Human Pressure on the Environment in the “Mun¸tii Maramure¸sului” Natural Park - Sustainable Development in Mountain Regions: Southeastern Europe - page 268

approximately 6,000 tourists in 2005, to 10,000 in 2007 and 20,000 in 2009 out of
which about 18,500 tourists were registered only in Vaser Valley. Thus, besides the
loss of traditional and aesthetic values, the impact of tourist activities on the envi-
ronment also determines biodiversity loss, uncontrolled waste deposits, pollution ,
etc. As compared to the other types of impact, tourism is not as yet a high-pressure
element for “Muntii Maramuresului” Natural Park, but rather a potential threat.
21.3 Conclusion
Environmental stressing factors in the “Muntii Maramuresului” Natural Park are
the result of historical and economic developments, producing land use/land cover
changes, land degradation, fragmentation of natural habitats, etc. in the study area.
The loss of traditional architectural style in the study area, which is an element
extremely difficult to preserve from the Park's Administration perspective, also rep-
resents a consequence of human impact. Therefore, all analysed impact categories
are critical for local livelihoods leading to negative environmental consequences.
In order to minimise human pressure upon the environment, the management
plan of “Muntii Maramuresului” Natural Park has established the internal zon-
ing, which takes into account both the biodiversity and landscape conservation
and the economic development of the area, through activities that hardly affect the
environment. Thus, the park has been divided in three main areas:
1. A fully protected area in which all human activities are forbidden, except for
the research, education and eco-tourism. Inside this protected area, natural
phenomena and processes shall be left to unfold without man's intervention;
2. Sustainable management area (79,585 ha), which links the fully protected area
with the areas of sustainable development human activities;
3. Sustainable development area of human activities (35,000 ha), where human
activity is permitted. It includes the build-up area of the Park as well as the
surfaces covered by transport infrastructure, mountain pastures situated outside
the fully protected area and the surfaces from the outer part of the localities
suffering man-made changes.
The sustainable management area and the sustainable development area of human
activities are mainly responsible for maintaining and encouraging traditional activi-
ties in terms of species, habitats, ecosystems and landscape preservation and limiting
the human activities triggering negative environmental impacts.
References
Balteanu D, Badea L, Buza M, Niculescu Gh, Popescu C, Dumitrascu M (eds) (2006) Romania.
Space, society, environment. Romanian Academy, Bucharest