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Protection of Karst Landscapes in the Developing World: Lessons from Central America, the Caribbean, and Southeast Asia

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Karst Management

Abstract

Protection of karst landscapes in the developing world faces significant physical and human obstacles. Recognition of karst is not always straightforward, in part because there is much topographic and environmental heterogeneity. Protection of karst is often indirect in that the karst is protected because of its biological diversity, resources, anthropological significance, or aesthetic appeal. Although the designation of protected karst areas has been recognized as imperative, much of the karst is under increasing anthropogenic pressure. National efforts are highly variable, and there is little regional integration. Different karst styles are represented unevenly in protected areas, with emphases on spectacular forms, upland areas, and coasts. Protected area legislation is often inadequate and enforcement is constrained by conflicting priorities. Local populations can play important roles, particularly in boundary determinations. Protected karst areas need to be integrated into regional land use management, but the status of many protected karst areas is volatile.

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Acknowledgements

This work was funded in part by financial support from the Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and from the University of Waikato, New Zealand. I am grateful for the assistance of the staff of the American Geographical Society Collection at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, especially Patti Day. Figure 20.1 was prepared by the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Cartographic and GIS Center and Fig. 20.2 by Max Oulton of the Department of Geography, University of Waikato.

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  1. Department of Geography, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, 413, Milwaukee, WI, 53201, USA

    Michael Day

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  1. Dept. Geography, University of South Florida, Tampa, 33620, Florida, USA

    Philip E. van Beynen

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Day, M. (2011). Protection of Karst Landscapes in the Developing World: Lessons from Central America, the Caribbean, and Southeast Asia. In: van Beynen, P. (eds) Karst Management. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-1207-2_20

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