: Diversify (products and markets), Innovate, Plan, Partner 2 Environmental Health: Protect diversity; Improve health and function; Mitigate impacts; Manage development; and Improve flows of traffic, energy, and resources. 3 Social Capacity: Educate and Train the population for future opportunities. 4 Effective Governance: Promote partnerships and collaboration, Build capacity, Share power, Efficiently enforce, Communicate, and Foster learning within organizations Assumptions underlying Geopark management and tourism: If a Geopark is going to produce sustained economic benefits through tourism, then management and policies must preserve and conserve the geological, biological, and cultural assets, which originally made the area suitable for designation as well as a vibrant tourism destination. It should be noted that tourism is a service industry comprised of transportation, hospitality, and support services. The tourism industry also sells more intangible elements, or in other words, the promise of certain benefits such as: rest and relaxation, culture, escape, adventure, and exotic experiences. 1. Tangible elements: - The attraction—natural environment, architecture, and activities - Transport systems 4 - Hospitality services—accommodation, food and beverages, tours, souvenirs - Support services—banking, insurance, and safety and security. 2. Intangible elements: - The characteristics and benefits: rest and relaxation, culture, escape, adventure, new and different experiences. Tourism is reliant on, and in fact sells, an attractive, healthy natural and built environment and a diverse local culture with the capacity to participate in the economy. However, as a tourism destination becomes successful, the associated development and impacts of tourism have the potential of destroying what originally made a destination attractive without effective and visionary management. Butler in his article The Concept of a Tourist Area Cycle of Evolution (1980) explains the concept of tourism destination development as a process of six stages (Figure 1). The cycle begins with the exploration stage characterized by small numbers of tourists and few social or environmental impacts (Butler, 1980). The cycle progresses through involvement, development, consolidation, and then stagnation denoted by overdevelopment, resource degradation and a subsequent decline in tourism (Butler, 1980) without active management of tourism/park resources. Dong Van Global GeoPark is now in the involvement phase of development and with the employment of effective urban and regional planning combined with protected area management principles it is believed that Dong Van Global GeoPark will be an economic engine for the next 100 years. Destination Lifecycle “Tourist attractions are not infinite and timeless, but should be viewed and treated as finite and possibly nonrenewable resources” (Butler, 1980, p.11). In an effort to highlight these protected area management principles that will support the long-term sustainability of Dong Van Karst Plateau Geopark and assist in the meeting of the 5 Global Geopark Network criteria, the following section will highlight Best Management Practices organized by GGN principles/criteria. It is believed that following these