Tourism as a tool for nature conservation? Conflicting interests between renewable energy projects and wilderness protection in Iceland

Ingólfsdóttir, Auður H.; Gunnarsdóttir, Guðrún Þóra

doi:10.1016/j.jort.2019.100276

Cited by 22 publications

(17 citation statements)

References 17 publications

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“…Since its early stages in the late 1960s, hydropower development in the CH has triggered substantial environmental conflicts [5,76,77], and is by many perceived as incompatible with nature-or wildernessbased tourism [6]. Over the past two decades, the increasing economic viability of tourism in Iceland has strengthened its position as an alternative to further development of energy utilization in the CH [78]. Nevertheless, tourism development can also jeopardize the distinctives features of the area which contribute to wilderness experiences, as improved access changes visitation patterns and visitors' behaviors [79], leading to more demands for comfort and services as visitor numbers increase [69,80].…”

Section: Study Areamentioning

confidence: 99%

Tourism, Recreation and Wilderness: Public Perceptions of Conservation and Access in the Central Highland of Iceland

Bishop

Ólafsdóttir

Árnason

2022

Land

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Protected area establishment can be a source of land-use conflicts. National parks are particularly prone to such conflicts as they tend to cover large, sometimes remote, areas, involve many stakeholders, and often constitute an important venue for both tourism and outdoor recreation. Identifying potential conflict issues at an early stage is crucial to prevent further escalation and preserve public support for conservation. This article presents the findings of a nation-wide survey focusing on the establishment of the Central Highland National Park (CHNP) in Iceland, with the aim of identifying such points of contention. The results show that while the establishment of the CHNP enjoys broad public support, concerns over access restrictions are the most common reason for opposition. The majority of respondents support limiting the number of visitors to the area, which can hardly be implemented without conflicting with public access rights, deeply embedded in local culture and uses. In this remote area, access facilitation through road and accommodation development, however, appears very divisive, either seen as providing increased opportunities for the general public to enjoy the area or as threatening the authenticity of travel experiences in a wilderness destination, and paving the way for further developments. It is argued that refraining from building up roads is the most diplomatic way to limit visitor numbers without seriously impairing travel freedom, therefore preserving the wilderness qualities of the area while meeting users’ expectations. Ultimately, this study highlights the importance of public opinion research and stakeholder consultation when planning and managing tourism and outdoor recreation in wilderness settings.

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Section: Study Areamentioning

confidence: 99%

Tourism, Recreation and Wilderness: Public Perceptions of Conservation and Access in the Central Highland of Iceland

Bishop

Ólafsdóttir

Árnason

2022

Land

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“…There are studies dedicated to environmental projects in Iceland which note the existence of a possible impact on the environment even in the case of such projects. An example in this regard is that made by Ingolfsdottir and Gunnarsdottir (2020) on the conflict of interest between renewable energy projects and wilderness protection in Iceland. In Romania, studies conducted on environmental project management are relatively few and do not necessarily address issues regarding project management but certain aspects of defining and substantiating this type of project, most often the impact of these projects on the environment.…”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Comparative Analysis of Time, Cost and Risk Approaches in Romanian and Icelandic Environmental Project Management

SIMION¹,

Draghici²,

VRÎNCUȚ³

et al. 2022

Proceedings of the International Management Conference

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The research presented in this article had as main objective the comparative analysis of the way in which the project management is carried out in Romania and in Iceland. Environmental projects from each country were selected and based on the available documentation the main components of their management were analyzed. The analysis seems to indicate a relatively frequent use of classical methods of programming project execution without identifying the use of modern methods neither in the case of environmental projects in Romania, nor in the case of those in Iceland. In terms of cost management, budgeting is more frequently used and in terms of risk management, risk identification is more common in Romania and in the case of Iceland the other components of the risk management process.

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“…This would reduce the economic value of the benefits from ecosystem services in the GPI's calculation. On this subject, there is currently a vigorous ongoing debate in Iceland about the establishment of a new national park in the Central Highlands, an initiative that could greatly reduce available opportunities to develop new energy infrastructure [80][81][82]. In addition, plans to considerably expand electricity production from wind energy are advanced; however, unlike for geothermal energy or hydro power, there is currently no regulatory framework for assessing the sustainability impacts of proposed wind farms.…”

Section: Icelandic Policy the Pursuit Of Sed And Gpi Implicationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Conceptual Exploration of How the Pursuit of Sustainable Energy Development Is Implicit in the Genuine Progress Indicator

2022

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The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) represent a bridging point between the old, neoclassical, growth-based model of the economy and newer, emerging paradigms, such as the well-being economy. The importance of growth in Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is recognized within the SDGs, however, in addition, Target 19 of Goal 17 advocates the adoption of alternative measures of economic well-being. The Genuine Progress Indicator (GPI) has been found to be the indicator of alternative economic well-being most aligned with the SDGs. On the basis that increased, high-quality energy use leads to expanded macro-economic activity, as measured by GDP, this study conducts a conceptual exploration of the extent to which the pursuit of sustainable energy development (SED) can enhance GPI outcomes. Based on a recent Icelandic GPI study, a total of 46 SED themes were found to be linkable to 16 of its 39 sub-indicators, including 8 cost deductions and 7 benefit additions. The frequency of these was as follows: sustainable energy production (10), sustainable energy consumption (10), energy security (8), nature conservation (8), social benefits (7) and economically efficient energy system (3). The main implication of the study outcomes is that the pursuit of SED is likely to have considerable benefits in terms of fulfilling energy and climate policy, but also co-benefits with regard to the promulgation of economic and societal well-being, as reflected in the GPI. These outcomes, although applicable to Iceland, have ramifications for all nations who are simultaneously striving for greater economic prosperity, whilst tackling climate change and striving to deliver equitable, environmentally sound and resilient energy systems.

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Tourism as a tool for nature conservation? Conflicting interests between renewable energy projects and wilderness protection in Iceland

Cited by 22 publications

References 17 publications

Tourism, Recreation and Wilderness: Public Perceptions of Conservation and Access in the Central Highland of Iceland

Tourism, Recreation and Wilderness: Public Perceptions of Conservation and Access in the Central Highland of Iceland

A Comparative Analysis of Time, Cost and Risk Approaches in Romanian and Icelandic Environmental Project Management

A Conceptual Exploration of How the Pursuit of Sustainable Energy Development Is Implicit in the Genuine Progress Indicator

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