ResourceResource useuse andand itsits impactimpact onon biodiversitybiodiversity inin SerbiaSerbia

EditaEdita StojiStojićć KaranoviKaranovićć && MarinaMarina IliIlićć

International Scientific Forum The School for “Danube – River of Cooperation” Survival

CEEwebCEEweb AnnualAnnual MeetingMeeting 20112011 Many of Serbia’s environmental problems are strongly related to its historic legacy of a centrally planned economy. A focus on heavy industrialization created inefficient and wasteful use of natural resources. Key causes include low prices on energy and other natural resources and environmental services (waste management). Due to the economic collapse in the 1990s, necessary environmental investments to prevent and build for water, sanitation and solid waste, etc. were not undertaken. Despite ongoing reform efforts, Serbia still faces with serious environmental problems. The National Environment Strategy 2007 identified among other key environmental problems: air pollution, water pollution with release of untreated industrial and municipal wastewater, agricultural run-off, contamination from transports on rivers, which are the key sources of water pollution and biodiversity damaging in Serbia. Even major towns in the country do not have municipal waste water treatment plants. Hence, only 5.3% of municipal wastewater is treated prior to discharge and nearly 90% of industrial wastewater is discharged untreated. The negative impact on biodiversity is huge. The waste management is also inadequate and so causing environmental hazards. degradation and the unsustainable use of forests are evident, too. All these phenomena leads to loss of biodiversity. By the end of the first decade of this century 642 species were reported as threatened in Serbia. The impacts of uncontrolled , illegal activities, transport and forestry on nature protected areas are of particular concern. On other hand, environment plays an important role in the harmonization with EU Legislation, too. These policy developments represent first major steps in the harmonization of domestic environmental legislation with EU acquis which is an important prerequisite for accession to the European Union. All these factors leaded to adoption of the Biodiversity Strategy of the Republic of Serbia for the period 2011-2018. BIODIVERSITY IN SERBIA • The Republic of Serbia is characterized by high genetic, species, and ecosystem diversity • Although the Republic of Serbia’s 88,361 km2 represent only 2.1% of European territory, it hosts: ü 39 % of European vascular flora ü 51 % of European fish fauna ü 49 % of European reptile and amphibian fauna ü 74 % of European bird fauna ü 67 % of European mammal fauna • The following biomes are found in the Republic of Serbia: steppe zonobiome, deciduous forests zonobiome, coniferous forests zonobiome and zonobiome of high mountain tundra • Diverse climatic vegetation zones, including a large number of extrazonal, intrazonal and azonal ecosystems, such as wetlands, peat lands, salt marsh lands and sands, strongly influence the high biodiversity • During the last ice age the territory of modern Serbia provided numerous refugia (parts of a species’ range less influenced by climate change) for a number of species - as a result, Serbia is inhabited by many relict and endemorelict species • Also, the genetic resources are very rich and include a large number of autochthonic cultivated plant and domestic animal species • Even though more than 1,200 plant communities have been described, it is assumed that there are actually between 700 and 800 plant communities • Balkan endemics comprise approximately 14.94% of Serbian flora (547 species), while local endemics comprise 1.5% (59 species) LEGAL FRAMEWORK FOR BIODIVERSITY PROTECTION

• The legal framework for the area of environmental protection is based on the Constitution of the Republic of Serbia, which defines the rights of all citizens to a healthy environment, as well as the duty of all citizens to protect and develop the environment in compliance with law MULTILATERAL ENVIRONMENTAL AGREEMENT RELATED TO BIODIVERSITY The Republic of Serbia ratified the following international conventions related to the protection of biodiversity: Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage – World Heritage Convention •Convention on Wetlands of International Importance, Especially as Waterfowl Habitat - Ramsar Convention •Convention on Biological Diversity •Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals •Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitat •Framework Convention on the Protection and Sustainable Development of the Carpathians - Carpathian Convention •UN Convention to Combat Desertification in Countries Experiencing Serious Drought and/or Desertification, Particularly in Africa – UNCCD •UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and Kyoto Protocol (UNFCCC); •Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora – CITES LAWS

The basic principles of nature protection and development are provided in the Law on Environmental Protection, which governs the conservation of the biosphere and protection of biodiversity, as well as the protection, use and trade in fauna and flora. Law on Nature Protection regulates the protection and conservation of nature, biological, geological and landscape diversity. Other relevant laws in the field of biodiversity include (jurisdiction of the Ministry of Environment, Mining and Spatial Planning): • The Law on Strategic Environmental Impact Assessment •The Law on Environmental Impact Assessment •The Law on National Parks •The Law on Protection and Sustainable Use of Fish Stocks •The Law on the Spatial Plan of the Republic of Serbia from 2010 until 2020 and others. Laws and regulations brought by the Ministry of , Forestry and Water Management also regulate the protection of biodiversity, especially in the domain of utilization and protection of forest, hunting, fishing and genetic resources for food and agriculture. These include: •The Law on Food Security, The Law on Agriculture and Rural Development , The Law on Animal Husbandry, The Law on Protection of Rights of Breeders of Plant varieties, The Law on Genetically Modified, The Law on Welfare of Animals , The Law on Forests , The Law on Game and Hunting , The Law on Animal Husbandry regulates the conservation of genetic reserves of domestic animals and biological diversity in livestock breeding (animal husbandry), The Law on Genetically Modified Organisms NATIONAL STRATEGY The strategic framework for the protection of biodiversity is defined through strategic documents and the commitment of the Serbian Government to EU integration, through the National Environmental Protection Programme and through sector strategies (agriculture, forestry, etc): üThe objectives, measures and priorities related to the protection of natural resources, among which biodiversity, are given within the framework of the National Strategy for the Sustainable Development of the Republic of Serbia üThe National Environmental Protection Programme was adopted by the Government in January 2010. üThe National Strategy for Sustainable Use of Natural Resources and Goods is a work-in-progress document. The overarching objective of the protection and management of biodiversity in the Republic of Serbia has been defined as the conservation, improvement of the status and sustainable use of autochthonous species and communities on a level that will safeguard their long-term viability üAgriculture Development Strategy of the Republic of Serbia stipulates instruments for the provision of an adequate level of protection and control in GMO-related activities üNational Rural Development Programme 2011-2013 (in the adoption procedure). It includes measures which address agro- biodiversity conservation üOne of the aims of the Forestry Development Strategy is biodiversity conservation and development within forested areas, which is part of the forest management concept. The Republic of Serbia has not introduced a hunting development strategy to this day, but this area has been defined through legal regulations and certain strategic documents that form a basis for sector development üThe Animal Husbandry Development and Improvement Programme in the Republic of Serbia (2008-2012) proposes intensification of cattle breeding aimed at provision of rational use of agricultural resources. It also proposes the conservation of autochthonic breeds’ genetic potential Biodiversity Strategy of the Republic of Serbia for the period 2011- 2018. The Strategy is being adopted for a period of seven years (2011- 2018), while activities are defined as: short-term, with an implementation period of 1-3 years, medium-term of 3-5 years, long- term 5-7 years, and continually. The main strategic goals for the conservation of biodiversity are: To enable species and ecological communities threatened with extinction to survive and thrive in their natural habitats and to retain their genetic diversity and potential To monitor, regulate and minimise the processes and activities that have or are likely to have a significant negative impact on biological diversity

The following strategic documents have also been developed: The Action Plan for Wetland Protection in the Republic of Serbia and Action Plans for Protection and Conservation of the Brown Bear (Ursus arctos), Wolf (Canis lupus) and Lynx (Lynx lynx); the Action Plan for the Management of Sturgeon Species in Fishing Waters of the Republic of Serbia (2005). The Action Plan for Invasive Species on the territory of the Republic of Serbia was adopted in 2007. STRESSES, THREATS AND CAUSES FOR BIODIVERSITY THREATS TO BIODIVERSITY IN THE REPUBLIC OF SERBIA

Stresses and direct threats to biodiversity :

Stress 1. Habitat loss, fragmentation and degradation

A) direct threat - conversion of native habitats for agricultural, forestry, residential and commercial uses A) direct threat - alteration of flow regimes of natural waterways B) direct threat - construction, use and maintenance of transportation infrastructure D) direct threat - logging E) direct threat - livestock grazing and absence of grazing F) direct threat - mining G) direct threat - tourism and outdoor recreation

Stress 2. Population declines in wild species

A) direct threat - overexploitation and illegal harvesting of plant and wildlife species B) direct threat - hunting & fishing • direct threat - gathering

Stress 3. Pollution/contamination

Stress 4. Invasive, non-native species and Genetically modified organisms (GMOs)

Stress 5. Climate change Indirect threats to biodiversity in the Republic of Serbia • Ineffective and inadequate protected areas system • Failure to understand and demonstrate the economic value of biodiversity • Inadequate legal mechanisms and financing for biodiversity conservation; weak enforcement and implementation of existing mechanisms • Lack of integration of biodiversity issues into sectoral laws and policies • Lack of information, capacities and coordination related to biodiversity conservation and management • Low level of public awareness of the importance of biodiversity