DIGITALNA ARHIVA ŠUMARSKOG LISTA
prilagođeno pretraživanje po punom tekstu




ŠUMARSKI LIST 3-4/1996 str. 33     <-- 33 -->        PDF

Ž. Španjol: ZAŠTITA PRIRODE I OKOLIŠA U REPUBLICI HRVATSKOJ


SUMMARY: The history of human society has always been accompanied
by constant struggle of man for survival and prosperity. In this struggle there
has always been a pressure on the nature´s environment and resources. Man
has been trying to subdue nature by regulating its laws. However, as Joan
Dorst put it, "Conservation and rational use of nature´s riches started at the
time when man came to earth ".


Organized development of nature´s preservation, from its beginning until
today, may be grouped in three global periods. First there are areas of exceptional
value and beauty, the first occasional examples of protection that were
at the time satisfactory. The second period began with the urbanization and
industrialization, with requirements for better and more organized protection.
In the middle of last century protection was thus regulated by law. The
third period regards nature protection as a complex and intricate issue, involving
global action and movements, aiming at sustainable economic development
in harmony with the environment.


In Croatia the idea of nature protection appeared at the same time as in
other world, but first with our naturalists who spread their ideas through their
journals, some of which have been coming out for over one century, and
belong to the oldest publications of the kind in all world: Šumarski list 1877;
Glasnik Hrvatskoga naravoslovnoga društva 1886; Lovačko-ribarski viestnik
1892; Hrvatski planinar 1898; Priroda 1911; Zaštita prirode 1939. Active
protection began with passing the first laws and regulations at the end of the
century: Law on Hunting 1893; Law on Protection of Caves 1900; etc. Numerous
societies and boards were established, such as Croatian Naturalists´
Society in 1885; Society for Management and Care of Plitvice Lakes and Surroundings
in 1808, established within the Naturalists´ Society; Board for Protection
of Nature Monuments in 1922; and others.


The legislative regulating environmental issues is primarily based on the
Croatian Constitution (1992) and the Declaration on the Protection of Environment
in the Republic of Croatia. There are numerous other laws and regulations
involving all spheres of human activities: environment, nature, water,
forest, agricultural land, sea, mining resources, air, noise, development,
waste, hazardous waste, health protection, radiation, hunting and fishing, veterinary
medicine, economy, financing, safety, science, culture and education,
crime. There is a long list of international agreements in which the Republic
of Croatia has been a party according to the nostrification on succession.


A great number of scientific and public institutions, non-governmental associations
and movements, are also involved in the environmental care.


According to the Law on Nature Protection, there are 746 protected areas
in Croatia, covering 447,197.17 ha, or 7.30% of Croatian territory. Areas of
special protection have been divided in 9 categories:


number
area


1.
National park 7 69420,00 ha
2.
Nature park 6 317502,00 ha
3.
Strict reserve 2 2395,35 ha
4.
Special reserve (forest:32) 70 31680,09 ha
5.
Park forest 23 7659,91 ha
6.
Protected scenery 28 17544,52 ha
7. Natural monument 72
82,87 ha
8. Architectural park monument 114
912,43 ha
9.
Plant species 44
Animal species 380
746
447197,17 ha


Protected nature areas within the natural and cultural heritage should have
a place in the prosperity of our country, together with sustainable development
of the country´s economic potentials.


Key words: The Republic of Croatia, environmental protection, legislative,
organizational protection system.


Šumarski list br. 3—4, CXX (1996), 107—1 19