Abstract
Although various social networks and several research articles published have increasingly been pointing to the detrimental effects of plastics on the living organisms, the collective awareness of this problem is at a relatively low level. The accumulation of plastics in surface waters is one of the problems that affect the functionality of the ecosystems and reduce their resistance to various negative impacts. The consequences of changes in ecosystems significantly have impact on the economic effects of activities that depend on ecosystem services, including touristic activities. Since the preserved environment encourages a greater willingness to pay higher prices for services, ecotourism is one of the main instruments for promoting the economic value of protected areas. Sustainable forms of tourism include strategies for the management of protected areas both with measures for prevention and in a way to reduce the negative impacts on the environment. In order to effectively implement these measures, it is necessary to raise the ecological awareness of the visitors and the local population about the consequences that the accumulation of plastics in surface waters have on the living organisms and on the quality of ecosystem services.
Through stakeholder analysis, which is a social research method suitable for making decisions on the conservation of natural values, a research of social factors was carried out, as well as the raising of ecological awareness. A thematic education program was developed for the purpose of stakeholder analysis; the attitudes of stakeholders were assessed by conducting interviews. The development of the education program and interviews focused on the impact of plastic accumulation on the deterioration of the quality of certain ecosystem services. The pilot research localities included wet and aquatic habitats within protected areas along the riparian zones and floodplains of the Danube River in Serbia.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Kramm J, Völker C, Wagner M (2018) Superficial or substantial: why care about microplastics in the anthropocene? Environ Sci Technol 52:3336–3337
Thompson RC (2006) Plastic debris in the marine environment: consequences and solutions. In: Krause JC, von Nordheim H, Bräger S (eds) Marine nature conservation in Europe, vol 193. German Federal Agency for Nature Conservation, BfN Skripten, Stralsund, pp 107–116
Syberg K, Hansen SF, Christensen TB, Khan FR (2018) Risk perception of plastic pollution: importance of stakeholder involvement and citizen science. In: Wagner M, Lambert S (eds) Freshwater microplastics. The handbook of environmental chemistry, vol 58. Springer, Cham
Ballance A, Ryan PG, Turpie JK (2000) How much is a clean beach worth? The impact of litter on beach users in the Cape Peninsula, South Africa. S Afr J Sci 96:210–230
Völker C, Kramm J, Kerber H, Schramm E, Winker M, Zimmermann M (2017) More than a potential hazard – approaching risks from a social-ecological perspective. Sustainability 9(7):1039
Free CM, Jensen OP, Mason SA, Eriksen M, Williamson NJ, Boldgiv B (2014) High-levels of microplastic pollution in a large, remote, mountain lake. Mar Pollut Bull 85:156–163
Jang YC, Hong S, Lee J, Lee MJ, Shim WJ (2014) Estimation of lost tourism revenue in Geoje Island from the 2011 marine debris pollution event in South Korea. Mar Pollut Bull 81:49–54
Jambeck JR, Geyer R, Wilcox C, Siegler TR, Perryman M, Andrady A, Narayan R, Law KL (2015) Plastic waste inputs from land into the ocean. Science 347:768–771
RTS – Radio Televizija Srbije (The national broadcasting channel of Republic of Serbia) (2018) The interview of the Minister of environmental protection, Goran Trivan. http://www.rts.rs/page/stories/sr/story/125/drustvo/3201134/efekti-naplate-plasticnih-kesa%2D%2Dda-li-se-cegeri-vracaju-u-modu.html. Accessed 16 July 2018
Eriksen M, Thiel M, Prindiville M, Kiessling T (2018) Microplastic: what are the solutions? In: Wagner M, Lambert S (eds) Freshwater microplastics. The handbook of environmental chemistry, vol 58. Springer, Cham
EEA-European Environment Agency (2012) Environmental indicator report: ecosystem resilience and resource efficiency in a green economy in Europe. Publications Office of the European Union, Luxembourg
MA-Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (2005) Ecosystems and human well-being: synthesis. Island Press, Washington
Simpson RL, Good RE, Walker R, Frasco BR (1983) The role of Delaware River freshwater tidal wetlands in the retention of nutrients and heavy metals. J Environ Qual 12:41–48
Mitsch WJ, Day JW, Gilliam JW, Groffman PM, Hey DL, Randall GW, Wang N (2001) Reducing nitrogen loading to the Gulf of Mexico from the Mississippi river basin: strategies to counter a persistent ecological problem. Bioscience 51:373–388
Sundaravadivel M, Vigneswaran S (2001) Constructed wetlands for wastewater treatment. Crit Rev Environ Sci Technol 31:351–409
Costanza R, d’Arge R, de Groot R, Farber S, Grasso M, Hannon B, Limburg K, Naeem S, O’Neill RV, Paruelo J, Raskin RG, Sutton P, van den Belt M (1997) The value of the word’s ecosystem services and natural capital. Nature 387:253–260
Kicošev V, Romelić J, Matavuly M (2011) Analysis of local stakeholders surrounding the future protected areas of Vojvodina in the function of sustainable rural development. Přírodа 30:151–166. Praha: Agentura ochrany přírody a krajiny České republiky
Statistical Office of the Republic of Serbia (2018) Earnings statistics SRB 285 ZR10 251018. http://publikacije.stat.gov.rs/G2018/Pdf/G20181285.pdf
BBC News/On Serbian (2018) https://www.021.rs/story/Novi-Sad/Vesti/193287/Realna-plata-oko-15000-dinara-manja-od-prosecne.html
BIZLife Belgrade (2018) https://www.bizlife.rs/aktuelno/vesti-dana/odmor-u-inostranstvu-nemoguca-misija-za-gotovo-dve-trecine-srba/
EC No 257/2018 – European Commission (2018) Commission staff working document 257. Final
Kicošev V (2016) Multi criteria approach to organising functional protective zones of natural resources aiming to reduce anthropogenic impact. PhD dissertation, University of Novi Sad, Multidisciplinary Graduate Studies
Acknowledgments
Many thanks to the collaborators from the surroundings of the protected areas and to all respondents for their help in the analysis. Special thanks to the management of Institute for Nature Conservation of Vojvodina Province for enabling both the field research on the localities within the selected protected areas and the presentation of the education program for stakeholders in the Institute.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2019 Springer Nature Switzerland AG
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Kicošev, V., Galambos, L. (2019). Stakeholder Analysis in Solving the Problem of Accumulation of Plastics in Surface Waters of Protected Areas. In: Stock, F., Reifferscheid, G., Brennholt, N., Kostianaia, E. (eds) Plastics in the Aquatic Environment - Part II. The Handbook of Environmental Chemistry, vol 112. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/698_2019_376
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/698_2019_376
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-030-84113-3
Online ISBN: 978-3-030-84114-0
eBook Packages: Chemistry and Materials ScienceChemistry and Material Science (R0)