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Further questions about Parks.it
Further questions about Italian Protected Areas
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Q: What is Federparchi?
- A: The Italian Federation of Parks and Nature reserves. The association represents the management agencies of protected areas, whether these are national or local parks, whether terrestrial or marine.
Q: How did it originate? Who promoted the project?
- A: It started in the late 1980s, to give a voice and representation to the parks, new players on the public administration scene. Starting off from a nucleus of regional parks, the initiative soon spread throughout the Italian parks system.
Q: What are its objectives and its functions, both at a national and international level?
- A:
- To encourage the conservation of the natural environment and raise its profile.
- To promote the creation of a national system of protected areas.
- To represent management agencies in dealings with other institutions.
- To develop collaborative working practices and disseminate management experience.
- To co-ordinate studies and research projects.
- To build up national and international relations.
- To draw up and take part in national and community-wide projects.
- To organise events and promotional initiatives.
Q: Who are the members?
- A: Any public or private agencies which manage Italian protected areas or which carry out activities related to environmental protection can become members.
Q: Who is involved in running Federparchi? Who are the main players?
- A: Federparchi is there mainly to co-ordinate, so their activities are carried out mainly by administrators, technical staff and operators from the member parks. They also play a key role in promoting the system of protected areas. Other key input comes from the world of science, from national, regional and local institutions, and from voluntary environmental protection associations.
Q: How is the Federation funded?
- A: Federparchi is funded by membership fees and by taking part in Italian and community-wide projects. It receives no regular state or regional funding.
Q: What is Federparchi’s internal organisation?
- A: The structure of Federparchi is as follows:
- directorate
- four offices: secretariat and administration, projects and events, international relations, communications.
Federparchi’s internal government is made up of:
- partners’ meeting
- board of directors (made up of 25 members representing all associates)
- the executive committee (made up of 7 members)
- chairman
Q: What are the advantages of being a member of Federparchi?
- A: The main advantage lies in belonging to an association working to support and improve the activities of its members. A member park is strengthened in its dealings with institutional partners and with the workforce at every level. There are also services provided by Federparchi exclusively for its members:
- participation in national and international projects.
- privileges on the parks.it web portal and in “Parchi” magazine
- statistical, technical and scientific raw data and processed information
- legal and administrative advice.
Q: How does Federparchi help Italian parks to implement projects at a local and international level?
- A: Federparchi provides a contribution by making available its own national and international reports, by supplying data and technical information, and by providing specific high-profile professional skills on the complete range of issues affecting its members.
Q: What are Federparchi’s core activities?
- A:
- promotion and implementation of studies, research projects and plans for the conservation and modern management of protected natural areas
- development of best-practice initiatives to protect and promote traditional crafts and typical products
- support for measures to make tourism in protected natural areas more sustainable, including those implementing community directives
- implementation of projects in conjunction with research institutes, universities and agencies
- provision of workshops, theme-based work-experience programmes, conventions, seminars, training and refresher courses
- development of communications activities and promotional events
Q: What type of relationship does Federparchi have with international organisations and foreign parks?
- A: Federparchi co-ordinates the European Parks Observatory (OPE) and cultivates institutional relations with the European Parliament and Commission. We work alongside the CBD, the FAO, the UNEP, the UNDP and UNESCO. We run the secretariat of the Italian IUCN Committee and participate actively in the work of many IUCN offices and commissions.
Federparchi promotes exchanges, projects and actions with institutions which run protected areas in many countries around the world, including southern Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Balkans and Latin America. It promotes and supports international co-operation initiatives originating in Italian protected areas.
Q: Can we work in conjunction with Federparchi?
- A: There are four ways of working with Federparchi:
- by becoming a partner in the projects promoted by Federparchi
- by exchanging knowledge and experiences
- by working alongside us in research projects and studies
- by setting up activities alongside existing events
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