Natural Urban Parks (PANU)

The Urban Natural Parks (PANU) constitute a new category of management of Protected Wildlife Areas in Costa Rica. The PANU focus conservation strategies in urban areas that have experienced unplanned urban growth. This new management category arises from the identified need to include in the national protection scheme, vulnerable and degraded areas not included in the solid system of protected wildlife areas that comprises ten management categories. Therefore, the country identified the need for a management category specifically designed to address the main conservation challenges in the cities. In February 2021, Executive Decree No. 42742 "Creation and regulation of the management category called Urban Natural Parks (PANU), and a National Program for its promotion and implementation" was signed and published in Scope 57 of the Official Gazette La Gaceta No. 53 of March 17 of the same year. The PANU are a new management category and are defined as "geographic areas located within urban areas, which possess terrestrial and coastal ecosystems of scenic, biological, recreational and ecotourism value, whose importance lies in the need to protect and conserve their biodiversity". The Urban Natural Park category stimulates the promotion of tourism, generating green jobs associated with this activity. In addition, it broadens the benefits of green spaces by boosting the local economy with low-impact productive activities as well as improving the provision of ecosystem services to citizens.

Overview

Type of instrument:

Legislative, regulatory and strategic instruments›Dedicated strategy, plan, or law

Challenges addressed

Ecologic connectivity
Soil quality
Water management (e.g. reuse)
Green space management (e.g. accessibility)
Watershed restoration/water quality
Drought and fire risk
Flood risk: pluvial and fluvial / soil permeability
Heat stress and heat island effect
Landslide risk
Air quality
Noise
Social cohesion
Social equity
Nature appropriation / stewardship
Reconnection to the biosphere / environmental education
Human health, comfort and well-being

Consideration of nature-based solutions:

The objectives of the establishment of this new management category are: (a) preservation of remnant natural ecosystems, especially those poorly represented in other management categories. b) carbon sequestration c) recreation and ecotourism d) promoting biological connectivity with the city's green fabric, as well as with urban rivers e) restoration, conservation, and maintenance of ecosystem services for the enjoyment of inhabitants and visitors f) scientific research on biodiversity and premontane ecosystems g) scientific research for the adaptation of cities to the effects of climate change. of climate change h) prevention of natural disaster risk in urban areas i) boosting the local economy by promoting low-impact productive activities in the low impact productive activities, within the framework of the green economy, that promote conservation, the primacy of biodiversity, and local development. local development Because they are a management category, the PANUs are required to have management plans. This will allow for quantitative data on reforestation, species, air quality, water quality, etc., to be available in the future.)

Targeted (peri-)urban areas:

Parks and (semi)natural urban green areas

Green areas for water management

Urban green space connected to grey infrastructure

Other

Good practice characteristics:

Multifunctional NBS support

Sustainable in the long-term

Locally appropriate

Potential to be replicated / upscaled

Innovative

Policy business case

Governance

Government body/bodies

Initiating body:

Ministry of the Environment and Energy, National System of Conservation Areas, United Nations Development Program

Instrument design:

Details about how the instrument was designed:

The creation of the instrument arises as a need to comply with the various international commitments on environmental issues and also as an alternative for the country to have a greater amount of green space with public access as well as improvements in connectivity. The instrument was designed by the Ministry of Environment and Energy and the National System of Conservation Areas (SINAC) with the support of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP).

Involvement of non-governmental actors:

Citizens or community groups / NGOs

Type of actor involvement:

Co-planning or co-design of instrument (e.g. boards, advisory role)

Instrument implementation:

Type of involvement:

The country is in the process of analyzing multiple public and private urban green spaces in order to assign them the category of PANU. In addition, SINAC and other stakeholders (local governments, private companies, NGOs) are in the process of building the National Urban Parks Program, which will be responsible for approving the requirements for a specific piece of land to be subject to this management regime. The PANU are a strategy born from the State so that the non-governmental sector can become directly involved in the conservation of ecosystems in urban areas by submitting private properties to this management category.

Type of non-governmental actors involved:

Implementation of NBS (e.g. with government funds)

Citizen monitoring and review

Citizen science

Targeted actors:

Public sector institution (e.g. school or hospital)

Private: household, real estate developer, business , financial

Researchers, university

Citizens or community groups (CBOs), NGOs, NGOs, etc.

Financing

Sources of funding:

Public national budget

Corporate investment

Funds provided by non-governmental organization

Private Foundation

Budget:

Unknown

Details about instrument financing:

The proposal envisions the creation of incentives at the municipal level as a partial or total reduction of municipal services. Local governments will be able to establish incentive incentives, in accordance with their competencies and current legal framework, with the purpose of promote the voluntary adhesion of private properties to the management category of Urban Natural Parks (PAN). Natural Urban Parks (PANU). MINAE and other State entities may develop new incentive schemes, as well as apply existing ones, in order to promote the voluntary adhesion of private properties to the management category of Urban Natural Parks (PANU). incentives, as well as apply existing ones, when appropriate.

Monitoring, evaluation and impacts

Is a monitoring framework in place?:

Yes

SINAC will be in charge of the monitoring of the UUPNs and will manage the territory where the UUPN is located. SINAC must apply a long-term strategic vision to meet the country's conservation objectives. The frequency of monitoring is in the process of being defined.

Did an evaluation take place?:

Yes

In process of definition (annual or semiannual follow-up).

Achieved outcomes and impacts:

Protect vegetation patterns or other biological features through management approaches. Protecting habitat fragments as elements Develop environmental education and appreciation for relevant species and ecosystems. species and ecosystems Provide green environments for people living in the city to regularly enjoy nature

Success factors and lessons learned:

Although there have been protected wilderness areas for several decades, which today can be defined as urban protected areas, they were created under more general management categories, mainly Protected Zones, in what is now the Greater Metropolitan Area (GAM). Costa Rica's protected areas are located in rural areas and the guidelines applied to them are incompatible with the urban reality. It is necessary to have clear guidelines that define efficient governance models that actively involve local governments, private landowners and organized community groups and establish attractive incentives to consolidate the figure. This is why the country identified the need for a management category specifically designed to address the main challenges of conservation in cities.

Sources and further information

References

List of references:

Creation and Regulation of the management category called Natural Urban Parks (PANU) and of a national program for its promotion and implementation. Decree 42742 of Feb 24, 2021, published in Gazette 53 Scope 57 of March 17, 2021. Available at http://www.pgrweb.go.cr/scij/Busqueda/Normativa/Normas/nrm_texto_completo.aspx?param1=NRTC&nValor1=1&nValor2=93919&nValor3=124840&strTipM=TC (Accessed June 24, 2022). Biodiversity Law 7788. Published on April 30, 1998 in La Gaceta 101 of May 27, 1998. Available at http://www.pgrweb.go.cr/scij/Busqueda/Normativa/Normas/nrm_texto_completo.aspx?param1=NRTC&nValor1=1&nValor2=39796&nValor3=0&strTipM=TC . (Accessed June 24, 2022) Ministerio de Ambiente , Energía y Telecomuniciones ( 2015) Política Nacional de Biodiversidad 2015-2030 San José Available at https://www.conagebio.go.cr/Conagebio/public/documentos/POLITICA-NACIONAL-DE-BIODIVERSIDAD-2015.pdf . Accessed June 24, 2022

Photos

G Pucci 2020