Vitálišová, K., Miňová, L., Vaňová, A. (2021). Current problems of the development of biosphere reserves in the Slovak Republic . Economy and Society, 22 (2), 51-66. doi: https://doi.org/10.24040/eas.2021.22.2.51-66
The systematic development of biosphere reserves belongs to the challenges of Agenda 2030 and is crucial to eliminate the consequences of climate changes and support the sustainability and resilience of territory. The aim of the paper is to define the fundamentals ofthe biosphere reserves in the Slovak Republic and to characterize the problem areas of their operating. Based on the theoretical definition of biosphere reserves the paper discusses the main challenges and obstacles in management of four biosphere reserves in Slovak Republic – the Slovak Karst, Poľana, Eastern Carpathians a Tatras. The information and data were collected by the interviews with the representatives of biosphere reserves and the Head of Slovak Committee for MAB
Vitálišová, K., Vaňová, A., Rojíková, D. 2022. Marketing as a management tool of biosphere reserves to achieve goals of Agenda 2030. In Casais, B., Soares A.M. (eds). Uniting Marketing Efforts for the Common Good: a challenge for four sectors. Springer 131–148 p. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-29020-6_7
The aim of this paper is to identify the role of marketing places in the sustainable development of biosphere reserves and demonstrate it in the examples of Slovak biosphere reserves. The main sources of data are the international and national documents related to biosphere reserves, as well as interviews with managers of four biosphere reserves in the Slovak Republic—Slovak Karst, Poľana, Eastern Carpathians, and Tatras—and a chairwoman of the Slovak Committee for the biosphere, with the aim to identify the main problems of biosphere reserves development and their potential solutions. This paper proposes possible measures on how to develop marketing activities to eliminate the weaknesses of biosphere reserves management and thus raise the value of biosphere reserves.
Vitálišová, K. & Vavrúšová, M. (2023) Ecotourism and promotion as a key to development of biosphere reserves . Responsibility and Sociability, 8(1), 32–41. Spain, Portugal, Uruguay. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7544102
The paper presents the case study on the biosphere reserve and the role of ecotourism and promotion in their development. The biosphere reserves are presented as model territories based on the harmony of human and nature, and that is why the social and economic development in this areas has to be properly managed and in line with the principles of sustainable development. The case study on the examples of Slovak biosphere reserves explain the possible solutions of their further development based on the ecotourism and promotion of their uniqueness. It points out various effects of tourism that bring positive but also negative effects on the quality of the territory.The paper presents the partial outputs of project APVV-20-0108 Implementation of Agenda 2030 through biosphere reserves.
MIHÓK, P., ROJÍKOVÁ, D., ORVISKÝ M. 2022. Involving environmental national umbrella organizations in the management of activities in biosphere reserves in Sweden and Slovakia . In: Ekonomika a spoločnosť = Journal of economics and social research: scientific journal of the Faculty of Economics of the University of Bratislava in Banská Bystrica. – Banská Bystrica; Banská Bystrica, 2022. – ISSN 1335-7069. – Vol. 23, No. 2. https://doi.org/10.24040/eas.2022.23.2.56-84
Under the ‘Man and biosferes”(MAB) program of UNESCO, biosphere reserves (BR) are supposed to be representative examples of cultural and natural areas in which both human activity and the natural environment play equally important roles. With proper management, BR should create a synergistic effect between humans and nature in order to foster the so-called sustainable economic and social development at BR territories. Approaches to BR management therefore vary (especially in the way communities and stakeholders are involved) and sometimes even differ within BR of a single country. The aim of the paper is to identify the most relevant publicly available information about the involvement of the most relevant stakeholders in the management of activities of BR in Sweden and Slovakia, with a focus on national umbrella organizations of environmental non governmental organisations and other relevant stakeholders that represent the public.
VAŇOVÁ, A., VITÁLIŠOVÁ, K., ROJÍKOVÁ, K., ŠKVARENINOVÁ, D. 2023. Promotion of biosphere reserves: How to build awareness of their importance for sustainable development? In Environmental & Socio-economic Studies. Vol. 11, No. 4. 49-61 pp. https://doi.org/10.2478/environ-2023-0023
The biosphere reserves are hybrid territories united protected and non-protected areas with the soft economic and social activities. They bring unique opportunities for local people, businesses and other relevant stakeholders. However, because of low public awareness the potential of some biosphere reserves, is not adequately utilized. This article addresses the research gap related to the identification of the importance of promoting the sustainable development of biosphere reserves and the possibilities of exploiting and enhancing their spatial development. The aim of the research was to clarify the role and importance of promotion for the sustainable development of biosphere reserves. It was focused on investigating the importance of promotion tools in terms of creating awareness of biosphere reserves. The research took place in two Slovak biosphere reserves – Poľana and the Tatras. This article identifies and analyzes the use of promotional tools in these two selected biosphere reserves through secondary sources (websites, profiles on social networks) and in-depth interviews with the managers of these biosphere reserves. The awareness of biosphere reserves was researched with the use of a questionnaire survey in both biosphere reserves. This article defines the problem areas and opportunities, which may contribute to the development of awareness about biosphere reserves which is inevitable for their further sustainable development. The research results confirmed that their promotion influenced the sustainable development of the biosphere reserves. Thanks to their accurate promotion, entrepreneurs and residents can better evaluate the impact of their activities on the sustainability of a biosphere reserve. This contributes to reducing the conflicts that arise between nature protection and economic and social profit.
SÝKOROVÁ, K. 2023. Regional quality marks as a competitive advantage of biosphere reserves. In: Global social and technoligical development and sustainability : EUMMAS A2S conference. – 1. vyd. – Banja Luka : EUMMAS, 2023. – ISBN 978-9948-787-15-0. – Pp. 21-33.
According to UNESCO, biosphere reserves are ‚learning places for sustainable development‘. They are areas for testing interdisciplinary approaches to understanding and managing changes and interactions between social and ecological systems. They are places that provide local solutions to global challenges (https://en.unesco.org/biosphere/about). Following these thoughts, we understand four components-economy, society, institutions, and environment as crucial for ensuring resilience and sustainable economic development of biosphere reserves. The basics for sustaining economic development of a territory is to strength its competitiveness. The paper aims to research the utilization of regional quality mark as a potential source of competitive advantage of a biosphere reserve on the examples of international known regional quality marks and how this approach can be implemented in the Slovak biosphere reserves. Regional quality mark represents unique high quality local agricultural, food, handicrafts products or services, those are result of activities of local craftsmen, food and agricultural producers and providers of accommodation and catering services. The role of regional quality mark is to present quality of region, its inhabitants, culture, traditions, and positive attitude to environment and mainly to promote and to support sale of unique regional products from local producers. The quality mark is represented by the logo for the products and services that have been certified as compliant with the standards of quality concerning the protection and conservation of the environment, nature, biodiversity, and cultural heritage (Jaďuďová, Tomaškin, Ševčíková, Andráš, Drimal, 2022). It also supports the product innovations in a form of local production offer, which could contribute to the development of business activities and the creation of new jobs. The paper presents partial results of projects Implementation of Agenda 2030 through biosphere reserves in the Slovak Republic.
Vitálišová, K., Vavrúšová, M. & Sýkorová, K. (2024). Biosphere reserves as a source of positive externalities. Economics and Society, 25 (2), 92-106. https://doi.org/10.24040/eas. 2024.25.2.92-106
The advantages of protected areas mainly relate to the evaluation of ecosystem services which provide benefits to people. These affect various areas of life. From the perspective of economic theory, these are externalities. These are perceived as benefits or disadvantages that occur outside the market to another party. Based on the review of literature, this paper highlights the advantages of the biosphere reserves regarding the externalities that arise from their presence as a distinct type of area connecting the principles of environmental protection with suitable socio-economic development. The paper thus contributes to the development of theoretical knowledge, given that this is a poorly researched issue, but at the same time very topical due to climate change and its negative impacts on nature and humans
Vitálišová, K., Piscová, V., Fabriciusová, V. (Eds.) 2025. Biosphere reserves in Slovakia. What next? rec. Juraj Hreško, Zuzana Guziová. – 1st ed. – Banská Bystica: Publishing House of the Matej Bel University – Belianum, 2025. – 268 p. [16.79 AH]. – ISBN 978-80-557-2237-5. https://doi.org/10.24040/2025.9788055722368
The scientific book represents a comprehensive presentation of research outputs within the framework of the implemented project APVV-20-0108 Implementation of the 2030 Agenda through Biosphere Reserves. The book is monothematically oriented towards the issue of biosphere reserves and approaches it from various angles. It focuses on biosphere reserves in Slovakia and its content seeks to point out the possibilities of how to further progress in building biosphere reserves from the perspective of legislative anchoring, strategic management and planning, financing and marketing. At the same time, it points out the justification for the existence of biosphere reserves as an important entity contributing to the achievement of the sustainable development goals of the 2030 Agenda and directly implementing the concept of citizen science, which leads to a stronger identification with the uniqueness of the biosphere reserve territory. The publication thus offers a comprehensive view of the role of biosphere reserves in protecting natural and cultural heritage and in promoting sustainable and participatory development in the context of the goals of the 2030 Agenda.
PISCOVÁ, Veronika – VITÁLIŠOVÁ, Katarína. Unique biosphere reserves in Slovakia . In Krásy Slovenska, 2025, vol. 102, no. 5-6, pp. 18-23. ISSN 0323-0643. Available online: https://krasy-slovenska.sk/unikatne-biosfericke-rezervacie-na-slovensku/ .
IZAKOVIČOVÁ, Zita – PISCOVÁ, Veronika. Landscape ecological plan as a basic tool of sustainable land use. In 30th Jubilee Session of the Permanent European Conference for the Study of the Rural Landscapes. – Lublin & Zamosc : Institute of socio-economic geography and Spatial management Maria Curie-Sklodowska University in Lublin, 2024, p. 122. (Jubilee Session of the Permanent European conference for the study of the rural landscapes).
IZAKOVIČOVÁ, Zita – DOBROVODSKÁ, Marta – ŠPULEROVÁ, Jana – PISCOVÁ, Veronika – MELICHER, Jakub – HREŠKO, Juraj. Landscape – ecological plan as a tool for management of Biosphere reserves. In Future-ready geography : Annual Eurogeo conference 2023. – Krakow : Pedagogical University of Krakow, 2023, p. 65. (Future-ready geography : conference).