Implementing an international mountain convention An approach for the delimitation of the Carpathian Convention area European Accademy of Bolzano Institute for Regional Development Bolzano, February 2006 Authors: Flavio V. Ruffini, Thomas Streifeneder & Beatrice Eiselt European Academy Bozen/Bolzano (EURAC-Research) Institute for Regional Development Viale Druso 1 I-39100 Bolzano/Bozen (Italy) In collaboration with: Harald Egerer United Nations Environment Programme - Vienna Interim Secretariat of the Carpathian Convention UNEP Vienna - ISCC Programme Officer, Natural Resources Vienna International Center PO Box 500, A-1400 Vienna (Austria) Luca Cetara, Pier Carlo Sandei & Egizia Ventura, Coordination Unit “Alpine Convention – International Mountain Agreement/IMA”, European Academy Bozen/Bolzano (EURAC-Research) Viale Druso 1 I-39100 Bolzano/Bozen (Italy) English Editor: April Siegwolf Zurzacherstr. 234 CH-5200 Brugg (Switzerland) Cover Design: Studio Mediamacs Wolfgang Töchterle Via Perathoner-Str. 31 I-39100 Bolzano/Bozen (Italy) Printed by: La Bodoniana; I-39100 Bolzano/Bozen (Italy) Citation: Flavio V. Ruffini, Thomas Streifeneder & Beatrice Eiselt (2006): Implementing an international mountain convention – An approach for the delimitation of the Carpathian Convention area. European Accademy, Bolzano/Bozen. ISBN 88-99906-20-7 © EURAC-Research, 2006 Bolzano, February 2006 CONTENTS Contents...............................................................................................................................................1 Tables...................................................................................................................................................3 Figures .................................................................................................................................................5 Abbreviations ......................................................................................................................................9 Preface ...............................................................................................................................................11 1 Introduction.................................................................................................................................15 1.1 The Carpathian mountains...................................................................................................15 1.2 Aim and structure of the report.............................................................................................16 2 Approach and methodology of the study.................................................................................17 2.1 Objective of the study...........................................................................................................17 2.2 The approach .......................................................................................................................17 2.3 The Study Area ....................................................................................................................19 3 The Framework Convention of the Carpathians......................................................................21 3.1 Background and objectives ..................................................................................................21 3.2 Scope of application.............................................................................................................22 4 The Carpathians: Existing delimitations ..................................................................................25 4.1 The Carpathians delimited by the Convention Countries.....................................................25 4.2 Ecological delimitations........................................................................................................27 4.2.1 The Carpathian Ecoregion .......................................................................................27 4.2.2 The bio-geographical regions of Europe ..................................................................28 4.2.3 The European ecological regions.............................................................................28 4.3 National delimitations of the Carpathians.............................................................................31 4.3.1 National Proposals for the scope of application .......................................................31 4.3.2 Mountain laws of the Carpathian Countries .............................................................40 4.3.3 Romanian orographic units ......................................................................................42 5 Basics for a transnational delimitation.....................................................................................43 5.1 Introduction ..........................................................................................................................43 5.2 Principles of the Carpathian Convention: Starting point for the delimitation ........................43 5.3 Defining the mountain area ..................................................................................................44 5.3.1 Mountain delimitations in the Alps............................................................................46 5.3.2 Transnational mountain delimitations.......................................................................50 5.3.3 Conclusions and implications for the Carpathian delimitation ..................................52 5.4 Nature protection..................................................................................................................54 5.4.1 Basic strategies ........................................................................................................54 5.4.2 Nature protection in the Carpathians........................................................................55 5.4.3 Conclusions and implications for the Carpathian delimitation ..................................57 5.5 Natural landscape aspects: Geology and orography ...........................................................61 5.5.1 Geology ....................................................................................................................61 5.5.2 Orography ................................................................................................................62 5.5.3 Conclusions..............................................................................................................63 5.6 River basin management .....................................................................................................64 5.6.1 Basic principles ........................................................................................................64 5.6.2 River basin management and delimitation of the convention area...........................64 5.6.3 Conclusions..............................................................................................................66 EURAC Research & UNEP 1 Contents 5.7 Rural Development.............................................................................................................. 68 5.7.1 International framework guidelines .......................................................................... 69 5.7.2 Measuring rurality on a large scale.......................................................................... 70 5.7.3 Rural development in the Carpathians .................................................................... 71 5.7.4 Conclusions ............................................................................................................. 74 5.8 Aspects of functionality and implementation of the Carpathian Convention........................ 76 6 Analysis of existing delimitations ............................................................................................ 77 6.1 Basic aspects of the analysis .............................................................................................. 77 6.2 Mountain delimitations......................................................................................................... 77 6.3 Ecologically important areas................................................................................................ 81 6.4 Geological aspects ..............................................................................................................88 6.5 Regional development......................................................................................................... 89 7 Delimiting the convention area: A possible approach ........................................................... 91 7.1 Preliminary considerations .................................................................................................. 91 7.2 Important principles for the delimitation of the convention area .......................................... 91 7.3 The proposed procedure for the delimitation of the convention area .................................. 93 7.3.1 Level one: The rough draft delimitation of the area ................................................. 94 7.3.2 Level two: Fine-tuning.............................................................................................. 99 7.4 Analysis of the results........................................................................................................ 104 7.5 Concluding remarks........................................................................................................... 106 8 References...............................................................................................................................