Nature conservation – Policy and procedures

Abstract

In historical times human occupation caused many sand dunes to become destabilised, and uninhabitable (Chap. 2). The enactment of laws to prevent this were amongst the first conservation measures. Although some sand dunes became nature reserves early in the twentieth century, it was not until the second half of that century that they became places more widely valued for their wildlife interest and even later for their geomorphological value. This chapter deals with mechanisms for the conservation of sand dunes at international and national levels. It introduces two examples of inventories designed to help identify important sites in Great Britain and Europe. Thereafter, it describes a number of approaches to habitat and site conservation through ownership of nature reserves, statutory sites designation and other legal mechanisms.