National Karst Research Institutes: Their Roles in Cave and Karst Management

Abstract

This chapter defines “national cave and karst research institute” as “an organization created to conduct, facilitate, and promote state-of-the-art cave and karst research, education, and management, and recognized nationally as a leading authority on such matters.” Twelve institutes from nine countries were identified; one institute is inactive. Most were created as governmental programs, often affiliated with a university, while the rest are non-profit, for-profit, or hybrid (combining at least two of the other three organizational structures). Each structure inherently lends itself to different levels of authority and engagement in cave and karst management issues. The role of national institutes in cave and karst management is a subset within each of the institutes’ basic purposes: Research, education and publication, independent advice and arbitration, data archiving, funding generation and granting, and collaboration facilitation. To date, most institutes have focused their efforts on theoretical research, archiving of data, and production of publications, and not on applied management issues. While activity in karst management is generally increasing, it is conducted mostly by the younger institutes and includes greater education efforts, funding, and advisory service. Because of widely different circumstances in each institute’s origin, administration, age, and national laws and culture, generalizations are difficult but some trends are proposed for the next few decades: •Karst institutes will increasingly develop hybrid organizational structures. •Karst institutes will predominantly focus on karst management issues. •Technical and public education will become prominent karst institute programs. •Karst institutes will increase their support of digital open access karst libraries and the creation of virtual karst research tools. •Karst institute funding will increase through diversification of services and perceived increase in value. •Karst institutes will formally link for greater effectiveness and better use of limited resources.