Towards an Integrated System for Landscape Protection and Management: New Approaches

In recent history, the belief in the integrity of the landscape, has led Europeans to write common and general legislations for conservation and management of the environment. European Landscape Convention is the first international convention which has a special focus on landscape and with European Union memebers seeking to advance the conservation goals, management issues, planning and participation of people in the landscape. Sustainable development and social justice across Europe are among its main objectives as well.
The E-CLIC project uses information technology tool to work with governmenta agencies and disseminate the relevant policies to local, regional and national level bodies.
Problems in international agreements on landscape issues are serious. Compared to biodiversity or climate change, agreement on the landscape values is very difficult. Global agreement on definition, and common understanding of the landscape basic values is not easy.
However, the European convention has been successful, despite political- economic and cultural differences. Thus, scientists, especially from European and other parts of the world, decided to make it an international convention. This idea was initiated by UNESCO and the International Federation of Landscape Architects welcomed that and took the main resonsibility for its implementation. UNESCO proposes a different way of thinking about landscape and believes that a comprehensive and strategic approach to community challenges and global threats is needed.
The world is now going toward an integrated international but adaptable and flexible legislation system and guidelines to solve environmental problems, conservation and planning. This approach has advantages and problems, but it will take us towards sustainable development.