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The purpose of this study to provide a reference basis for effectively managing the risk of agrometeorological disasters in Henan Province, speeding up the establishment of a scientific and reasonable system of agrometeorological disasters prevention and reduction and guaranteeing grain security.

Firstly, according to the statistical data of areas covered by natural disaster, areas affected by natural disaster, sown area of grain crops and output of grain crops from 1979 to 2018 in Henan Province, China. We have constructed an agrometeorological disaster risk assessment system for Henan province, China, which is composed of indicators such as rate covered by natural disaster, rate affected by natural disaster, disaster coefficient of variation and disaster vulnerability. The variation characteristics of agrometeorological disasters in Henan Province and their effects on agricultural production are analyzed. Secondly, the grey relational analysis method is used to analyze the relation degree between the main agrometeorological disaster factors and the output of grain crops of Henan Province. Based on the grey BP neural network, the rate covered by various natural disaster and the rate affected by various natural disaster are simulated and predicted.

The results show that: (1) the freeze injury in the study period has a greater contingency, the intensity of the disaster is also greater, followed by floods. Droughts, windstorm and hail are Henan Province normal disasters. (2) According to the degree of disaster vulnerability, the ability to resist agricultural disasters in Henan Province is weak. (3) During the study period, drought and flood are the key agrometeorological disasters affecting the grain output of Henan Province, China.

The systematic analysis and evaluation of agrometeorological disasters are conducive to the sustainable development of agriculture, and at the same time, it can provide appropriate and effective measures for the assessment and reduction of economic losses and risks.

By calculating and analyzing the rate covered by natural disaster, the rate affected by natural disaster, disaster coefficient of variation and disaster vulnerability of crops in Henan Province of China and using grey BP neural network simulation projections for the rate covered by various natural disaster and the rate affected by various natural disaster, the risk assessment system of agrometeorological disasters in Henan is constructed, which provides a scientific basis for systematic analysis and evaluation of agrometeorological disasters.

The purpose of this study was to conduct a comprehensive analysis of the impact and its mechanism on the transfer of agricultural labor forces in the surrounding areas resulting from the establishment of a natural reserve, which holds great significance. The significance of this analysis is on the ecological protection of the natural reserve and the coordinated development of local social economy.

This study first performs an analysis on the impact and its mechanism on the establishment of the natural reserve on the transfer of agricultural labor forces from two aspects, which are push and pull factors. Then, based on county panel data in Jiangxi Province from 1995 to 2012, this study builds a generalized difference-in-difference model and performs an empirical study on the impact, heterogeneity and its mechanism on the establishment of the natural reserve on the transfer of agricultural labor forces.

The empirical analysis reveals that the establishment of natural reserves would significantly promote the transfer of agricultural labor forces to non-agricultural sectors. The robust test and placebo test with changed estimation methods verify the robust of the result. The result passes the parallel trend test and shows that the impact is most significant within one year after the implementation of the policy. From the mechanism analysis, the impact mainly comes from the “push” effect brought by the restricted development of agricultural production and primary industry on agricultural labor forces, and the “pull” effect brought by the development of local tertiary industry.

The conclusion of this study enriches the understanding of the internal mechanism between the establishment of natural reserves and the transfer of agricultural labor forces from the push and pull factors, and can provide reference for formulating policies to promote the coordinated development of natural reserve construction and regional social economy.

This paper aims to describe the situation of the agrobiodiversity in La Garrotxa Volcanic Zone Natural Park, a protected area in which the agricultural and animal husbandry sectors play a significant role. It also aims to discuss the activities promoted by the park and by other institutions aimed at conserving and promoting local agrobiodiversity.

One of the three lines of work in the Natural Park in the field of agriculture is the recuperation, conservation and divulgation of notable and/or endangered agricultural species and varieties. This paper describes some of the work carried out in this field.

The institutions are vital in the recovery of interesting species and varieties, and in order to ensure their conservation it is essential to promote projects in which the agrarian sector can participate.

Collaboration between the institutions and the agrarian sector is essential for the conservation of the agrobiodiversity, although the interests of farmers and the use of certain species and varieties do not always coincide.

The commercial interest and the knowledge of the use and management of some of the conserved species and varieties may have been lost over time, which makes their implantation difficult. Thus, it is important to restore popular knowledge associated with all species and varieties.

In light of increasingly homogeneous agricultural and stock‐raising practices, activities such as those implemented by the La Garrotxa Volcanic Zone Natural Park have a vital part to play in the conservation of agrobiodiversity.

Evidence suggests that the demand for outdoor recreation by visitors from overseas countries is increasing in the USA and is likely to continue in the near future. To offer international tourists opportunities for quality experience, it is important to examine and understand the travel behaviour of international visitors to national parks and natural areas. Reports on a study of Australian visitors to national parks and natural areas with respect to selected demographic characteristics, motivations and information sources used in planning their trips. The findings of this study may be used to generate appropriate international market strategies for promoting tourism in national parks and natural areas in the USA.

A policy of zero prices for entry to publicly provided parks and reserves treats people equally, but does not result in equitable outcomes. Entry to New Zealand parks and reserves is free, but usage of these areas is only weakly influenced by zero entry price. Travel costs and incomes are major determinants of usage of natural areas. All citizens of a country may receive benefits from the existence of parks and reserves, and the option to visit those areas. But visitors receive disproportionately more benefits than do non‐visitors, and can legitimately be asked to meet a greater share of the costs of these areas. Equity arguments do not provide a convincing basis for continuing with zero prices to users. Recent legislation recognises this argument and will push regional governments to identify beneficiaries of Regional Parks, and levy charges which ensure users meet a greater share of the costs of Regional Parks. Given the weakness of the equity case, alternative explanation must be sought for continued zero entry prices.

The purpose of this paper is to document the contribution of alternative forms of tourism in the eco-development of mountain areas with rich natural and cultural environment.

The paper follows two methods: first, bibliographical research and second, personal fieldwork and study which included interviews with the local body and citizens; collection of information from public agencies; research of the particular characteristics of the natural and cultural environment and registration of socioeconomic activities; visits in the villages, photographing of landscapes and traditional houses and data from the author’s participation in the research program “Possibilities of a self-reliant local development, respecting the environment“, which refers to the mountainous region of Xanthi Prefecture District and with the involvement of Greek and German scientists.

The utilization of the existing tourism resources of the region with ecological perception, combined with the excellent management of the two national parks, will contribute to eco-agritourism in the eco-development of the area. The ecological center in Drymia, with its completion and expansion to a European Ecological Centre, in direct connection with the national parks, will contribute significantly to the attraction of Greek and European researchers and eco-agritourists.

The scientific community has not thoroughly studied the region of Drymia, which presents unique ecological interest in Greece and Europe.

Due to the global COVID-19 pandemic, UNESCO Landscapes and World Heritage sites have faced unstable situations. Both at the sites themselves and in the research centres, universities and even the homes of the people involved, they have acted and responded to the best of their ability. In this context, the aim of the comparative analysis of different cases carried out here is to understand the main effects of the pandemic in the short term. On the one hand, the purpose is to determine what the general response trends have been and, on the other, to measure the resilience capacity in each case.

Up to eight cases studies representing different and diverse kinds of Heritage and Protected Natural sites from Southern Europe and America are compared.

In a context of uncertainty, new responses, unique opportunities and hitherto unseen weaknesses have arisen in research and management of natural and cultural heritage. In general terms, the dialogue between officials, technicians and researchers that have put together this article underlines the need to work towards a governance model that engages everyone in dialogue. Discrepancies between overlapping strategies and plans, which is the main conflict detected, should be avoided while a decentralisation of policies could be more operational. In this sense, situated knowledge may be of help in configuring practical management tools.

This paper compares and contrasts for first time the effects of the pandemic in Europe and Latin America. This exercise has provided a valuable diagnostic for present and future heritage management.

In Europe, as in other developed regions of the world, formal protected areas (PA) are, almost by definition, conservation islands within a wider landscape of intensive farming, towns, industry and transport links. The recognised need for “more, bigger, better and joined” implies the need for complementary approaches. The purpose of this paper is to examine some innovative funding and delivery mechanisms in the UK and their strengths – and weaknesses – compared to the formal system of PA.

Building on recent research undertaken for the UK Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) the HLF landscape partnership (LP) programme is described and related to other area-based approaches including the Wildlife Trust’s Living Landscapes, the Futurescapes programme of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds and the UK government’s Nature Improvement Areas (NIA).

LPs represent an increasingly important vehicle for securing conservation of the natural and cultural heritage alongside the formal system of designated PA. Their reliance upon local initiative, community engagement and multi-agency participation presents significant advantages. The strength of the LP approach is that it is “bottom up” and in some ways opportunistic.

Non-tax funding of innovative approaches to landscape governance presents significant opportunity for natural and cultural heritage conservation, particularly in their capacity to mobilise local enthusiasm and support. However, it fits also with neo-liberal approaches which seek to transfer to the “third sector” responsibilities previously the province of local and national government.

This paper is one of a very limited number of studies of developed-country LPs. It widens the concept of “PA” beyond formal IUCN categories and indicates the potential for innovations in funding and governance.

This paper aims to analyse three individual foresight projects referring to the natural resources sector in Russia, their interconnection and influence on policy decision making.

The three foresight studies used different methodologies depending on the project's goal. First the projects' interconnections are explained. Second, each of the studies is characterised from different viewpoints, including their aims, structures, methodologies and results. Finally their influence on policy‐making is evaluated.

The paper concludes that implementation of these three interrelated studies allows identification of S&T&I priorities that have a strong connection with policy decision making. Therefore, on the basis of this experience, it is suggested that a widespread national Delphi survey for the identification of science and technology (S&T) priorities should be complemented by the identification of key long‐term demand for resources and reshaped management systems.

For the first time the paper presents an analysis of Russian foresight projects connected to the natural resources area and an evaluation of their influence on policy decision making.