Chapter 3
Development and Protection of Water
Resources in Protected Areas in Poland
in Pursuit of Sustainable Development
Roman Cie´ sli ´
nski
Abstract In order to protect and shape the geographic environment, and this includes
water environments, it is necessary to maintain as many as possible areas characterized by harmonious evolution and high landscape value. This is especially true of
environmentally valuable areas viewed as equivalent to areas protected by law. When
planning and designing environmental protection efforts, it is necessary to identify
the relevant water balance relationships in the target area. Water plays a leading role,
as it strongly affects other living and non-living elements of the natural environment
and remains dependent on some of them. This prompts the following question: Is
it possible to both develop and protect water resources in the context of sustainable
growth in geographic areas protected by law? The study area, in this case, consists of
national parks—areas which provide the highest level of legal protection to the natural
environment in Poland. The current study focuses on lakes found in national parks, as
these are the least stable and most susceptible sites in terms of environmental change
in the geographic domain. The best way to maintain environmentally valuable areas
is to grant them legal status based on environmental protection goals. However, not
all environmentally valuable areas are legally protected or can be legally protected.
In addition, the low effectiveness of many forms of environmental protection, especially lower level protected status, shows that only local forms of protection are highly
effective. A local spatial management plan is needed in order to protect unique areas.
Most commune strategic documents list main tasks that include the protection of the
natural environment, utilization of tourist attractions and natural resources, maintenance of biodiversity and its the impact on it, and protection of environmentally
valuable areas and sites. Hence, it is important to motivate local government officials
to take responsibility for locally valuable areas in the form of local laws or local
spatial management plans. In summary, national parks in Poland are characterized
by different water availability. Some are dominated by water balance issues, while
others are not. This is why each park needs to have a unique protection strategy.
This is due to differences in water availability and threats that may affect each given
R. Cie´ sli´ nski (B)
Department of Hydrology, Faculty of Oceanography and Geography, University of Gda´ nsk,
Ba˙ zy´ nskiego 4, 80-309, Gda´ nsk, Poland
e-mail: georc@univ.gda.pl
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021
M. Zeleˇ náková et al. (eds.), Quality of Water Resources in Poland, Springer Water,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-64892-3_3
35
Development and Protection of Water
Resources in Protected Areas in Poland
in Pursuit of Sustainable Development
Roman Cie´ sli ´
nski
Abstract In order to protect and shape the geographic environment, and this includes
water environments, it is necessary to maintain as many as possible areas characterized by harmonious evolution and high landscape value. This is especially true of
environmentally valuable areas viewed as equivalent to areas protected by law. When
planning and designing environmental protection efforts, it is necessary to identify
the relevant water balance relationships in the target area. Water plays a leading role,
as it strongly affects other living and non-living elements of the natural environment
and remains dependent on some of them. This prompts the following question: Is
it possible to both develop and protect water resources in the context of sustainable
growth in geographic areas protected by law? The study area, in this case, consists of
national parks—areas which provide the highest level of legal protection to the natural
environment in Poland. The current study focuses on lakes found in national parks, as
these are the least stable and most susceptible sites in terms of environmental change
in the geographic domain. The best way to maintain environmentally valuable areas
is to grant them legal status based on environmental protection goals. However, not
all environmentally valuable areas are legally protected or can be legally protected.
In addition, the low effectiveness of many forms of environmental protection, especially lower level protected status, shows that only local forms of protection are highly
effective. A local spatial management plan is needed in order to protect unique areas.
Most commune strategic documents list main tasks that include the protection of the
natural environment, utilization of tourist attractions and natural resources, maintenance of biodiversity and its the impact on it, and protection of environmentally
valuable areas and sites. Hence, it is important to motivate local government officials
to take responsibility for locally valuable areas in the form of local laws or local
spatial management plans. In summary, national parks in Poland are characterized
by different water availability. Some are dominated by water balance issues, while
others are not. This is why each park needs to have a unique protection strategy.
This is due to differences in water availability and threats that may affect each given
R. Cie´ sli´ nski (B)
Department of Hydrology, Faculty of Oceanography and Geography, University of Gda´ nsk,
Ba˙ zy´ nskiego 4, 80-309, Gda´ nsk, Poland
e-mail: georc@univ.gda.pl
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021
M. Zeleˇ náková et al. (eds.), Quality of Water Resources in Poland, Springer Water,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-64892-3_3
35