Project title: Achieving biodiversity conservation through the creation, effective management and spatial designation of protected areas, and capacity building
Geographical scope: Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Time frame: Ongoing.
Partners:
- Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations of Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Ministry for Spatial Planning, Construction and Ecology of Republika Srpska
- Ministry of Environment and Tourism of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Co-financiers:
- Federal Ministry of Environment and Tourism of Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Ministry of Education and Culture of RS/ Institute for Protection of Cultural, Historical and Natural Heritage of Republika Srpska
- Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management of Republika Srpska
- CENER21
- Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations of Bosnia and Herzegovina
- UNEP Europe Office
Contributions to SDGs:
- SDG2: Zero hunger
- SDG14: Life below water
- SDG15: Life on land
Environmental challenge:
Bosnia and Herzegovina is a country rich in biodiversity and natural resources. It hosts more than 250 ecosystems, making it among the most biodiversity-rich countries in Europe. However, nature conservation is still quite undervalued as a concept. Bosnia and Herzegovina’s network of protected areas cover 118,000 hectares, or just 3% of its territory. The UNEP/GEF project aims to create five new protected areas totaling 26,000ha. Nature in Bosnia and Herzegovina is furthermore coming under pressure from the construction of small hydropower plants, deforestation, urban expansion and land degradation.
In order to spur broader sustainable development in the country, the project aims to help protected areas to grow and thrive. This is being done by involving local communities, scaling up and sharing best practices, and addressing shortcomings in how biodiversity is managed. The existing protected area has been re-assessed, and new areas are being created to protect vulnerable ecosystems and help deal will growing pressures faced by biodiversity.
Project:
The project’s overall objective is to support the expansion of the protected area system in Bosnia and Herzegovina and enable capacity conditions for the effective management and mainstreaming of biodiversity into the production landscape.
Component 1: Establishment and effective management of protected areas and biological diversity
The first aim is to support Bosnia and Herzegovina in expanding its protected areas network, namely establishment of protection for the ten natural areas identified in the project preparation phase:
The first aim is to expand the protected areas network in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The ten natural areas suggested for protection are listed as below:
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Mountain Zvijezda (6,222.55 ha); (2) Livanjsko carst field, (45,080 ha); (3) Vjetrenica cave (4,713 ha); (4) Mediteranetum botanical reserve (coastal area (1,432 ha); (5) Mountain Orjen (16,800 ha); (6) Cave Govjestica - Mokranjska Miljacka (3,500 ha); (7) Tišina natural habitat (200 ha); (8) Mountain Bjelašnica-Treskavica-Visočica-river Rakitnica canyon (19,000.00 ha); (9) Tara River Canyon (14,453.38 ha); (10) Prača river canyon (4,067.89 ha).
Component 2: Management effectiveness of the national protected areas system
Under this component, the aim is to implement the capacity building activities for advocacy and communication of the natural values and benefits to protected areas’ staff and conservation authorities and increase public awareness on nature conservation. The overall result aimed for is an improved management capacity for the effective management of protected areas and biodiversity conservation.
A further aim is to increase outreach among protected areas’ staff, conservation authorities and the general public, including through a campaign carried out in cooperation with the World Wildlife Fund. Overall, a more effective management in protected areas and biodiversity conservation is aimed for. This will be achieved through trainings for protected area managers, advocacy in the tourism sector, and the development of a management strategy for the country’s protected areas network.
Component 3: Biodiversity monitoring
The third aim is to establish an “Operational biodiversity monitoring system in BiH”, addressing the important obstacles in nature conservation in the country. The project shall develop an officially recognized, inclusive and functional system for biological diversity monitoring system in Bosnia and Herzegovina as a basis for nature conservation through:
- Development of the Indicator framework for biodiversity and corresponding legislation, and its adoption by the governments;
- Establishment of the information platform for the biodiversity monitoring in BiH;
- Revision and establishment of the Red List Index(es) in BiH as a main instrument for biological diversity monitoring.
News and stories:
- Protected areas campaign (with EN subtitles).
- First protected areas manager’s day (EN)
- Most recent protected areas manager’s day (BCS).
- Training on Project cycle management (BCS).
- The Vjetrenica Popovo polje Protected Area (BCS).
- The Gromiželj Protected Area (BCS).
- The Orjen Protected Area (BCS).
- The Praca Protected Area (BCS).
Any questions?
For more information please contact: Matea Grabovac, matea.grabovac@un.org and/or Sonja Gebert, sonja.gebert@un.org.
