Institutional Nature Protection Ethics in Croatia: Case Study of the National park “Krka”

Abstract

The purpose of this research was to assess and evaluate the effectiveness of the Institutional Nature Protection System and to determine its reach, focus and validity, with the aim of providing practical guidelines for further development that would be in compliance with ethical principles.
National Park “Krka” is a regional leader in nature protection trends and is, therefore, used as a model for the development of a more complete nature protections ethics assessment system. The case study showed that the Krka National Park must consistently work on a constructive development shift of the existing national park system. In addition to implementing conservation and protection quality measures, and developing a sustainable integrated management system, the park must continue to address the following issues: 1. climate change; 2. raising ecological awareness within the society; 3. finding alternative perspectives and opportunities for cooperation in nature protection with all relevant stakeholders and social subsystems; 4. becoming an active social promoter of the ‘return to nature’ mentality that also includes valuing traditional knowledge; and 5. taking on the role of a driving social development force that presupposes long-term sustainability of space, people, and resources in the conditions of social justice.