Page 105 - Koderman, Miha, and Vuk Tvrtko Opačić. Eds. 2020. Challenges of tourism development in protected areas of Croatia and Slovenia. Koper, Zagreb: University of Primorska Press, Croatian Geographical Society
P. 105
pter 5
The importance of protected areas
on the Slovenian coast for tourism
and how they could be impacted
by climate change
Valentina Brečko Grubar, Nataša Kolega, Gregor Kovačič
Abstract
In Slovenia, the coastal area contains four large-scale protect-
ed areas. Sečovlje Salina Nature Park, Strunjan Landscape
Park, Debeli Rtič Landscape Park, and Škocjanski zatok Nature
Reserve are “islands of nature” in the largely-urbanised coast-
al strip, which have also become important sites for leisure and
tourism activities. In recent years, the number of visitors (both
individuals and groups) has been increasing and has already ex-
ceeded the carrying capacity of the environment. The urbanisa-
tion and economic use of the coastal strip exerts pressures on its
constituent protected areas, which are also increasingly threat-
ened by climate change. According to projections, climate change
will bring higher temperatures, less precipitation, lower river dis-
charge, and an increased number of extreme weather phenome-
na, which will affect habitats and biodiversity in protected are-
as. However, the greatest concern is related to the anticipated rise
in sea level, which will cause frequent or permanent flooding, as
well as the loss of existing habitats and sites for leisure and tour-
ism activities.
Key words: landscape park, nature reserve, tourism visitation, cli-
mate change, sea level rise, flooding, geography, Slovenia
doi: https://doi.org/10.26493/978-961-7055-08-5.103-120 103
The importance of protected areas
on the Slovenian coast for tourism
and how they could be impacted
by climate change
Valentina Brečko Grubar, Nataša Kolega, Gregor Kovačič
Abstract
In Slovenia, the coastal area contains four large-scale protect-
ed areas. Sečovlje Salina Nature Park, Strunjan Landscape
Park, Debeli Rtič Landscape Park, and Škocjanski zatok Nature
Reserve are “islands of nature” in the largely-urbanised coast-
al strip, which have also become important sites for leisure and
tourism activities. In recent years, the number of visitors (both
individuals and groups) has been increasing and has already ex-
ceeded the carrying capacity of the environment. The urbanisa-
tion and economic use of the coastal strip exerts pressures on its
constituent protected areas, which are also increasingly threat-
ened by climate change. According to projections, climate change
will bring higher temperatures, less precipitation, lower river dis-
charge, and an increased number of extreme weather phenome-
na, which will affect habitats and biodiversity in protected are-
as. However, the greatest concern is related to the anticipated rise
in sea level, which will cause frequent or permanent flooding, as
well as the loss of existing habitats and sites for leisure and tour-
ism activities.
Key words: landscape park, nature reserve, tourism visitation, cli-
mate change, sea level rise, flooding, geography, Slovenia
doi: https://doi.org/10.26493/978-961-7055-08-5.103-120 103
