Wilder Parks launch: a leap forward for Europe’s protected areas – Rewilding Europe

Report on the Wilder Parks Initiative and its Contribution to Sustainable Development Goals

A new conservation program, the Wilder Parks initiative, has been launched to enhance the ecological value of Europe’s protected areas through rewilding. This report outlines the initiative’s objectives, strategy, and significant alignment with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Core Objectives and Strategic Alignment with SDGs

The Wilder Parks initiative, a partnership led by Rewilding Europe, aims to restore natural processes across a network of protected areas. This strategy directly supports several key SDGs by fostering biodiversity, combating climate change, and promoting sustainable economic development.

SDG 15: Life on Land and SDG 14: Life Below Water

The initiative’s primary focus is the restoration of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, directly addressing the targets of SDG 15 and SDG 14.

• Ecosystem Restoration: By giving more space to natural processes like free-flowing rivers and natural grazing, the initiative seeks to heal degraded landscapes and restore the complex food webs characteristic of healthy ecosystems.
• Biodiversity Conservation: Key actions include the reintroduction of keystone species and population enhancement, which are critical for halting biodiversity loss.
• Geographic Scope: The initial phase involves 10 pioneer parks, spanning nearly 790,000 hectares of land and sea from Ireland to Georgia, demonstrating a continent-wide commitment to ecosystem health.

SDG 13: Climate Action

Rewilding is a potent nature-based solution for climate change mitigation and adaptation, making the initiative a key contributor to SDG 13.

• Carbon Sequestration: The restoration of forests, grasslands, and wetlands enhances their capacity to act as natural carbon sinks.
• Ecosystem Resilience: Functional, resilient ecosystems are better equipped to withstand the impacts of climate change, thereby protecting both nature and human communities.

SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

The initiative is designed to generate socio-economic benefits for local communities, aligning with the principles of SDG 8.

• Nature-Based Economies: The development of sustainable, nature-based tourism is a core component, creating economic opportunities that are dependent on healthy ecosystems.
• Community Co-prosperity: The program aims to foster a model where people and nature can thrive together, ensuring that conservation efforts support local livelihoods.

Implementation and Strategic Partnerships

The initiative employs a phased, partnership-driven approach to achieve systemic change in protected area management across Europe.

Phased Rollout and Scalability

1. Pioneer Phase (to 2030): The first 10 “Wilder Parks” will serve as showcases, developing tailor-made action plans to demonstrate the effectiveness of rewilding.
2. Expansion Phase (from 2027): Building on the success of the initial cohort, additional protected areas will be invited to join the initiative.
3. Systemic Integration: The long-term goal is to integrate rewilding principles into the management of Europe’s entire protected area network, which includes over 120,000 sites.

Contribution to Policy and SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

Collaboration is fundamental to the initiative’s success, embodying the spirit of SDG 17.

• Strategic Alliances: The program involves partnerships between Rewilding Europe, individual park authorities, and umbrella organizations such as the EUROPARC Federation.
• Policy Influence: By demonstrating tangible results, the initiative aims to support policy change and national planning, helping EU Member States meet obligations under frameworks like the Nature Restoration Law.
• Call for Support: The initiative actively seeks financial partners and donors to scale its impact, highlighting the need for multi-stakeholder collaboration to achieve global goals.

Analysis of the Wilder Parks Initiative and its Connection to Sustainable Development Goals

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

The article on the Wilder Parks initiative addresses several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through its focus on ecosystem restoration, biodiversity protection, climate action, and collaborative partnerships. The primary SDGs identified are:

• SDG 15: Life on Land: This is the most central SDG to the article. The initiative’s core mission is to “protecting wildlife and habitats,” “restore ecosystems,” and “accelerate nature recovery” through rewilding. It specifically mentions rewilding forests and grasslands, and the reintroduction of keystone species, all of which are key components of protecting and restoring terrestrial ecosystems.
• SDG 13: Climate Action: The article explicitly states that the initiative aims to amplify benefits for “climate” and help “address our biodiversity and climate crises.” Ecosystem restoration, particularly of forests and wetlands, is a critical nature-based solution for mitigating climate change by sequestering carbon and enhancing resilience to climate impacts.
• SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals: The initiative is founded on collaboration. The article highlights the partnership between Rewilding Europe and protected areas, the goal to “strengthen international partnerships,” collaboration with strategic partners like the EUROPARC Federation, and the call for financial partners and donors. This multi-stakeholder approach is the essence of SDG 17.
• SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation: The initiative’s activities include “rewilding… rivers” and restoring “the free flow of water.” These actions directly contribute to the protection and restoration of water-related ecosystems, which is a key aspect of SDG 6.
• SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth: The article points to the socio-economic benefits of rewilding, including the “development of nature-based tourism.” This creates opportunities for sustainable economic activities and jobs for local communities, aligning with the goal of promoting sustainable tourism.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

Based on the activities and goals described in the article, several specific SDG targets can be identified:

1. Target 15.1: By 2020, ensure the conservation, restoration and sustainable use of terrestrial and inland freshwater ecosystems and their services, in particular forests, wetlands, mountains and drylands. The initiative’s plan to rewild “forests, rivers, and grasslands” across nearly 790,000 hectares is a direct action towards this target.
2. Target 15.5: Take urgent and significant action to reduce the degradation of natural habitats, halt the loss of biodiversity and, by 2020, protect and prevent the extinction of threatened species. The focus on restoring “complex food webs,” “population enhancement and reintroduction of keystone species,” and promoting “human-wildlife co-existence” directly addresses this target.
3. Target 15.9: By 2020, integrate ecosystem and biodiversity values into national and local planning, development processes, poverty reduction strategies and accounts. The article mentions supporting “policy change, national planning” and helping EU Member States meet the obligations of the Nature Restoration Law, which aligns with integrating biodiversity values into policy.
4. Target 6.6: By 2020, protect and restore water-related ecosystems, including mountains, forests, wetlands, rivers, aquifers and lakes. The specific mention of measures to ensure the “free flow of water” and the “rewilding of rivers” directly contributes to this target.
5. Target 8.9: By 2030, devise and implement policies to promote sustainable tourism that creates jobs and promotes local culture and products. The stated goal of developing “nature-based tourism” to deliver “socio-economic benefits to local communities” is a clear link to this target.
6. Target 17.17: Encourage and promote effective public, public-private and civil society partnerships, building on the experience and resourcing strategies of partnerships. The Wilder Parks initiative is a prime example of such a partnership, involving an NGO (Rewilding Europe), public bodies (protected areas), and private foundations (ForestPeace Foundation, Arcadia).

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

The article implies several quantitative and qualitative indicators that can be used to track the progress of the Wilder Parks initiative:

• Area of ecosystems under restoration: The article specifies a clear quantitative indicator by stating the goal is to “scale up rewilding across nearly 790,000 hectares of land and sea.” This directly measures progress towards Target 15.1.
• Number of participating protected areas: The initiative’s growth can be measured by the number of parks involved. It starts with “10 protected areas” and plans for “additional protected areas” to join in 2027. This serves as an indicator of the initiative’s scale and influence.
• Species population and reintroduction success: For Target 15.5, progress can be measured by tracking the “population enhancement and reintroduction of keystone species.” Indicators would include the number of species reintroduced and the health and size of their populations over time.
• Development of nature-based tourism: While not quantified, the “development of nature-based tourism” can be measured. Implied indicators include the number of tourism-related jobs created, revenue generated from tourism for local communities, and the number of visitors to the Wilder Parks. This relates to Target 8.9.
• Number and strength of partnerships: An indicator for Target 17.17 is the number of active partners. The article names several founding partners (Rewilding Europe, 10 parks, EUROPARC Federation, and three financial donors), and progress can be measured by the number of new financial and strategic partners that join the initiative.

4. Summary Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: rewildingeurope.com