The Importance of the Protected Area for the Life of the Local Community—A Case Study of the Deliblato Sands Special Nature Reserve

Dragan Novaković, Igor Trišić (), Snežana Štetić, Adina Nicoleta Candrea () and Svetlana D. Živković-Radeta
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Dragan Novaković: Faculty of Applied Ecology, Futura, Metropolitan University, Požeška 83a, 11010 Belgrade, Serbia
Igor Trišić: Faculty of Geography, University of Belgrade, Studentski Trg 3/III, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
Snežana Štetić: International Research Academy of Science and Art, Kašikovićeva 1a, 11010 Belgrade, Serbia
Adina Nicoleta Candrea: Faculty of Economic Sciences and Business Administration, Transilvania University of Brașov, 500036 Brașov, Romania
Svetlana D. Živković-Radeta: Faculty of Applied Ecology, Futura, Metropolitan University, Požeška 83a, 11010 Belgrade, Serbia

Land, 2025, vol. 14, issue 10, 1-18

Abstract: The Deliblato Sands Special Nature Reserve encompasses five municipalities and several settlements. This significantly protected region has a strong relationship between its ecosystem and the people who live there. The local population benefits from various advantages provided by this reserve. The residents’ quality of life greatly depends on the reserve’s resources. When used responsibly, they can guarantee a sustainable system with assets that are renewable. Additionally, both locals and tourists benefit from the utilization of forest space for recreation. Above all, endangered plant and animal species are protected in the Deliblato Sands woodlands. Therefore, the role of the local population in protecting this reserve is crucial for the survival of these species. Visitors from both domestic and foreign countries visit this reserve each year in considerable numbers. The study included a quantitative methodology, in which data were collected using questionnaires. The study’s goal is to find out whether the nature reserve has an impact on residents’ lives, activities, and habits, i.e., whether characteristics have an impact on respondents’ contentment. This research aims to examine how the protected area (PA) affects the life of the local community. A total of 1450 residents were surveyed regarding the impact of the Deliblato Sands ecosystem on their habits and activities. Analysis of the data indicates that the inhabitants are significantly impacted by the PA. The strongest impacts are grouped into the ecological and socio-cultural dimensions, while the economic dimension is the one with the weakest impact. The study’s value is evident in the crucial information that was supplied for the creation of national and local planning documents pertaining to the development of rural areas and tourism. The active participation of communities must be the foundation of any planning for tourism growth.

Keywords: forests ecosystem; special nature reserve; satisfaction; local community; tourism and recreation (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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