Multifunctionality in National Parks(UK)_ Stockdale

Under criteria established by the IUCN in 1994, the term ‘national park’ is reserved for those areas which share the concerns of nature conservation and recreation. 


These areas are referred to as Category II (Table 1) areas and are defined as:

“A natural area of land and/or sea, designated to (a) protect the ecological integrity of one or more ecosystems for present and future generations, (b) exclude exploitation or occupation inimical to the purposes of designation of the area, and (c) provide a foundation for spiritual, scientific, educational, recreational and visitor opportunities, all of which must be environmentally and culturally compatible” (IUCN, 1994).

Table 1. Protected Area Categories (IUCN—The World Conservation Union, 1994)

Category, Name, Definition
I a, Strict nature reserve, Managed mainly for science
I b, Wilderness area, Managed mainly for wilderness protection
II, National park, Managed mainly for ecosystem protection and recreation
III, Natural monument, Managed mainly for conservation of specific natural features
IV, Habitat/species management area, Managed mainly for conservation through management intervention
V, Protected landscape/seascape, Managed mainly for landscape/seascape conservation and recreation
VI, Managed resource protected area, Managed mainly for the sustainable use of natural ecosystems

Clearly, such a definition affords little scope for the development of national parks in the UK. Most of the UK environment is heavily modified and has long been the basis for commercial resource use activity. On this basis, national parks in the UK have deviated from the strict definitions offered by the IUCN. In Scotland in particular, national parks have evolved as mechanisms for balancing conservation and recreation with local development. Although this approach falls short of the criteria for Category II protected areas, Scottish national parks do accord with the principles established for Category V areas. These are defined as ‘landscapes’ or ‘seascapes’ where:

“. the interaction of people and nature over time has produced an area of distinct character with significant aesthetic, ecological and/or cultural value, and often with high biological diversity” (IUCN, 1994).

The Category V approach has developed in response to both the emergence of sustainable development as a paradigm for protected area management and increased awareness of the ‘dynamic’ nature of working landscapes. Here, landscapes are seen to merit special protection because they encapsulate the co-evolution of society and nature (Brown et al., 2005). According to Phillips (2005) and Phillips and Clarke (1996) this co-existence has generated many of the world's most valued landscapes. Such areas display not only key aspects of biological and ecological significance but are also of fundamental cultural importance. Preserving the integrity of landscape areas must therefore be based on an appreciation of the role of local communities in the processes of landscape change.

In recognition of the contribution that the Category V approach can make towards sustainable development, the IUCN (2002) has published a series of sustainable development guidelines specifically relating to Category V designations. Two important themes emerge from these guidelines. First, they seek to advance management activity at the interface between people and nature by acknowledging that concentrating management effort at the point of interaction between people and place can reduce conflict. Second, the guidelines recommend the development of inter-agency partnerships and emphasise the role of local communities within protected areas. In particular, they stress the need for community empowerment and co-management. 

Stockdale, A. & Barker, A. 2009. Sustainability and the multifunctional landscape: an assessment of approaches to planning and management in the Cairngorms National Park. Land Use Policy 26(2):479–492.