Bas Verschuuren
Practitioner Fellow at International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)
Location:
Wagenigen, Netherlands
Project Title: Developing Indicators for Monitoring and Management of Cultural and Spiritual Values in Protected Areas
Publications and Presentations: BELIEVING IS SEEING Integrating cultural and spiritual values in conservation management
Project Description
In protected areas, the management of non-material, cultural, and spiritual values forms a challenge for park managers, policymakers, and indigenous people alike. The management of sacred natural sites (SNS) especially requires approaches to comprehend a range of intangible values that may only be identified and truly understood by people to whom these sites are important or held sacred. While considerable progress has been made in this field and work is ongoing, a comprehensive knowledge base and effective field-tested tools for the management of SNS requires further development.
Bas Verschuuren is developing a tool to facilitate the inclusion of cultural and spiritual values into park management decision making with a contribution to the UNESCO/IUCN Guidelines on Management of Sacred Natural Sites.
"These guidelines are a synthesis of synergies and opportunities for the management of SNS and the intangible cultural and spiritual values," said Mr. Verschuuren. "Suitable indicators and indicator criteria can be extremely helpful when putting in place and informing upon related management objectives in protected areas."
Ultimately, his research aims to contribute to an increased understanding of the importance of bio-cultural diversity and different cultural perceptions of nature and landscapes. It will contribute to the development and strengthening of more effective and holistic strategies for ecosystem management and co-existence of simultaneous realities.
"Integrating cultural and spiritual values into the management of protected areas contributes to equitable social policy, sustainable ecological management, and economically feasible financing mechanisms" said Mr. Verschuuren.
Biographical Information
Bas Verschuuren has a background in environmental sciences and participatory nature and forest management. He holds a M.Sc. degree in environmental systems analysis from Wageningen University (Netherlands), a B.S. degree in nature and forest management from Larenstein International Agricultural College (Netherlands), and a technical degree in nature management from t'Vanck professional technical institute (Netherlands).
Mr. Verschuuren is a member of the IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas and its task force on cultural and spiritual values of protected areas. With the latter, he is on the steering committee and serves as a communications officer. Additionally, he manages a clearing house on cultural valuation at www.naturevaluation.org.
During his career, he has worked on a variety of projects and studies located in South America, Europe, Asia, and Australia. He currently works on the scientific staff of the Foundation for Sustainable Development (Netherlands) and assists in the educational master's program at Wageningen University. His work has led him to present at various international conferences and workshops, as well as to publish and co-author several academic reports and articles.
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