<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p>One of the conditions for effective water resources management in protected areas is local decision makers’ knowledge about potential threats caused by climate changes. Our study, conducted in the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve of Tuchola Forest in Poland, analyses the perception of threats by local stakeholders. Their assessments of the sensitivity of four lakes to the extreme weather events are compared with hydrological studies. The survey shows that the lakes’ varying responses to extreme weather conditions is rarely noticed by ordinary observers. Their perception is usually far from the hydrological facts, which indicates a lack of relevant information or a failure in making it widely accessible and understandable. Moreover, it is rather the human impact, not climate change, which is seen as the biggest threat to the lakes. Insufficient environmental knowledge may hinder the effective protection and management of natural resources, due to bad decisions and lack of the local communities’ support for adaptation and mitigation policies.</p></abstract>

One of the conditions for effective water resources management in protected areas is local decision makers’ knowledge about potential threats caused by climate changes. Our study, conducted in the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve of Tuchola Forest in Poland, analyses the perception of threats by local stakeholders. Their assessments of the sensitivity of four lakes to the extreme weather events are compared with hydrological studies. The survey shows that the lakes’ varying responses to extreme weather conditions is rarely noticed by ordinary observers. Their perception is usually far from the hydrological facts, which indicates a lack of relevant information or a failure in making it widely accessible and understandable. Moreover, it is rather the human impact, not climate change, which is seen as the biggest threat to the lakes. Insufficient environmental knowledge may hinder the effective protection and management of natural resources, due to bad decisions and lack of the local communities’ support for adaptation and mitigation policies.

<bold>Lakes sensitivity</bold> to climatic stress – a sociological assessment

Department of Local Development and Policy, Faculty of Geography and Regional Studies, University of Warsaw

Centre for General Hydrological Services, Institute of Meteorology and Water Management – National Research Institute (IMGW-PIB)

Department of Hydrology, Faculty of Geography and Regional Studies, University of Warsaw

Department of Urban Geography and Spatial Organization, Faculty of Geography and Regional Studies, University of Warsaw

Miscellanea Geographica

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

 to climatic stress – a sociological assessment

One of the conditions for effective water resources management in protected areas is local decision makers’ knowledge about potential threats caused by climate...

Lakes sensitivity to climatic stress – a sociological assessment

Publié en ligne: 30 janv. 2017

Pages: 38 - 47

Reçu: 04 févr. 2016

Accepté: 02 nov. 2016

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/mgrsd-2016-0025

Mots clés
Climate changes, human impact, lake hydrological sensitivity, threats perception, natural resources management

© 2016 Marta Lackowska et al., published by De Gruyter Open

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Lakes sensitivity to climatic stress – a sociological assessment

Publié en ligne: 30 janv. 2017

Pages: 38 - 47

Reçu: 04 févr. 2016

Accepté: 02 nov. 2016

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/mgrsd-2016-0025

Mots clésClimate changes, human impact, lake hydrological sensitivity, threats perception, natural resources management

© 2016 Marta Lackowska et al., published by De Gruyter Open

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Mots clés
Climate changes, human impact, lake hydrological sensitivity, threats perception, natural resources management