Natural parks are increasingly scarce, although at the rate we are going, they are also more necessary than ever. Thanks to the natural parks many species of animals can be conserved, but they also help us and the survival of our planet. Let’s see next, what is the importance of Natural Parks.
Natural parks protect the best of our natural heritage: dazzling landscapes, extraordinary wildlife and majestic forests. Together with other protected areas, they form the basis of our economic and social well-being, attract millions of visitors annually and help protect the unique wildlife of the fauna and flora found in them acting as a refuge for endangered species. Although its main objective is the protection of biodiversity, Natural Parks also provide other economic, social, cultural and health benefits invaluable to humans. Future generations deserve the right to see these natural values intact and protected as we can do today.
Natural values
Our natural parks form the cornerstone of biodiversity conservation, and contain vital habitats that provide safe shelters in which animals and plants can survive and thrive.
along with other protected areas, they provide a “backbone” of central conservation areas that can be linked through conservation efforts in different holdings, supporting a diverse, healthy and resilient environment.
A well preserved landscape is essential to save endangered species in the world. In addition, protected and natural areas provide vital services for the well-being of our environment and society, such as the protection of urban watersheds and climate improvement.
Economic value
Natural Parks provide a great boost to the economy of the countries or regions in which one of these parks is located. It is not only that there is an economic benefit for the many tourists who visit these parks, but we must also mention the creation of jobs and the money spent on accommodation, fuel and food.
For example, only the Great Barrier Reef of Australia attracts more than $ 6 billion a year in tourism expenses and supports more than 63,000 jobs.
In addition, intact natural areas also provide a variety of resources and processes vital to human life and the economy. For example, protected areas provide a water collection and filtration service, improving the quality of the water we use for drinking, agriculture and industry.
Social and cultural values
The natural parks are full of history and culture. From ancient aboriginal rock art sites, to the remains and constructions that were left of the first settlements, the natural parks serve as a natural history book that dates back thousands of years.
Our natural parks protect these vital and fragile places; areas where the traces of a story that goes back more than 22,000 years can remain intact. Today, in fact, the aborigines of some of the parks and nature reserves that exist continue to use these protected areas in various ways, as a source of food, tools, medicines and commerce, as well as ceremonial and spiritual activities. In this way, natural parks provide an opportunity for people to establish and continue their connections with the land and share their irreplaceable cultural knowledge with the community in general.
Health & Wellness
Natural areas have a profound effect on our health and physical and emotional well-being. In our increasingly frenetic world, natural parks are important sanctuaries where people can take time, enjoy nature, get fit, relax and revitalize, while the inherent beauty of nature serves as a source of artistic inspiration, Creative and spiritual.
Research on the benefits of contact with the natural environment shows that it is likely to have a significant positive psychological effect, which serves to reduce stress, anger, frustration and aggression, provides an opportunity for social bonding and serves as A place for learning and mentality . Children in particular show the long-term benefits of playing outdoors. In addition to the obvious health and wellness benefits that our natural parks provide, they also help us in less obvious ways, such as acting as natural buffers against extreme weather events, helping us control our climate, providing us with clean water, improving food security and serving as an important resource for the pharmaceutical industry.