Transboundary cooperation and work with local stakeholders in three pilot sites A PROJECT EXAMPLE

1
Trans-boundary cooperation and work with local
stakeholders in three pilot sites----------------
--A PROJECT EXAMPLE

• Dr. Radoje Lauevic
• (rlausevic_at_recyu.org)
• Regional Director for SEE
• Focus Group meeting of SEENET
• Istanbul, Turkey, 16-17th November 2006

2
Acknowledgment

• Special thanks for the preparation of the
  presentation to
• Mr. Örs Marczin (omarczin_at_rec.org)
• Environmental Policy and Local Initiatives
  Programme
• Biodiversity, Agriculture and Rural Development
  Topic Area

3
Some initial considerations

• What is this presentation going to talk about
  why it might be interesting for you?
• It will present as a case study a five years
  project dealing with
• 3 trans-boundary areas rich in natural values
• rural communities in 3 regions facing serious
  socio-economic challenges
• Will try to provide some models and ideas on
• Trans-boundary cooperation and exchanges
  concerning the sustainable use of natural
  resources
• Work with local communities towards their
  (sustainable) development
• NB The presentation will talk from the
  projects perspective and you will have to find
  the analogies with your own work situation
  interpret results

4

• How biodiversity appears in the project?
• Not in the classical sense relatively little
  focus on nature conservation, ecological
  restoration, site management, etc. but in a
  broader one
• As a value on its own which cannot protect
  itself, and once its lost one cannot get it
  back,
• As an area of conflicts among many possible uses
  and users,
• As a resource which when wisely used can bring
  benefits for long times,
• As a neutral platform for countries communities
  to discuss, and
• As something that can be protected only if most
  people see a value in that and want it

5
CONTENTS

• PART 1 Basic data
• PART 2 the sites
• PART 3 The project in concrete terms
  activities outputs
• PART 4 Methodologies synthesis of results

6
PART 1 Basic project data

• Title Trans-boundary cooperation through the
  management of shared natural resource
• Timeframe July 2000 December 2006 three
  phases
• Phase 1 July 2000 January 2002
• Phase 2 February 2002-February 2004
• Phase 3 March 2004-December 2006
• Total budget 4,220,000
• Donor Swiss Agency for Development Cooperation
• Geographical scope 3 trans-boundary sites
  ecosystems
• Neretva Delta, shared by Croatia and
  Bosnia-Herzegovina
• Skadar Lake, shared by Montenegro and Albania
• Western Balkan Mountains, shared by Bulgaria and
  Serbia

7

• The project structure
• big challenge ? new structures were needed
• 6 site offices have been established 1 in each
  country with site coordinators from the area,
• REC Country Offices in each country provided
  logistic and administrative support to the sites,
• REC Headquarters provided overall management (1
  project manager, almost full time), coordination
  and methodological guidance reporting and
  financial management

8
PART 2 the sites

• Rich in natural values and traditions
• Partly protected and internationally recognised
  as of high conservation value
• Based on ecosystems shared by two countries
• Predominantly rural communities
• Socio-economic challenges high unemployment, low
  income, economic depression etc.
• Locals often rely on exploitation of species
  uncontrolled unsustainable use
• With specific development potentials in areas
  like alternative/nature tourism and organic/low
  input agriculture.

9
Neretva Delta
10

• The region
• Located on the last 30 km section of the 225 km
  long Neretva River
• 20,000 ha large with 60,000 inhabitants in 9
  municipalities (7 in Cro. 2 in BiH)
• Some key features
• Rich soils on river sediments, on a karstic
  limestone bedrock
• Until the 60s it was a hardly accessible
  marshland today is a predominantly agricultural
  area in Croatia a Nature Park in BiH
• 6 hydropower plants on the BiH section
• Biodiversity protection status
• Typical marshland biotopes open waters, reed
  beds, wet meadows, willow bushes and forests, on
  higher parts degraded sub-mediterranean forests,
  rocky areas with poor vegetation, cliffs, etc.
• Species richness 34 freshwater and gt100 marine
  fish, 7 amphibians, 16 reptiles, gt300 birds (115
  nesting), 52 mammals.
• The BiH part former hunting ground is more
  preserved, while on the Croatian side only
  fragments of wetlands can be found

11

• Important species
• pygmy cormorant (Phalacrocorax pygmaeus)
  ferruginous duck (Aythya nyroca) bearded
  parrotbill (Panurus biarmicus) Great bittern
  (Botausurs stellaris) kentish plover (Charadrius
  alexandrinus) etc.
• Areas under official protection (9,031 ha)
• 7411 ha in BiH the Hutovo Blato Nature Park
• 1,620 ha in Croatia in 5 small fragments of
  protected sites
• 18,911 ha Ramsar site (7,411 ha in BiH, 11,500 ha
  in Cro)
• Croatia plans to designate a Nature Park

The mouth of Neretva
12

• Bacina Lakes a protected site

13

• Socio-economic situation
• Agriculture, hunting and fishing are traditional
  activities
• farming is important (citrus fruits, vegetables,
  olives) 40-50 of households own land
• Great and unexplored tourism potential (richness
  in natural, cultural and archaeological values,
  proximity of popular destinations)
• Transport the region is and important crossing
  area for existing and planned transportation
  corridors

Local stakeholder
14
Agriculture is a major activity
15

• Key environmental challenges
• A water regime disturbed by hydro-power plants -
  decreased sedimentation and productivity
  increased erosion of the river bed frequent and
  rapid water level changes water shortages in the
  summer salty see water intrusion.
• Uncontrolled exploitation of sand and gravel
• No communal sewage systems and illegal waste
  disposal
• Habitat loss - expansion of human settlements,
  amelioration of the terrain to gain agricultural
  land, transport infrastructure development
• Overuse of resources uncontrolled hunting
  fishing
• Pressures on water quality from pesticides and
  artificial fertilisers used in agriculture
• Low environmental awareness of the local
  population
• Lack of appropriate nature and environmental
  protection and monitoring measures
• Weak/non-existent law enforcement to ensure the
  sustainable use of natural resources

16
Skadar/Shkodra Lake
17

• The region
• Located in the Skadar-Zeta Valley, in the 5,500
  km2 large water catchment of the Skadar Lake
• App. 350,000 inhabitants 150,000 in Albania and
  200,000 in Montenegro in 5 municipalities (2 in
  Alb. and 3 in CG)
• Two large cities Shkodra (Al) and Podgorica (CG)
  and many small rural settlements with only a few
  inhabitants
• Key features
• Defined by the 395 530 km2 large Skadar Lake
  considered the larges in the Balkans!
• A shallow lake (6,59 m mean depth 65 m max.) of
  tectonic origin, transformed from a former bay on
  the Adriatic
• Shoreline 168 km long (110.5 km in Montenegro,
  57.5 km in Albania)
• Volume 2.6 billion m3

18

• At the port of Virpazar

19

• Open waters

20

• Biodiversity protection status
• Main biotopes open waters and extended marshland
  vegetation with rooted floating Euhydrophyte
  vegetation, reed beds, periodically flooded sedge
  meadows, poplar-willow woodlands, floodplain
  forests, sub-mediterranean shrub vegetation on
  rocky surfaces
• Species diversity 726 vascular plants, 56 fish
  (in the whole water system of the lake 15
  endemic), 15 amphibians, 30 reptiles, 271 birds,
  57 mammals
• Important species common sturgeon (Acipenser
  sturio), dalmatian pelican (Pelecanus crispus),
  pigmy cormorant (Phalacrocorax pygmaeus),
  spoonbill (Platalea leucordia) otter (Lutra
  lutra)
• Area under official protection Ramsar sites
  63,027 ha
• 40,000 ha in Montenegro the Skadar Lake
  National Park
• 23,027 ha in Albania, as a Managed Nature Reserve

21

• Socio-economic
• situation
• Most relevant economic activities agriculture,
  fishing, small-scale household manufacturing and
  tourism
• Fishing an annual catch of 700-1000 t, but these
  days on a downward tendency, mostly due to
  overexploitation

Traditional fisherman's village

• Small scale subsistence farming production of
  vegetables and dairy products, with some typical
  local products (wine, tobacco, local corn
  varieties and goat cheese)
• Manufacturing of reed, willow and other plants
  into baskets, boxes and other handcraft products
• Tourism cruising, hunting, fishing, recreation,
  natures

22

• Key environmental challenges
• Unsustainable use of the lakes biodiversity
  over-fishing, uncontrolled hunting, collection of
  exotic species, etc.
• Destruction of habitats and disturbance through
  various human uses gravel excavation,
  collection of wild species, tourism, fishing,
  hunting, etc.
• Water pollution from households, industries and
  agriculture
• Low environmental awareness and the lack of sound
  scientific data.

Ornithological reserve
23
Western Balkan Mountains (West Stara Planina)
24

• The region
• A mountain region located on the most western
  section of the Balkan Mountains, between Bulgaria
  and Serbia
• Covers more then 4000 km2 (1944 km2 in Serbia and
  2099 km2 in Bulgaria) with more then 200,000
  inhabitants in 11 municipalities (4 in Serbia and
  11 Bulgaria)
• Key features
• Defined by the mountains of West Stara Planina
  a much dissected section of the Balkan range,
  with many peaks and valleys
• Highest altitude 2169 (peak Midjur), average
  altitude 658 m
• A typical Central and Eastern European landscape
  forests, meadows and pastures
• Has a dense river network (21 sub-catchments on
  the Serbian territory and 8 sub-basins on the
  Bulgarian side) belonging to the Danube River
  Basin.

25

• Meeting on the peak

By Geko Spiridonov
26

• Biodiversity protection status
• 91 natural habitat types described 59 of high
  conservation value (EU Habitats Directive and the
  Bern Convention) The most important ones are
• Forests old beech forests, fir (Abies alba)
  and spruce (Picea abies) forests high stem
  forests of durmast oak (Quercus daleschampii)
  hornbeam (Carpinus betulus) and Hungarian oak
  (Quercus frainetto)
• Grasslands pseudo-steppes and meadow-steppe
  communities high mountain meadows
• Shrub communities Vaccinium species, dwarf-pine
  (Pinus mugo), and juniper (Juniperus sibirica),
• Calcareous rocks with Ramonda serbica,
• Caves and ravines,
• Cotton grass bogs, peat bogs and mires with
  sedge species
• Species diversity more then 4300 species (210
  priority sp) 1658 vascular plants, 1937
  invertebrates, 29 fish, 27 amphibians reptiles,
  137 breeding birds, 61 mammals

27
Geo-morphological features

• By Geko Spiridonov

28

• Important species
• Ramonda serbica
• Triturus cristatus T. alpestris
• Eremophila alpestris balcanica
• Prunella collaris subalpinus
• Aquila heliaca
• Crex crex
• Neophron percnopterus
• Bonasa bonasia
• Plecotus auritus
• Lynx lynx Canis lupus

by Geko Spiridonov

• Protected areas
• Nature park Stara Planina on the Serbian side
  142,000 ha.
• 17 small protected areas in Bulgaria,
• procedure for Nature park West Balkan- 162,000
  ha
• UNESCO Biosphere reserve Chuprene

29

• Socio-economic situation
• Economic sectors agriculture (!), forestry and
  tourism

• Agriculture more then half of the population
  owns land small size farms (1.6-9 ha) and
  traditions in extensive agricultural production
  (milk products, wool and soft fruits)
  subsistence farming and the gathering of non-wood
  forest products is often the second source of
  income
• Severe socio-economic situation ageing (average
  age about 60-65 in Serbia and 50-55 in Bulgaria),
  low level of education, no infrastructure and
  public services, low income level and many
  families with one income, mismatch between
  professional orientations mainly industry and
  available economic opportunities (e.g.
  agriculture, forestry, tourism), increasing
  unemployment and depopulation
• Good perspectives for tourism development
  proximity of protected areas, attractive nature
  sites, cultural monuments, traditional crafts

30

• Key environmental challenges
• Abandonment of meadows and pastures ? overgrowth
  with shrub vegetation, disappearance of rich
  semi-natural grassland communities
• Excessive collection of natural products
  (mushroom, aromatic and medicinal plants,
  mollusks)
• Soil erosion due to weak forestry practices and
  the delayed (or missing) reforestation after
  clear-cut
• Illegal waste disposal along and in rivers ?
  negative impact on water and sediment quality
• Deliberate and accidental introduction of exotic
  species in water systems (e.g. zebra mussels,
  introduced via fishing nets or restocking of fish
  populations, rainbow trout introduced for
  commercial purposes)
• Deliberate killing of species (owls, bats,
  snakes, etc.) due to their negative image among
  the local population
• The use of illegal methods in hunting and
  fishing unsustainable catch.

31
PART 3 The project in concrete
termsActivities outputs

• Studies and surveys (some examples)
• Review of rights and obligations of water users
  (ND)
• Hydrological dynamics and biodiversity values
  (ND)
• Socio-economic analysis (ND, WSP)
• Environmental awareness of key groups (ND)
• Agriculture, hunting (ND)
• Water resources and forest practices (WSP)
• Biodiversity Databases (ND, SL, WSP)
• Identification of priority habitats and species
  (WSP)
• Bibliography (SL)
• Roles and responsibilities (SL)
• Risks and potentials concerning sustainable
  development (SL)

32

• Local trainings workshops
• Workshops strategic planning, networking of
  schools, identifying priorities for protection,
  sustainable development within protected areas,
  sustainable tourism, sustainable use of natural
  resources
• Trainings how to write projects, project cycle
  management, work with media, objective oriented
  planning, Local Environmental Action Plan,
  business environment organic farming
  environmental friendly agriculture practices
  public participation, EIA
• Study visits of local stakeholders.
• Joint plans and strategies
• action plan for sensitive areas in the Neretva
  Delta
• Joint rural tourism strategy
• Trans-boundary forums topic oriented working
  groups
• for agriculture, tourism, education

33

• Small-scale local initiatives
• At least 66 projects ranging from a few hundreds
  to several thousands (3-6000/9000 EUR)
• Implemented by local institutions of non-profit
  character NGOs, schools, municipalities,
  cultural centres, etc.
• Activities like clean-up actions, campaigns,
  research and promotion of specific local values,
  conservation measures, small business
  initiatives, raising awareness in general and on
  specific issues (e.g. the use of medicinal
  plants, species and habitats, fishing, poaching),
  nature education, eco-camps, information centers
  etc.,
• Some other local investments
• Tourist trails
• Tourist information centres
• Demonstration farm sites
• Equipment for Environmental Inspectorates, etc.

34

• Trans-boundary mapson protected areas, specific
  environmental features (e.g. soils, biodiversity,
  habitats, relief, etc.)
• Education, communication and PRtrans-boundary
  bulletins newsletters, websites, flyers, CDs
  and brochures with important outputs, bird
  watching guide for children, events fairs,
  camps, etc.
• Formal cross-border agreements (!)
• Letter of Intent of 11 municipalities in West
  Stara Planina on cooperation for sustainable
  development in the region
• Trans-boundary association of West Stara Planina
  municipalities
• Declaration of Skadar Lake stakeholders
• Statement for cooperation between Cetinje (CG)
  Shkodra (Al.)
• New protected areas
• Newly established nature reserve on 23,027 ha in
  Albania (SL)
• Procedure for the West Balkan Nature Park
  (162,000 ha) in Bg has been started an
  initiative of the REC and local municipalities

35
PART 4 Methodologies synthesis of results

• Strong focus on the process
• The goal was to engage all relevant stakeholders
  from the very beginning
• All that has been produced has been done from
  local resources and fed back into discussions
  debates
• Get Everyone Involved Meetings (GEIMS) to launch
  the process
• Regular meetings of the Trans-boundary Forums
  topic oriented working groups kept the process
  alive

36

• Institutional structures formal informal
  for different issues
• Trans-boundary Forums matured during the project
  and soon with some extra support they might
  become officially registered bodies
• With such structures the region may get easier
  access to EU funds Neighborhood instrument,
  INTERREG, etc. increased absorption capacity
• Local authorities and intuitions are well
  informed on issues and engage in solving them
• Forums may become strong pillars engines for
  local development, with a good environmental
  agenda and background

37

• Nature and environment as the topic to bring two
  sides together
• All sites were traditionally separated during
  their recent past (communism, military conflicts,
  etc.)
• Lines of communication within and between
  countries, among relevant players and communities
  living from the same resource were broken
• Local municipalities were often acting on their
  own no regional approach to development
• Nature and environment otherwise, a key element
  of the regional context was used as a neutral
  topic to start discussions and sort out these
  things

38

• A game with a neutral 3rd player
• Countries and local stakeholders were
  representing their interests and needs ( were
  encouraged to do so), while
• REC offices played the role of the mediator,
  facilitator and the neutral platform for
  discussing hot issues
• Efforts were invested to make links with national
  level authorities/ministries and the
  international arena (study visits, other projects
  IPA, Cross-border Lakes Forum, etc.)

39

• Support to bottom-up initiatives and learning
  from each other
• Small grants to aid local initiatives of
  stakeholders
• Capacity building actions on the two sides were
  implemented in a coordinated manner to
• To focus on topics which is more interesting for
  particular communities
• To transfer lessons of one side to the other and
  the other way around
• Exchange programmes, joint events, etc.
• Strong communication and PR, to get issues on the
  agenda
• Meetings, workshops, large-scale events
  (festivals, fairs),
• Declarations agreements

40
Further questions

• Dr. Radoje Lauevic (rlausevic_at_recyu.org)
• Mr. Örs Marczin(omarczin_at_rec.org)

41
Thank you for your attention!