Inland, many national parks contain forested areas, and these can help to protect against natural disasters. For example, forested areas on hillsides can protect against avalanches and the damage caused by earthquakes, saving many lives. National parks also provide an opportunity for education about the importance of reducing climate change and how to change behavior to do so, with many national parks now providing education programs demonstrating this to the public.
National parks have an impact on both the national economy and local economies. Tourists visiting these areas spend money in hotels, shops, bars, restaurants, etc, and can be a vital source of jobs and income for the local community. National parks also contribute to the economy by supporting agriculture.
In protected marine areas, fish are allowed to breed and grow, and they spill over into the fished areas. This helps to replenish the fished areas, allowing more fish to be caught and sold. Similarly, in national parks that are inland, the wild relatives of common crops are allowed to thrive. This provides diverse genetic material that can then be used for crop breeding, and to protect against crop damage or failure.
Again, on a more local level, many local communities that are located near national parks rely on farming to survive. National parks contribute to these local economies for the reasons listed above, and also through protecting rural areas that may otherwise be developed. National parks play an important role in promoting physical and mental health.
Visitors to national parks spend their time outside and active, whether it be climbing, hiking, or just walking around. The average distance traveled by foot when visiting a national park is between 1 and 20 miles, so they help to increase exercise levels. Being outside in nature also has important impacts on mental health. Walking is effective in reducing anxiety and depression. Being in nature activates different areas of the brain, which have a calming effect on the mind and which reduces the heart rate and blood pressure.
Generally, human interference in nature has negative consequences for the environment. For instance, the burning of fossil fuels to create energy, dumping of waste in the ocean and deforestation are all seriously harmful to the environment and to wildlife. Marine populations shrinking, a growing hole in the ozone layer and air pollution are a few of the problems we face, but National Parks fight against this.
National Parks are areas that are free from human interference, apart from when said interference is done for the benefit of that area. This means that large areas of land all over the world are not causing any damage to the environment, which can have a significant effect on overall statistics of environmental damage. Essentially, National Parks freely allow the evolution of natural processes, they are places that can flourish without interruptions from human activity.
As National Parks are considered to be places of scientific and scenic interest, where interesting and often unique flora and fauna thrive, staff are dedicated to preserving populations and actually helping them to grow.
Many National Parks have great natural features that can assist in the production of clean, renewable energy, combatting and reducing carbon emissions.
This is especially true for water features that are well-protected and preserved by National Parks staff. Research is at the heart of many national parks and seeks to provide information that can help the environment beyond the parks themselves. Scientists can research subjects such as the ecological effects of storms. It is especially useful to be able to do this in National Parks as they are often rich in biodiversity, meaning that more wide-reaching results can be obtained.
Because they are undisturbed, National Parks are great spaces in terms of maintaining ecosystems that are vital to a healthy environment. For example, plants help to maintain the Oxygen and Carbon Dioxide atmosphere on the planet, to offset carbon emissions.
On your next holiday, why not plan a visit to a National Park? Apart from the fact that they are great for the environment and you would be supporting a great cause, they are also some of the most beautiful places on the planet with views that will take your breath away.
In addition our protected areas provide life-sustaining services vital for the wellbeing of our environment and society, such as protection of urban water catchments and climate amelioration.
Regional communities in particular benefit from the Intact natural areas also provide a variety of resources and processes vital for human life and the economy. For example protected areas provide a water catchment and filtration service, improving the quality of the water we use for drinking, agriculture and industry.
From ancient aboriginal rock-art sites, to the buildings left over from early European settlements, our national parks serve as a natural history book dating back thousands of years. Our national parks protect these vital and fragile places; areas where the traces of a history extending back more than 22, years can remain undisturbed. Today our protected areas are still used by Aboriginal people in a number of ways, such as a source of food, tools, medicine and trade, as well as in ceremonial and spiritual activities.
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