Habitat loss in Europe – there must be space for Wilderness
Our mantra is simple: we want more Wilderness in Europe, which is translated into a goal: we want 2% of Europe protected according to Wilderness principle by 2020. Germany has pledged this objective already, Austria is already taken steps to achieve this as well. The 2% will be added through strict protection of existing Wilderness and through promoting the restoration of natural processes. But is there enough space to restore Wilderness in Europe?!
Please also read: Defining and protecting Wilderness in Europe
Some say this is a far too ambitious goal, but when you see how much land we waste in Europe for abandoned construction projects, one should reconsider opposing our 5% target. There are several arguments for 5% Wilderness. This post covers only one of them: 6+1 projects where we trashed our natural habitats (likely forever) in Europe!
Please also read: Habitat loss skyrockets
1. Tópark project
- Location: Törökbálint, Hungary
- Size of habitat destroyed: 180 hectares
- Investment: 1 billion EUR planned
- Biogeographical region where we lost natural habitat: Pannonian
- More information is here (in Hungarian)
2. Abandoned housing projects in the Mediterranean islands
- Location: various in Rhodes and Crete
- Size of habitat destroyed: unknown but likely few 100s hectares
- Investment: unknown but likely millions of EUR
- Biogeographical region where we lost natural habitat: Mediterranean
- More information is here (thanks for Patrick van Dam for photo documenting)
3. Tourism development projects
- Location: Tenerife, Spain
- Size of habitat destroyed: unknown but likely 100s of hectares
- Investment: unknown but likely billions of EUR
- Biogeographical region where we lost natural habitat: Macaronesian
4. Dadipark abandoned amusement park
- Location: Dadizele, Belgium
- Size of habitat destroyed: 50 hectares
- Investment: unknown
- Biogeographical region where we lost natural habitat: Atlantic
- More information is here
5. Canfranc Railway Station
- Location: Pyrenees mountains, Spain
- Size of habitat destroyed: several 100s of hectares
- Investment: unknown but current value would likely be billions of EUR
- Bio geographical region where we lost natural habitat: Alpine
- More information is here
6. Samsung manufacturing plant
- Location: Göd, Hungary
- Size of habitat destroyed: 300 hectares
- Investment: unknown but likely millions of EUR
- Biogeographical region where we lost natural habitat: Pannonian
- More information about the closure of the factory is here (in English)
+1. Old Burns centre (unfinished hospital complex in Ukraine)
- This unfortunate example shows that natural habitats are not only lost within the European Union!
- Location: Kiev, Ukraine
- Size of habitat destroyed: unknown
- More information is here
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