Nature protection and biodiversity - National Responses (Austria)

Austria has ratified all the relevant international conventions on nature and landscape conservation. A national strategy has been developed to implement the Convention on Biological Diversity.

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Conservation areas

Around 27% of the territory of Austria is protected under nature conservation legislation: 16% is strictly protected as Natura 2000 sites, national parks or nature conservation areas, while 11% comprises less strictly protected sites, such as landscape conservation areas.

     Any overlapping conservation areas in different categories are not included in the table.

    Legally registered Natura 2000 sites; Austria has, however, nominated a total of 218 Natura 2000 sites.

Management plans have been established or are being developed for a majority of Natura 2000 sites with a view to conserving and improving their habitats and species. Various management measures financed through the EU's LIFENature programme (now LIFE) have been put in place at some of the Natura 2000 sites (www.lifenatur.at). Farmers are granted compensation payments for specific services contracted with nature reserve authorities (Nouak & Obermayr 2005).

Habitat and species conservation programmes

A large number of species and habitat conservation programmes are being carried out in Austria. The species and habitats concerned have been prioritised using Red List criteria for targeting in the future. A priority list for vertebrates has already been published (NATURSCHUTZBUND sterreich 2008).

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These lists form the basis for conservation projects which are being carried out as part of the national 2010 biodiversity campaign vielfaltleben (www.vielfaltleben.at). For particularly rare species, such as the wildcat, the alpine longhorn beetle and the sea eagle, conservation projects were started or stepped up in 2009. The population of European otters has been increased through conservation programmes, while the situation of the great bustard and the roller has been stabilised (Kollar 2001).

Austrian Rural Development Programme

The Austrian AgriEnvironmental Programme (PUL) plays a major role in conserving biodiversity. Agrienvironmental measures and ecological forestry measures promote management methods which protect biodiversity. There is support for measures to conserve a diverse cultivated landscape across some 10% of the land in agricultural use (Fiala 2009b).

Natural Forest Reserve Programme

This programme allows the state to make private contracts with forestry owners. The aim is to develop a representative network with all of Austria's forest associations. There are currently 200 natural forest reserves.

Publicity 

A lot of initiatives and projects are carried out in order to raise greater public awareness of biodiversity issues, e.g. brochures, excursions and press releases.

In 2009 the Ministry of Life launched the biodiversity campaign 'vielfaltleben' (www.vielfaltleben.at). This is Austria's biggest species conservation campaign to date and is designed to bring about major improvements in the situations of the most endangered animal and plant species and biotope types. Conservation projects are being carried out in selected regions and habitats.

Increasing awareness of biodiversity and nature conservation is seen as an important factor. The monitoring of selected plant species by farmers plays a major role in promoting this. (http://www.oekl.at/stories/storyReader$698)

Links & References