Bioregional Planning
Bioregional planning is a planning process that seeks to preserve the integrity of a bioregion rather than a political or administrative unit. [1]
Bioregional planning emphasises the integration of social, economic and ecological factors in regional planning and management, and seeks to bring all stakeholders together through a participatory process to develop and implement a dynamic plan for a bioregion. [2]
Some of the key characteristics of a bioregional approach to planning include:
- large, biotically viable regions (ranging from 1,000 to 1,000,000 square kilometres);
- a structure that features one or more core zones or protected areas and interconnecting corridors, all lying within a matrix of mixed land use and ownership that contains resources and the potential for investments and management that foreshadow economic sustainability;
- full involvement of stakeholders, leading to plans that are socially acceptable;
- information on which the plan is based is scientifically robust;
- research and monitoring activities are geared to supporting decision making functions, shifting technologies and practice towards sustainability;
- the process is adaptive and supports adaptive management approaches;
- impoverished habitats are restored;
- public agencies and private interests cooperate to utilise available skills and to build capacity as needed by the group;
- efforts are made to horizontally integrate public agency programs, capacities and budgets and to vertically integrate the various layers of government; and
- interest in cooperating with other similar programs internationally. [3]
References:
[1] Park, C. (Ed.) (2007). A Dictionary of Environment and Conservation. Oxford University Press.
[2] Philips, J. (1995). APPROACHES TO BIOREGIONAL PLANNING – Part One. In R. Breckwoldt (Ed.), Approaches to bioregional planning. Part 1. Proceedings of the conference, 30 Oct-1 Nov 1995, Melbourne. Melbourne.
[3] Miller, K. (1995). APPROACHES TO BIOREGIONAL PLANNING – Part One. In R. Breckwoldt (Ed.), Approaches to bioregional planning. Part 1. Proceedings of the conference, 30 Oct-1 Nov 1995, Melbourne. Melbourne.