Mont Avic Natural Park, as part of the 30th anniversary of its foundation, promoted a study day entitled "Management of protected areas and ecosystem services - interactions and synergies with EMAS" dedicated to analyzing the synergies between the planning tools of protected areas, ecosystem services and EMAS (Eco Management and Audit Scheme). The event was sponsored by the Istituto Superiore per la Protezione e la Ricerca Ambientale (ISPRA) and the Comitato per l'Ecolabel e l'Ecoaudit, who is responsible for issuing EMAS registration in Italy.
The day featured a discussion on the quantification of ecosystem services, a complex process that requires a multidisciplinary approach due to the variety of services it provides and for its multidimensional value. This discussion was held in light of the concept ‘Ecosystem Services Payment’, first introduced into Italian national legislation in 2015 and whose beneficiaries include municipalities, protected areas and organizations that work in the collective management of common goods.
The evaluations concerning ecosystem services are of great relevance in protected areas. Mont Avic Natural Park, together with Gran Paradiso National Park and other protected areas, were recently involved in a test action, promoted by Federparchi and ISPRA. The goal of this action was to recognize EMAS registration as an objective tool contributing to the maintenance and provision of ecosystem services. Its results were presented during the study day and will later be published as part of the 2019 annual update of the EMAS Environmental Declaration, available on the EMAS page of the institutional website.
During the day, the Mont Avic Natural Park also presented the contents of the new Spatial Management Plan, which came into force in 2018, and explicitly recognizes the Environmental Management System (according to EMAS Regulation) as an operational tool.
The event ended with a viewing of the video "Summary of the EMAS 2018-2021 Environmental Declaration of the Mont Avic Natural Park", available here on YouTube. The video won ‘best multimedia product’ on May 25th, during the EMAS Italia 2019 Awards.
To request guest speakers’ speeches from the event, please write to: info@montavic.it.