Principles, Theoretical and Methodological Background of Landscape-ecological Planning

Abstract

The methodology of landscape-ecological planning LANDEP is reflected in the law and is incorporated to the practice of particular spatial planning procedures in Slovakia. First chapter of the book deals with different understandings of spatial planning procedures and compares them to LANDEP. LANDEP represents a spatial approach to the protection of the environment. Its methodology, content and practice correspond with the principles of the integrated landscape management defined since AGENDA 21 from Rio Summit 1992 in all relevant environmental political documents, in particular, the following: \n \n \ncross-departmental conception: sectorial integration, partnership, \n \n \nover-regionality: spatial integration, regional cooperation, \n \n \ncomplex approach to the environment: professional integration, landscape-ecological complexity. \n \n \n \nThe chapter defines the main institutional spatial planning procedures supported by relevant law in Slovakia and their relations to the integrated landscape management and LANDEP. These tools are divided into four groups as follows: \n \n \nthe information base of integrated landscape management, \n \n \nlandscape-ecological framework for integrated landscape management: the LANDEP, Territorial System of Ecological Stability TSES and the territorial planning, \n \n \nthe sectoral spatial management and planning instruments as nature conservation and landscape protection; river basin management; flood prevention, agricultural land consolidations projects; forest management plans, \n \n \ninstruments for control and assessment of the impact of planning procedures on the environment as environment impact assessment and strategic impact assessment (E.I.A., S.E.A) and Integrated Prevention and Pollution Control (IPPC). \n \n \n \nAs the LANDEP is by legislation assigned in Slovakia to the territorial planning, which according to its content represents the most integrating concept with respect to the aforementioned principles, the chapter discusses the act on territorial planning in detail. The material object of LANDEP is defined as landscape as a geosystem. The final subchapter deals with those aspects of geosystems which relate to the particular methodical steps of the LANDEP procedure defines the relevant models, structures, elements and properties of geosystems including the most frequent values of indicators of properties.