**Challenges in the Management of Plitvice Lakes National Park, Republic of Croatia National Park, Republic of Croatia**

Maja Vurnek, Andrijana Brozinčević, Krešimir Čulinović

**Challenges in the Management of Plitvice Lakes** 

DOI: 10.5772/intechopen.72375

Maja Vurnek, Andrijana Brozinčević, Krešimir Čulinović and Anđelko Novosel and Anđelko Novosel Additional information is available at the end of the chapter

Additional information is available at the end of the chapter

http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.72375

#### **Abstract**

Plitvice Lakes National Park is the oldest protected area in the Republic of Croatia and the biggest by its surface. The park is designated as the UNESCO World Heritage Site. Outstanding universal value is recognized within significant natural and geological processes, habitats and biodiversity. Only 1% of the park's large surface is the main focal point for visitors and active tourism. We evaluated management of the park through Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT) analysis interpreting internal and external factors. High conservation of biodiversity, investments in different projects and high number of employees are considered as strengths. High number of visitors in small area and lack of visitor management plan, educational programs and marketing strategy are weaknesses. Threats are present through the inadequate management of drinking water supplies, lack of wastewater treatment plant and excessive construction in villages. Our opportunity definitely lies in protected nature and biodiversity. Considering very good status of the park's finances, there aren't any significant barriers for sustainable tourism approach, development of educational programs, various investments and adoption of new management plans. However, these activities must be beyond any potential political influence and they should have continuity in order for the park to be an example of quality management in the years to come.

**Keywords:** national park, SWOT, Plitvice Lakes, management plan

## **1. Introduction**

Protected areas such as strict nature reserves, wilderness areas, national parks, natural monuments and others are essential for biodiversity conservation. They exist in natural or nearnatural ecosystems, and they maintain ecological processes and conserve threatened or

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endemic species from becoming extinct. The other important part of protected areas is a benefit for humans regarding the opportunities for recreation and providing the human population with different ecosystem services [1]. There are 202,467 terrestrial and inland water protected areas recorded in the World Database on Protected Areas (WDPA) and they cover 14.7% of the world's extent, which means 19.8 million km2 [2]. The Conference of the Parties (COP) in 2010 adopted the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011–2020 with a goal to promote effective implementation of the Convention on Biological Diversity, and in this plan, five strategic goals (A–E) with several targets (1–20) known as Aichi Biodiversity Targets were included [3]. The Aichi Biodiversity Target 11 says that "*By 2020, at least 17% of terrestrial and inland water areas, and 10% of coastal and marine areas, especially areas of particular importance for biodiversity and ecosystem services, are conserved through effectively and equitably managed, ecologically representative and well connected systems of protected areas and other effective area-based conservation measures, and integrated into the wider landscapes and seascapes.*" However, designation of protected areas often changes with regard to the increase or decrease in size or they are not even qualified to be included in the WDPA. Regarding the above stated target, by 2020, an additional 3.1 million km2 of terrestrial area needs to be protected [2]. According to the former State Institute for Nature Protection (now Croatian Agency for the Environment and Nature) in the Republic of Croatia, there are 409 protected areas of different categories, covering 7547.18 km2 of total surface, which means 8.56% of the Croatian territory [4].

nineteenth century in 1928. However, this was only for one financial year until 1929. Since then, the natural values were recognized even though it took almost 20 years for its designa-

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In 1979, the Plitvice Lakes National Park was inscribed in the UNESCO World Heritage List by criteria vii, viii and ix: "*Criterion (vii): to contain superlative natural phenomena or areas of exceptional natural beauty and aesthetic importance; Criterion (viii): to be outstanding examples representing major stages of earth's history, including the record of life, significant on-going geological processes in the development of landforms, or significant geomorphic or physiographic features; Criterion (ix): to be outstanding examples representing significant on-going ecological and biological processes in the evolution and development of terrestrial, fresh water, coastal and marine ecosystems and communities of plants and animals* [7]." The National Park is also the only national park in Croatia that is on the UNESCO World Heritage list as natural heritage. The park was recognized for its outstanding universal value (OUV) present in significant geological, biological and ecological processes of which the most important one is the process of tufa formation. The term OUV was formally defined and adopted in 2005 and it means "*cultural and/or natural significance which is so exceptional as to transcend national boundaries and to be of common importance for present and future generations of all humanity. As such, the permanent protection of this heritage is of the* 

The National Park functions as a public institution like most of the protected areas in Croatia. With regard to the type of governance, the park is governed by the government (type A of IUCN governance), which means that the national Ministry of Environment and Energy is the main governing body [9]. As a public institution, the park has an administrative council consisting of five members, the Director and many different services among which the most important one is the Nature Conservation Service managed by the Conservation Manager. Each of the services has its role in managing the protected area or its organizational parts, and the structure

The public institution owns hotels, restaurants, auto camps and buffets. It employs over 600 permanent employees and additional 300–400 seasonal employees during touristic season. In the area of the park, there are 29 settlements with almost 1400 residents. Plitvice Lakes National

of a public institution is rather complex with many different departments (**Figure 1**).

**Figure 1.** Organizational structure of a public institution of Plitvice Lakes National Park.

*highest importance to the international community as a whole* [8]."

tion as a protected area.

Management of the protected area is defined through four basic functions: planning, organizing, leading (implementing) and controlling (evaluating). The resources include people, their skills and financial resources. There should be clarity of direction provided by the protected area in a sense that the activity being managed has a purpose and direction. In an organization, the management is undertaken by people with different functions and it is a team effort. Regarding the fact that protected areas constantly face threats such as climate change effects, introduced species, visitor impacts, development and others, there is a great need for active management [5].

#### **1.1. Site description**

Plitvice Lakes National Park is the oldest protected area in the Republic of Croatia designated since 8 April, 1949. As a national park, it is listed in the second IUCN category of protected areas regarding the description: "*Category II protected areas are large natural or near natural areas set aside to protect large-scale ecological processes, along with the complement of species and ecosystems characteristic of the area, which also provide a foundation for environmentally and culturally compatible spiritual, scientific, educational, recreational and visitor opportunities* [1]." In the Croatian Nature Protection Act, national park is defined by the article 153: "*(1) A national park is a large, predominantly unmodified mainland and/or marine area of outstanding and multiple natural values. It includes one or more conserved or slightly modified ecosystems and is primarily intended for the conservation of autochthonous natural values. (2) A national park has a scientific, cultural, educational and recreational purpose. (3) In a national park only those actions and activities are permitted that do not pose any threat to the authenticity of nature. (4) In a national park all economic use of natural resources is prohibited* [6]." Little is known through the literature that Plitvice Lakes were designated as a national park very early at the beginning of the nineteenth century in 1928. However, this was only for one financial year until 1929. Since then, the natural values were recognized even though it took almost 20 years for its designation as a protected area.

endemic species from becoming extinct. The other important part of protected areas is a benefit for humans regarding the opportunities for recreation and providing the human population with different ecosystem services [1]. There are 202,467 terrestrial and inland water protected areas recorded in the World Database on Protected Areas (WDPA) and they cover

(COP) in 2010 adopted the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011–2020 with a goal to promote effective implementation of the Convention on Biological Diversity, and in this plan, five strategic goals (A–E) with several targets (1–20) known as Aichi Biodiversity Targets were included [3]. The Aichi Biodiversity Target 11 says that "*By 2020, at least 17% of terrestrial and inland water areas, and 10% of coastal and marine areas, especially areas of particular importance for biodiversity and ecosystem services, are conserved through effectively and equitably managed, ecologically representative and well connected systems of protected areas and other effective area-based conservation measures, and integrated into the wider landscapes and seascapes.*" However, designation of protected areas often changes with regard to the increase or decrease in size or they are not even qualified to be included in the WDPA. Regarding the above stated target, by 2020,

former State Institute for Nature Protection (now Croatian Agency for the Environment and Nature) in the Republic of Croatia, there are 409 protected areas of different categories, cover-

Management of the protected area is defined through four basic functions: planning, organizing, leading (implementing) and controlling (evaluating). The resources include people, their skills and financial resources. There should be clarity of direction provided by the protected area in a sense that the activity being managed has a purpose and direction. In an organization, the management is undertaken by people with different functions and it is a team effort. Regarding the fact that protected areas constantly face threats such as climate change effects, introduced species, visitor impacts, development and others, there is a great need for active

Plitvice Lakes National Park is the oldest protected area in the Republic of Croatia designated since 8 April, 1949. As a national park, it is listed in the second IUCN category of protected areas regarding the description: "*Category II protected areas are large natural or near natural areas set aside to protect large-scale ecological processes, along with the complement of species and ecosystems characteristic of the area, which also provide a foundation for environmentally and culturally compatible spiritual, scientific, educational, recreational and visitor opportunities* [1]." In the Croatian Nature Protection Act, national park is defined by the article 153: "*(1) A national park is a large, predominantly unmodified mainland and/or marine area of outstanding and multiple natural values. It includes one or more conserved or slightly modified ecosystems and is primarily intended for the conservation of autochthonous natural values. (2) A national park has a scientific, cultural, educational and recreational purpose. (3) In a national park only those actions and activities are permitted that do not pose any threat to the authenticity of nature. (4) In a national park all economic use of natural resources is prohibited* [6]." Little is known through the literature that Plitvice Lakes were designated as a national park very early at the beginning of the

of total surface, which means 8.56% of the Croatian territory [4].

of terrestrial area needs to be protected [2]. According to the

[2]. The Conference of the Parties

14.7% of the world's extent, which means 19.8 million km2

an additional 3.1 million km2

56 National Parks - Management and Conservation

ing 7547.18 km2

management [5].

**1.1. Site description**

In 1979, the Plitvice Lakes National Park was inscribed in the UNESCO World Heritage List by criteria vii, viii and ix: "*Criterion (vii): to contain superlative natural phenomena or areas of exceptional natural beauty and aesthetic importance; Criterion (viii): to be outstanding examples representing major stages of earth's history, including the record of life, significant on-going geological processes in the development of landforms, or significant geomorphic or physiographic features; Criterion (ix): to be outstanding examples representing significant on-going ecological and biological processes in the evolution and development of terrestrial, fresh water, coastal and marine ecosystems and communities of plants and animals* [7]." The National Park is also the only national park in Croatia that is on the UNESCO World Heritage list as natural heritage. The park was recognized for its outstanding universal value (OUV) present in significant geological, biological and ecological processes of which the most important one is the process of tufa formation. The term OUV was formally defined and adopted in 2005 and it means "*cultural and/or natural significance which is so exceptional as to transcend national boundaries and to be of common importance for present and future generations of all humanity. As such, the permanent protection of this heritage is of the highest importance to the international community as a whole* [8]."

The National Park functions as a public institution like most of the protected areas in Croatia. With regard to the type of governance, the park is governed by the government (type A of IUCN governance), which means that the national Ministry of Environment and Energy is the main governing body [9]. As a public institution, the park has an administrative council consisting of five members, the Director and many different services among which the most important one is the Nature Conservation Service managed by the Conservation Manager. Each of the services has its role in managing the protected area or its organizational parts, and the structure of a public institution is rather complex with many different departments (**Figure 1**).

The public institution owns hotels, restaurants, auto camps and buffets. It employs over 600 permanent employees and additional 300–400 seasonal employees during touristic season. In the area of the park, there are 29 settlements with almost 1400 residents. Plitvice Lakes National

**Figure 1.** Organizational structure of a public institution of Plitvice Lakes National Park.

Park is financed by sales of the entrance tickets and from visitation and hospitality services. The income is used for management and various investments of the public institution.

1400 plant species, 50 species of mammals, 22 species of bats, around 160 species of birds, 320 species of butterflies, 8 species of fish and other representatives of fauna species (**Figure 3**).

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Management plan for the National Park was adopted in 2007 and was developed through the Karst Ecosystem Conservation (KEC) Project that lasted from 2003 to 2007 and was financed by the Global Environmental Fund [10]. The plan is valid until 2017 and that is why the park's management started the process of writing a new management plan that will be finished by the first trimester of 2018. As a part of this new management plan, the park is currently in the process of writing the action plan for visitor management. The new physical plan was

The need to write new a management plan did not come only from the obligation stated in the Croatian Nature Protection Act in the article 181: "*The management of protected areas…shall be carried out according to the management plan. (2) The management plan shall be adopted for a period of ten years. (3) The management plan shall lay down development guidelines, methods of protection implementation, use and management of a protected area, including detailed guidelines for the protection and conservation of natural values of a protected area, respecting the needs of the local population.* 

**Figure 3.** Three large carnivores: bear (*Ursus arctos* L.), wolf (*Canis lupus* L.) and lynx (*Lynx lynx* L.). These species are using the territory of the park and the park's management is financing the project for monitoring their activities in the

adopted in 2014 as the previous plan dated from 1986 ended.

**1.2. The background**

protected area.

Plitvice Lakes National Park is settled in the middle mountainous part of Croatia as a part of Dinaric karst area. The surface of the park is divided between two counties: Lika-Senj County (90.7%) and Karlovac County (9.3%). The total surface of the park is 29,685.15 ha, and by surface, it is the biggest national park in Croatia. The borders of the park were expanded in 1997 for additional 10,000 ha (previously the surface was around 19,000 ha) in order to include the wider catchment area of main tributaries (**Figure 2**).

The entire area of the park is considered a Natura 2000 site (HR5000020) with around 64 Special Protection Areas (SPA) for birds and proposed Sites of Community Importance (pSCI) for flora and fauna species and habitat types regarding the Birds Directive and Habitats Directive. The bigger part of the park's surface is covered with forests (2/3), which consists mainly of European beech and fir forest. The important part of the forest ecosystem is an old-growth forest "Čorkova uvala" covering over 84 ha of surface and considered to be the secondary type of forest (without or with insignificant influence of man). In the area of the park, there are several types of grassland vegetation covering around 1/3 of the total surface. Very important habitat types present in the park are peat habitats (mires and fens), which are rare and endangered on the national level. On only 1% of the total park's surface there is a fascinating freshwater ecosystem of karst springs, small rivers and 16 lakes divided with tufa barriers. Tufa barriers are considered one of the most important OUVs that this park has, and without this specific biodynamic process of tufa formation, there would not be any lakes. Tufa barriers form the cascading system of lakes that are almost a phenomenon for the karst area. The abundance of flora and fauna species is also high in this protected area with over

**Figure 2.** Map of the Republic of Croatia (A) and Plitvice Lakes National Park with border until 1997 and after the expansion (B).

1400 plant species, 50 species of mammals, 22 species of bats, around 160 species of birds, 320 species of butterflies, 8 species of fish and other representatives of fauna species (**Figure 3**).

#### **1.2. The background**

Park is financed by sales of the entrance tickets and from visitation and hospitality services.

Plitvice Lakes National Park is settled in the middle mountainous part of Croatia as a part of Dinaric karst area. The surface of the park is divided between two counties: Lika-Senj County (90.7%) and Karlovac County (9.3%). The total surface of the park is 29,685.15 ha, and by surface, it is the biggest national park in Croatia. The borders of the park were expanded in 1997 for additional 10,000 ha (previously the surface was around 19,000 ha) in order to include the

The entire area of the park is considered a Natura 2000 site (HR5000020) with around 64 Special Protection Areas (SPA) for birds and proposed Sites of Community Importance (pSCI) for flora and fauna species and habitat types regarding the Birds Directive and Habitats Directive. The bigger part of the park's surface is covered with forests (2/3), which consists mainly of European beech and fir forest. The important part of the forest ecosystem is an old-growth forest "Čorkova uvala" covering over 84 ha of surface and considered to be the secondary type of forest (without or with insignificant influence of man). In the area of the park, there are several types of grassland vegetation covering around 1/3 of the total surface. Very important habitat types present in the park are peat habitats (mires and fens), which are rare and endangered on the national level. On only 1% of the total park's surface there is a fascinating freshwater ecosystem of karst springs, small rivers and 16 lakes divided with tufa barriers. Tufa barriers are considered one of the most important OUVs that this park has, and without this specific biodynamic process of tufa formation, there would not be any lakes. Tufa barriers form the cascading system of lakes that are almost a phenomenon for the karst area. The abundance of flora and fauna species is also high in this protected area with over

**Figure 2.** Map of the Republic of Croatia (A) and Plitvice Lakes National Park with border until 1997 and after the

expansion (B).

The income is used for management and various investments of the public institution.

wider catchment area of main tributaries (**Figure 2**).

58 National Parks - Management and Conservation

Management plan for the National Park was adopted in 2007 and was developed through the Karst Ecosystem Conservation (KEC) Project that lasted from 2003 to 2007 and was financed by the Global Environmental Fund [10]. The plan is valid until 2017 and that is why the park's management started the process of writing a new management plan that will be finished by the first trimester of 2018. As a part of this new management plan, the park is currently in the process of writing the action plan for visitor management. The new physical plan was adopted in 2014 as the previous plan dated from 1986 ended.

The need to write new a management plan did not come only from the obligation stated in the Croatian Nature Protection Act in the article 181: "*The management of protected areas…shall be carried out according to the management plan. (2) The management plan shall be adopted for a period of ten years. (3) The management plan shall lay down development guidelines, methods of protection implementation, use and management of a protected area, including detailed guidelines for the protection and conservation of natural values of a protected area, respecting the needs of the local population.* 

**Figure 3.** Three large carnivores: bear (*Ursus arctos* L.), wolf (*Canis lupus* L.) and lynx (*Lynx lynx* L.). These species are using the territory of the park and the park's management is financing the project for monitoring their activities in the protected area.

*(4) The management plan shall be binding for all physical and legal entities involved in activities in a protected area* [6]." Every protected area has to evaluate the effectiveness of management regarding the main objectives and values that are being conserved. Management effectiveness evaluation can enable and support an adaptive approach to management, assist in effective resource allocation, promote accountability and transparency and help involve the community. The evaluation should be seen as normal part of the process of management by which the management becomes adaptive [11].

**2. SWOT analysis**

**2.1. Internal factors**

SWOT analysis as an acronym for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats is a business analysis technique used by an organization when deciding on the best way to achieve future growth. Strengths and weaknesses are considered as internal factors that are favorable and unfavorable as the opposite to opportunities and threats that are considered as external factors, again favorable and unfavorable [12]. For evaluating an organization's environment, two types of analysis are performed: internal analysis by which we analyze internal environment (or microenvironment) considering resources that need to be developed and sustained and external environment (macroenvironment) by which we recognize major developments and future implications [13]. Even though SWOT analysis is highly used by different companies or organizations, it can be used for different management assessments in the environment or protected areas. SWOT analysis was used for environmental management status evaluation [14], for ecosystem services in protected areas [15] or for sustainable tourism development in protected areas [16]. For the purpose of this article, before performing SWOT analysis, we grouped factors into four management areas that we found important for the evaluation: *natural and cultural values* (NCV), *visitation, education and marketing* (VEM), *local community and stakeholders* (LCS) and

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*infrastructure* (I). For each group, we determined internal and external factors. Additionally, we performed simple matrix analysis of data using the following:

portunity and 4 as great strength or opportunity for favorable factors).

and scored from 0 to 1 (total score for weight should be 1).

**iii.** Final score (FS) calculated by multiplying W and EFS.

NCV, 6 factors for VEM, 4 factors for LCS and 4 factors for I.

**i.** Weight (W) that was estimated regarding partially objective point of view for each factor

**ii.** Effectiveness factor score (EFS) that was assigned to each factor (1 as fundamental weakness or threat, 2 as minor weakness or threat for unfavorable factors, 3 as strength or op-

The analysis was finished by calculating the sum of final scores for internal and external factors. If the final score of internal or external factors is above 2.50, it denotes that favorable factors prevail over unfavorable factors. Similar methodology was performed as in Ref. [16].

Seen as strengths, we determined 13 factors for natural and cultural values (NCV), 4 factors for visitation, education and management (VEM), 3 factors for local community and stakeholders (LCS) and 3 factors for infrastructure (I). As weaknesses, we determined 7 factors for

Natural values of Plitvice Lakes National Park are the most important ones and several factors are seen as strengths for this protected area. The beautiful landscape is in the form of 16 lakes in a cascading system divided by tufa barriers, pristine beech and fir forests that cover almost 80% of the park's surface and grasslands that are considered hot spots for biodiversity.

According to the framework for assessing management effectiveness (**Figure 4**), there are many steps in the assessment [11].

Regarding the framework and the purpose of this article, we are looking now at the context (status and threats) using Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT) analysis for the initial assessment or rather a quick summary of Plitvice Lakes National Park management effectiveness regarding the main values of the protected area and all other resources that are present. The main objective of this analysis was to see which management areas can be improved and whether the factors influencing the management come from the microenvironment of the public institution or from external sources.

**Figure 4.** The framework for assessing management effectiveness [11].
