Land Use Interests and Counter-arguments in the Great Hungarian Plain – The Relationship Between Nature Conservation, Agriculture and Tourism in the Example of the Kiskunság National Park

Abstract

Protecting nature and conserving biodiversity in habitats are now important principles worldwide. However, the use of conservation areas in many cases are affected by agriculture and tourism, too. In this paper, we aim to summarise the cooperation and conflicts between nature conservation, agriculture and tourism in the Kiskunság National Park (KNP), looking back over the past decades. Based on document reviews, in-depth interviews and GIS analysis we scrutinize how the economic interests are reflected in the use of the conservation areas. Our results show that the 'margin of manoeuvre' for nature conservation is continuously narrowing and many factors – such as the EU’s agricultural and rural development support schemes – influence the processes in protected areas. Thus, the recognition of the interdependence of the three sectors and the necessity of cooperation provide the basis for successful rural development in the areas of nature conservation.