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Feasibility study on establishing transboundary cooperation in the potential transboundary protected area: - National Park

Prepared within the project “Sustaining Rural Communities and their Traditional Landscapes Through Strengthened Environmental Governance in Transboundary Protected Areas of the Dinaric Arc” ENVIRONMENT FOR PEOPLE A Western Environment & Development in the Dinaric Arc Cooperation Programme

Author: Marijana Josipovic Photographs: Tara National Park archive Proofreading Linda Zanella Design and layout: Imre Sebestyen, jr. / UNITgraphics.com Available from: IUCN Programme Office for South-Eastern Dr Ivana Ribara 91 11070 , [email protected] Tel +381 11 2272 411 Fax +381 11 2272 531 www.iucn.org/publications Acknowledgments: A Special “thank you” goes to:

Boris Erg, Veronika Ferdinandova (IUCN SEE), Dr. Deni Porej, (WWF MedPO), Ms. Aleksandra Mladenovic for commenting and editing the assessment text. Zbigniew Niewiadomski, consultant, UNEP ISCC for providing the study concept. Emira Mesanovic Mandic, WWF MedPO for coordinating the assessment process.

2 The designation of geographical entities in this publication, and the presentation of the material, do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of IUCN, WWFMedPO and SNV concerning the legal status of any country, territory, or area, or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. The views expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect those of IUCN, WWF MedPO and SNV.

This publication has been made possible by funding from the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland.

Published by: IUCN, Gland, Switzerland and Belgrade, Serbia in collaboration with WWFMedPO and SNV

Copyright: © 2011 International Union for Conservation of Nature

Reproduction of this publication for educational or other non-commercial purposes is authorized without prior written permission from the copyright holder, provided the source is fully acknowledged.

Reproduction of this publication for resale or other commercial purposes is prohibited without prior written permission of the copyright holder.

Citation: Josipovic, M., (2011). Feasibility study on establishing transboundary cooperation in the potential Tara-Drina National Park. Gland, Switzerland and Belgrade, Serbia: IUCN Programme Office for South-Eastern Europe. Number of pages, 32 pp.

3 ENVIRONMENT FOR PEOPLE A Western Balkans Environment & Development in the Dinaric Arc Cooperation Programme

Table of Contents

Background of the study...... 6 Purpose of the assessment ...... 6 Methodology...... 7 Overview...... 8

CONTEXT FOR TRANSBOUNDARY COOPERATION

Historical context of the area...... 9 Border context...... 9 Socioeconomic context...... 10 Demography...... 10 Transport infrastructure...... 10 Economic Development...... 11 Tourism...... 13

UNIFING ELEMENTS—NATURE OF THE PROPOSED TRANSBOUNDARY PROTECTED AREA Environmental conditions ...... 15 Overview of nature values in the region ...... 15 Existing and potential natural and landscape linkages across the border. . . . .18 Potential threats to environment...... 20

SUPPORT FOR TRANSBOUNDARY COOPERATION Legal and institutional framework for biodiversity conservation...... 21 Protected areas in the planned transboundary protected area...... 22 Administration...... 23 Communication...... 24 Funding and coordination...... 25 Support and involvement of local stakeholders...... 26 Examples of common transboundary initiatives undertaken...... 27

FIRST STEPS IN TRANSOUNDARY COOPERATION: opportunities, challenges, benefits Existing grounds for transboundary cooperation...... 29 Opportunities ...... 29 Benefits for the local population...... 30 Challenges...... 30 Recommendations...... 31

4 List of acronyms:

AEWS Accident Emergency Warning System BiH and CBD COP 9 9th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity CBD PoWPA Convention on Biological Diversity, Programme of Work on Protected Areas EU IPA , Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance GEF Global Environment Fund IUCN SEE International Union for Conservation of Nature Programme Office for South-Eastern Europe NP National Park PA Protected Area REC Regional Environmental Center SR Republic of Serbia SNV Netherlands Development Organisation TBPA Transboundary Protected Area TBR Transboundary Biosphere Reserve UNDP Development Programme UNEP United Nations Environment Programme WWF MedPO World Wide Fund for Nature Mediterranean Programme Office

5 ENVIRONMENT FOR PEOPLE A Western Balkans Environment & Development in the Dinaric Arc Cooperation Programme

ary protected areas), which shows a Background of general awareness that protecting this the study natural and cultural wealth can only be achieved through the close coopera- tion of the Dinaric Arc countries. The The Project “Environment for EU perspective is currently the main political driver, since EU accession is People in the Dinaric Arc” the principal objective for the countries of the region. Strong economic growth The project “Environment for People in and progressing integration into the EU the Dinaric Arc” began in 2009 and is are set to bring the stability, security, funded by the Ministry for Foreign Af- and prosperity that the peoples of the fairs of Finland. The project is expected region are hoping for. In this context, to last three years. It represents a joint establishing transboundary collabora- development initiative by IUCN (In- tion on environmental and develop- ternational Union for Conservation of ment issues is of interest to all the Nature) implemented by the IUCN Re- western Balkan countries. gional Office for Pan-Europe and IUCN The “Environment for People in the Programme Office for South-Eastern Dinaric Arc” project aims to trans- Europe, in partnership with the World form this political commitment into Wide Fund for Nature–Mediterranean a concrete action for the Dinaric Arc Programme Office and SNV–Nether- region. In short, the goal of the project lands Development Organisation. is to improve the sustainable devel- The project was developed to sup- opment of rural communities on the port the political commitments of basis of conservation of biological the Dinaric Arc countries towards diversity and traditional landscapes in enhancing cooperation on protected transboundary regions by enhancing area establishment and management regional cooperation and strengthen- within the framework of implement- ing environmental governance, includ- ing CBD PoWPA. In this context, the ing participation and empowerment most important step was the “Big Win” of civil society and local communities commitment for the Dinaric Arc, jointly (IUCN, 2008). signed by , Bosnia and Herze- govina, , , Serbia, Why transboundary coopera- and in May 2008 during the 9th Conference of the Parties to the tion? Convention on Biological Diversity The need for establishing transbound- (CBD COP 9) in Bonn, . The ary collaboration is based on the idea commitment includes the general that natural systems straddling political statement of all signatories to build an boundaries can be most effectively effective network of protected areas, managed as functional units at the based on the recognition of the natural scale of the regional landscape and and cultural wealth of the Dinaric Arc would, therefore, benefit from ap- region. It also includes a list of specific propriate mechanisms for long-term national and regional priorities for each transboundary cooperation. While the country. These priorities include the es- establishment of TBPAs for integrated tablishment of 13 new protected areas conservation and development can and the evaluation of the contribution enhance environmental protection, it the protected areas could make to the can also reinforce political security and local and national economies. They provide multiple benefits to local com- also include strengthening regional munities. collaboration by creating a series The existence of TBPAs and their buffer of transboundary natural resource zones can help rebuild divided com- management areas (i.e. transbound- munities, promote freedom of move- 6 ment and create new opportunities for Methodology sustainable development, including This analysis is based on a question- low-impact tourism. Such areas can naire completed by two local consult- also make an important contribution ants, one for each side of the border to regional biodiversity conserva- at each project site. The questionnaire tion programmes, especially in areas was developed by Mr Zbigniew Niewia- where they form a coherent ecological domski, the UNEP Regional Consultant network. on Trans-boundary Protected Areas. Neighbouring states, which often have The UNEP kindly made the question- different levels of technical expertise, naire available to this project and knowledge, capacity, and financial re- allowed its author, Mr. Niewiadomski, sources, can benefit by combining their to assist us. The initial questionnaire respective strengths through trans- was slightly modified to focus on the boundary cooperation (IUCN, 2008). specific needs of this project and the specifics of the pilot sites. Purpose of the assessment The questionnaire consists of 168 ques- The purpose of the assessment is tions and regional consultants were to feed the project with necessary given a three-month period to provide information and provide directions for answers with the assistance of other increasing the level of transboundary regional experts, local administrations, collaboration by taking advantage of Internet research, scientific articles and the opportunities and overcoming the personal discussions. Although the difficulties identified in this report. questionnaire provided sound insight into the traditional landscape, a more thorough overview of the local law enforcement and social background is recommended for future assessments.

Fig. 1 Population of at the locality Studenac 7 ENVIRONMENT FOR PEOPLE A Western Balkans Environment & Development in the Dinaric Arc Cooperation Programme

Specific remarks for potential THE Drina Biosphere Reserve - report

This study focuses on the area which original wildness has been disturbed stretches along sections of the border by two hydropower plants and several region between southwest Serbia and artificial lakes in the region of Visegrad, eastern in the Perucac and Zaovine. central part of the Drina River Valley. This region has outstanding natural The study examines the possibili- values and contains preserved ecosys- ties for establishing a transboundary tems, endemic and threatened plant protected area, in this case a Biosphere species and communities, including Reserve, and analyses the transbound- Serbian spruce (Picea omorika) as the ary cooperation in this region to date. flagship species of the entire area. It This is a predominantly mountain- is a refuge for unique fauna and large ous region belonging to the Dinaric predator species such as , Alps. The area includes specific karst Fig. 2 Bridge of Mehmed Pasa Sokolovic and golden eagle. landscape scenery with deep gorges and , dense forests, mountain Numerous archaeological sites have meadows and lakes. been recorded in the area (118 on the BiH side), including rich cultural and According to the Spatial Plan of Re- archaeological values such as wooden publika Srpska, the Drina Biosphere architecture and traditional land use Reserve will encompass 1148 km2 of practices. The Bridge of Mehmed Pasa which 626 km2 is on the territory of Sokolovic is inscribed on UNESCO . It is planned that World Heritage List. this potential transboundary protected area will extend over parts of the terri- Much more information is available for tory of three in BiH (Sre- the area of Tara National Park than for brenica, Visegrad and ), and the other side of the border, owing to three municipalities in Serbia (Bajina the fact that the park was established Fig. 3 Remains from the Roman period - Basta, Uzice and Cajetina). in 1981. On the other side, protection of the valuable border area in Bosnia The beautiful Drina River dominates is planned in the future, and currently the area. The Drina River is the largest there are many gaps in knowledge and tributary of the River with a catch- much less information available. ment area of 19,946 km². The river’s

Fig. 4 Map of the Tara-Drina National Park (source: Institute for Protection of Natural and Cultural heritage, ) 8 CONTEXT FOR TRANSBOUNDARY COOPERATION Historical context of the area This border was established as a result The history of the Balkans has been of a long-term historical process in the marked with confrontations of differ- Western Balkans and dates back to the ent political and religious interests time of . During the and ideas. Due to historical processes dissolution of the former , in the region, local populations lived the borders of the former Yugoslav periodically in the same state and often socialist republics were internationally belonged to different entities and recognized as state borders between were separated by wars. Bosnia and the newly created states. This implies Serbia were two of the six constitu- that the border between Serbia and ent republics in the common state of BiH was determined in 1945 by the the Socialist Federative Republic of post-war Communist regime. However, Yugoslavia (SFRY). During this period, the Dayton Peace Accord from 1995 the local people in this transboundary specifically states the obligation of Ser- region were connected through many bia and BiH to ratify their borders and sectors especially economy, healthcare, resolve any outstanding disputes. communications and others. The establishment of borders and The recent history is marked by a civil formation of new states led to the war in the on the territory of limitation of free commuting of people BiH. There were no conflicts or war and goods. There is no visa regime for activities on the territory of Serbia in crossing the border, though crossing is this particular region. On the BiH side of only legally permitted at border cross- the border, the recent military conflict ings, which complicates the situation resulted in a change of the ethnic for people owning farms and land structure, depopulation of certain rural on the other side of the border. For areas, abandoned settlements and agri- citizens of these two countries, only an culture areas. Several small areas are no identification card is necessary (with longer accessible due to the presence the exception of children who require of land mines. Regardless of the ethni- a passport). There are other regula- cal, religious and cultural differences, tions restricting the flow of goods and the local inhabitants in this region have services across the border (customs, been coexisting for a long period and complex veterinary and health regula- have strong and interdependent links. tions) which creates difficulties for the livelihood of people in the border re- gions and hinders economic develop- Border context ment. The movement of goods (includ- The border line between Serbia and ing animals) that must pass veterinary BiH extends over 383 km, of which 229 and sanitary controls is possible only at km is a river border. In the proposed border crossings with organized sani- transboundary protected area, the tary and veterinary control. The Karakaj main physical features defining the border crossing near , which is boundaries are rivers and mountains, outside the proposed protected area, especially the Drina River. In this part, is used for the trade of goods of animal the landscape is particularly dominated and plant origin. by Lake Perucac, which was formed The issue of smuggling domestic by the damming of the Drina River. animals across the border needs to The rest of the border crosses through be addressed integrally for the region mountain meadows and forests and as a whole. By having both countries is primarily a terrestrial mountainous adopt the European legislation, this region. issue would be significantly reduced. 9 ENVIRONMENT FOR PEOPLE A Western Balkans Environment & Development in the Dinaric Arc Cooperation Programme

Overcoming these and other issues is transboundary area in Serbia includes largely a matter of political will on both 15 villages. The average number of sides of the border. residents per settlement is 481. Such a network of scattered settlements and Apart from what was mentioned hamlets, known as the starovlaski type, above, there are no specific obstacles is characteristic for Tara Mountain as posing a major problem for transbor- indigenous and has been preserved to der cooperation. the present day. The most important settlements within the proposed area Socioeconomic context are: Zaovine, Perucac, , Mokra Demography , , while the settlements Rastiste, Jagostica and Solotusa lie in The geographical position, historical the territory of the national park. In the and natural processes have all had proximity of the proposed area, there an important influence on the de- are two urban settlements: Bajina Basta mographic situation and settlement and Uzice. disturbance in this region. In both countries, this area lies in remote On the BiH side, there is an evident lack mountain parts, characterised by nega- of official demographic data relating tive demographic trends and a low to population density and size for the population density. Population size is area within the potential protected decreasing every year throughout the area. However, there are certain demo- area due to the negative demographic graphic estimates at the level of the trends. This is a significant regional Republika Srpska entity as listed within problem, as the population is elderly its Spatial Plan 2005–2015. The popula- and workforce is migrating towards tion size generally is very low. Esti- larger urban centres. mated population size is about 56,000 in the territory of three municipalities According to the last Serbian census (Visegrad 20,000; Rogatica 15,000; Sre- in 2002, the total population of the brenica 21,000). The estimated popula- potential Biosphere Reserve on the tion density is 35 inhabitants/km2. It Serbian side was 7,220 inhabitants in is estimated that population size and the broader area of Tara National Park. density may be even lower in the rural The census from 1948 recorded 14,816 parts of the proposed protected area, residents in this part. These figures due to the terrain configuration. reveal the depopulation trend the area is facing. The total population in all There are no settlements divided by three municipalities of the proposed the state border. However, in many area is 100,076 (Uzice – 45,667; Bajina cases, the local residents have land Basta – 34,183; Cajetina – 20,226). The and properties on the other side of the population density in the area is very border. low, with average of 23 residents per square kilometre, and as low as 9 in Transport infrastructure some parts. A negative tendency and The density of road network in the aging structure of the population is Tara region is low, and existing roads especially pronounced within the na- are mainly in poor condition. The area tional park area. The average age of the is not well connected to the larger population in settlements in this area national roads. The total length of is 48 years, and up to 60 years in some roads is 1678 km2 with 50% currently villages. The working age population is undergoing modernization. Within the represented by only 3,116 inhabitants. three municipalities (Uzice, Bajina Basta The general Tara area encompasses a and Cajetina), local roads account for mountainous region with a settlement 73.3%, regional for 16.4% and national Fig. 5 View from Tara National Park towards Bosnia pattern consisting of small settle- highways for only 10.2% of the total ments and hamlets. The proposed road network (Spatial plan for the

10 special purposes of Tara National Park: Official Gazette SR 95/06). The most important transport corridor passes through the nearby Branesko , i.e. road E-763 and the Belgrade–Bar railway that connects eastern parts of Europe with the Adriatic coast in Mon- tenegro. This transport corridor is also an important tourist route to Monte- negro. In the area of Tara National Park there is a well developed network of forest roads which contributes to the openness of the area. Water transport on Lake Perucac has local transboundary and tourism importance. Railway transport in is a great tourist attraction with possible connections to Visegrad. The reconstructed sections of the forest railway in the national park also have great potential for tourism. Fig. 6 Sargan railway The international main road E-761 con- nects Serbia with Bosnia and Herze- govina and Croatia, i.e. continental nificance of the area for the economy. areas with the , via Mokra The hydropower plant in Perucac has Gora and Sargan. Other important a power of 368 MW and is the largest roads are regional roads: R-452 Bajina hydropower structure on the Drina Basta–, and R-451 Visegrad– River. The dam in Perucac is 498 m Bajina Basta. long and 90 m high and Lake Perucac accumulates 340 m3 of water. Visegrad Lake was formed by the construction of Economic development a 280 m long and 79.5 m high dam for The economy of the area is primar- the needs of the Visegrad hydropower ily based on the wealth of natural plant. The lake accumulates 125 m3 of resources. Natural resources and their water. diversity have influenced the develop- Transboundary cooperation in this par- ment of several economic branches. ticular area would initiate several direct The abundance of water of the Drina and indirect effects that would improve River and its confluents offers a num- quality of life for citizens on both sides ber of opportunities for development. of the border. First, the proposed coop- Agriculture and forestry are the two eration would create jobs and provide most important economic activities an opportunity for the local population in the region, while industry is under- to increase their personal incomes (em- developed or in decline. Tourism is ployed directly within future national significantly better developed in Serbia park institutions in BiH or employed while in BiH, tourism has great though indirectly through local market sale of unrealized potential. their products). Increased communica- Energy production is a very important tion between the population on both economy branch for this region. The sides could be expected to lead to bet- Drina has the highest hydroelectric ter understanding and bridging of the potential in the Balkans, though this is communities in the area. only partially being utilized. Two power plants are situated in the area of the potential TBR, which indicates the sig- 11 ENVIRONMENT FOR PEOPLE A Western Balkans Environment & Development in the Dinaric Arc Cooperation Programme

Bosnia and Herzegovina production of malt), forestry (exploita- tion and planting of trees, construction According to the data from the Invest- of forest roads - Sjemec-Srpske Sume ment Development Bank of Republika forestry company). Private entrepre- Srpska in 2008, GDP per capita was neurship, trade, catering services and KM 5,891 for Republika Srpska and KM crafts are being developed throughout 6,435 for BiH, which is a positive trend the . The popular resort of increase of the GDP per capita for Borike is in northeast of the municipal- 2008. Trade and agriculture made the ity at an altitude of 1100 m where, in largest contribution to the Republika addition to Hotel Borike, one can find Srpska GDP in 2008, while the trade the famous farm of Bosnian mountain and processing industry were most breed horses. significant for the BiH GDP. The Municipality of Visegrad has partly According to the official data of the Re- developed industry and several sound publika Srpska Spatial Plan 2005–2015, enterprises, such as the Visegrad hydro- the total employment rate in Republika power plant, UNIS-USHA, Metalac, Gran- Srpska is 16.2%. The employment rate it, Metal gas, Varda chemical industry, is 13.2% in Visegrad, 7.1% in Srebrenica UNIS-UTEL, and Panos forest enterprise. and 16.3% in Rogatica. Generally, em- In terms of agriculture, fruit production ployment in the area is low and below and cattle-raising are predominant. the Republika Srpska average. The The Drina, and Rivers and two largest contribution to employment is artificial lakes that are 88 km in length, provided by agriculture and cattle rais- surroundings of the Panos, Sjemec and ing, followed by industry, mining and mountains are rich in forests and energy production. large green areas, natural beauty and wild animals, which forms the basis for According to data from the Chamber development of hiking, hunting and of Commerce of Republika Srpska, 38 fishing, water sports, etc. legal entities are registered in the Sre- brenica municipality. Industry is almost non-existent while natural resources Serbia are the backbone of economic devel- Possible TB protected area will include opment. The mine has significant parts of three municipalities: Bajina potential for exploitation of zinc, lead Basta, Uzice and Cajetina. All three and silver. There are 48 mineral springs, municipalities have a lower per capita including the famous Guber spring. income than the national average. The Forest resources are spread over 26,000 lowest employment rate among the hectares and managed by the Drina three municipalities is in Bajina Basta forestry company. A significant source (number of employed per 1000 inhab- of income is generated through the itants is 173, while the Serbian average collection of medicinal plants, tourism, is 270). Bajina Basta belongs to the and hunting in the renowned Susica moderately developed municipalities hunting ground. Agriculture is the in Serbia. The number of work-capable main business and total arable land residents in the Serbian part of the area is about 20,150 ha. Cattle rais- potential TBR that have occupation ing and fruit production are the main is 2606 (36%), and the number of de- agriculture activities. pendants (i.e. people without working In accordance with the data provided relationships - children, pensioners, by the Chamber of Commerce of work-incapable people, etc.) is 2256 Republika Srpska, the Municipality of inhabitants or 31% of the total popula- Rogatica has significant capacities for tion in the area (source: Statistics Office the metal industry, textile industry, of the Republic of Serbia - Census of construction, agriculture and food the Population, Households and Dwell- processing (slaughterhouses and ings in 2002).

12 The general area of Tara National Park According to the data of the Regional is composed of rural settlements and, Chamber of Commerce in Uzice, this accordingly, agriculture has a tradi- region is especially known for its rasp- tionally important role in the local berry production. The annual produc- economy. It is estimated that 34% of tion of raspberries amounts to 35,000 the working population is employed in to 40,000 of tonnes. Honey production agriculture and according to cadastral is also represented in the area with the data, 24,380 ha (38%) in the planned brand “Pcelica sa Tare” (Bees from Tara). TB area is agricultural land. Forestry is Important tourism facilities on Tara are another important economic activity in the Tara military complex, and the chil- the region and this part of Serbia has dren’s camp complex on Mitrovac. a long history of forestry. Forest land Clean freshwater resources are also and resources are spread over 32,768 potential for economic develop- ha in the Serbian part of the possible ment. This is reflected partly in fishery TBR, and they are managed by the development (600 t of fish is produced public enterprise of Tara National Park in the Perucac and Raca fish ponds) and the Uzice Forest (unit of and the bottled drinking water brand the Serbian Forests public enterprise). “”. Agriculture and food pro- Due to the significant forest resources, cessing industries are also presented the primary wood processing industry in the Uzice region with the famous is also developed. Hunting, fishing and brands “Zlatibor” and “Zlatiborac”. Small collection of medical plants and berries industries are represented with the are traditional practices of the local Metaloplastika processing industry for population, though they have only a plastics and metals. Within the territory secondary role. of Uzice, tourism is represented by the In the Municipality of Bajina Basta, Hotel and tourism complex the local economy is based primarily and the tourist attraction “Sarganska on forestry, agriculture and energy osmica” –a transversal railway. In the production. According to the data of urban area of the Uzice municipality, the Institute of Statistics, the structure heavy industry is also developed with of the national income in Bajina Basta the copper and brass mill and is as follows: the energy sector is best the Sevojno aluminium mill. represented with 36%, while agricul- ture and forestry together account for Tourism 24%. The preserved area has great pos- sibilities for the production of healthy Tourism has been recognized as a great food and traditional products. Accord- potential for enhancing and develop- ing to the Master tourism plan for Tara, ing the local economy, though based resources (preserved mountain area, on official data from the Statistics freshwater resources, etc.) in this area Office of the Republic of Serbia, it still could be used for the development of accounts for a low share of the product several types of tourism: winter and of the local area. The planned area has summer holidays, rural tourism, busi- great potential for the development ness tourism, short holidays, health of several types of tourism and diverse and wellness tourism, touring. and rich resources that can be used to enhance local economic develop- The Bajina Basta hydropower plant in ment. The Serbian side of the potential Perucac is a very important part of the transboundary area has a much more economy in this area, with an annual developed tourism infrastructure and production of 1625 Gwh. Several arti- includes well known tourism destina- ficial lakes have been created on Tara tions (Tara, Mokra Gora, Sargan, Zlati- Mountain and a reversible hydropower bor). Tara mountain has more than 100 plant installed with an annual capacity years of tourism tradition. According of 1070 Gwh. to the data of the Statistical Institute, more than 80,000 tourists were record- 13 ENVIRONMENT FOR PEOPLE A Western Balkans Environment & Development in the Dinaric Arc Cooperation Programme

ed in 2009 in the broader area of Tara Guber Springs and Bajina Basta. The total recorded Despite the great potential for tourism number of tourists in all three munici- development, there is an evident lack palities of the proposed area is 160,087. of tourism infrastructure on the BiH Even though tourism infrastructure is side. The popular Borike resort is found much more developed on the Serbian at an altitude of 1100 m where, in side, there is a strong need to improve addition to Hotel Borike, one can find and to develop new infrastructure. The famous farm of the Bosnian-mountain main tourist points with developed horse breed. The Visegradska Banja tourism capacities are: Kaludjerske and the rehabilitation , Mitrovac, Predov Krst, and Sargan centre are supplied with the rich source and Drvengrad in Mokra Gora. Exist- of radioactive thermal water from the ing tourist infrastructure includes the Guber springs. following types of facilities: several hotels, motels, restaurants and small scale private accommodation, which has been increasing in recent years. Two information centres have recently opened within Tara National Park. The management of Tara National Park has begun with the creation of a network of educational trails (several trails have been marked with educational boards and resting places).

Accommodation capacities in the general area of Tara Mountain includes about 4500 beds (2200 in hotels, mo- tels and lodges and 2300 in small scale private accommodation).

Tourism and natural resources form the base of the economy of the Municipal- ity of Cajetina. The municipality has a famous tourism centre at Zlatibor Mountain with 12 hotels, 29 restau- rants, 4 tourist agencies and other tour- ist facilities (according to the Zlatibor Tourist Board). The famous Cigota rehabilitation centre is also located in this municipality. Fig. 7 Guber Springs

14 UNIFING ELEMENTS—NATURE OF THE PROPOSED TRANSBOUNDARY PROTECTED AREA Environmental conditions lic Hydrometrological Insitute of Serbia The planned transboundary Drina Bio- (Lake Perucac, Drina River) that survey sphere Reserve encompasses a region surface water quality. There is a general with high natural values and conserved problem with solid waste management ecological processes and ecosystems. in the Drina River watershed. This prob- The quality of the region’s groundwa- lem is particularly pronounced at Lake ter, surface water, air and soil can be Perucac. Some attempts to resolve evaluated as very favourable, which is aspects of this issue have been made a consequence of the remoteness of within several projects, however, the industries and urban areas. This area issue remains at the regional level. has a preserved environment with a Soil quality is generally good, reflecting low degree of human impact, primarily also the land use pattern. Degrada- because the area is isolated, not easily tion and pollution of soil is connected accessible, and parts of it have long mainly with solid waste management. been protected. Research studies on heavy metals in In Serbia, there are no monitoring sta- plants, soil, and water showed no val- tions for air quality in the planned area. ues above the accepted thresholds. The nearest monitoring station for air quality and radioactivity is on Zlatibor Overview of natural values in Mountain, and results from that station indicate good air quality with very low the region concentrations of pollutants (source: Republic Hydrometerological Institute The Drina River and its , which of Serbia). The main sources of pollu- forms the natural border between BiH tion are traffic, tourism facilities and and Serbia, is the main characteristic households. of this region. This is one of the fastest and loveliest rivers in the Balkans. It Meteorological data from the Mitrovac is a geomorphological and landscape station (Tara plateau) for the period phenomenon that has influenced both 1965–1984 were used to define the historical and natural processes in the climate characteristics in the region. region. The canyon is 1000 m deep at Microclimatic characteristics of the area some places. Major changes to the flow could be altered due to the construc- of the Drina River have been caused tion of reversible hydropower plant at by hydropower plants in Bajina Basta, Zaovine, and there is a need for mete- Visegrad and Zvornik. The catchment orological station in this area. area of the Drina River is 19,226 km2. Waters of this region are primarily of Landscape, ecosystem, species and category I or II (Waters Act, Official genetic diversity of the proposed area Gazette Republic of Serbia 30/10, put this region among the internation- Regulation on categorization of water ally significant areas for biodiversity flows and Regulation of water clas- conservation. The planned biosphere sification, Official Gazette SFRJ 6/78). reserve is represented by mountain These indicate the highest quality as elevations intersected by many gorges estimated using 11 indicators, includ- and canyons, the most impressive ing suspended matter, pH, dissolved of which is the Drina River canyon. oxygen, degree of biological productiv- Diverse geological bedrock and natural ity, transparency, smell, etc. There are historical processes have formed rich two monitoring stations of the Repub- Fig. 8 Drina River Canyon 15 ENVIRONMENT FOR PEOPLE A Western Balkans Environment & Development in the Dinaric Arc Cooperation Programme

and diverse ecosystems and vegeta- Bosnia and Herzegovina tion types. Ecosystems are continu- Parts of Rogatica territory have abun- ously changing throughout the area dant specific variety and preserved creating a mosaic of unique and rare natural and cultural historic values. The habitats. The proposed transbound- most interesting are the localities of ary protected area has a wide range Serbian spruce or Panciceva omorika of natural/landscape values: endemic (Picea omorika) designated as special and rare or endangered flora and fauna botanical reserves (Nature Protec- species, plant communities, habitats, tion Act of Republika Srpska (Official ecosystems and particularly landscape Gazette 113/08): Mt. Mehra Sjemec, phenomena. The key natural values Goli Vratar, , , Mt. Novo that would justify the protection of the Tesla. There are cultural monu- area are: ments of major value in this area, such • the Drina Transboundary Bio- as the bridge on the Zepa River which sphere Reserve will encompass is included on the BiH national list of virtually all the natural stands of cultural monuments. Plans are in place the tertiary relict and endemic tree to include Borike with its horse farm species Picea omorika; into the protected landscape category. • biodiversity richness in general, Visegrad Municipality is recognised for and the presence of many endem- its rich selection of plants and animals ic and relic plant species; and it is widely known as a centre of endemism, and a centre for a range of • outstanding geomorphological tertiary flora and fauna species. From and hydrological features; the conservation perspective, the most • one the most productive forest important species in Visegrad munici- ecosystems in the Balkans is Tara pality is Serbian spruce. It represents a Mountain. unique endemic species of the Balkan Peninsula and its natural habitat is in Veliki Stolac (altitude 1540 m) in the territory of Visegrad. According to the Nature Protection Act of Repub- Fig. 9 Picea omorika forest lika Srpska (Official Gazette 113/08), major localities of Serbian spruce are designated as special nature botanical reserves: Gornja Brstanica, , Ra- van, village Klasnik, ,Tovarnica, Stule Karaule, Bozurevac, Veliki Stolac, Gostilja. These localities have also been designated as Important Plant Areas in Central and Eastern Europe (Plantlife International, 2005). The most famous nature monument is the “written rock” (pisana stena) in the village of Zlijeb. Experts from the Republic Institute for Protection of Cultural, Historical and Natural Heritage of Republika Srpska have prepared studies proposing the protection of the midstream section of the Drina River in the category of national park. The Republic of Srpska Government, at the proposal of Minis- try of Spatial Planning, Urbanism and Ecology drafts the regulation on pro-

16 tection. In the canyon of the Rzav River, populations are and brown construction of five small hydropower bear. As for fish species, the Salmo- plants is planned. The Republic Insti- nidae family is well represented with tute for Protection of Cultural, Histori- salmon (Hucho hucho) and cal and Natural Heritage prepared the Brown trout (Salmo trutta) as the most project documentation and set strict important species due to the geneti- criteria to protect the natural, cultural cally pure populations. Danube salmon and historical property in the territory. is an endemic species of the Danube watershed and an endangered fish spe- According to studies prepared by cies in many countries. Republic Institute for Protection of Cul- tural, Historical and Natural Heritage of Republika Srpska and concerning the Serbia National Environmental Action Plan for Plant communities of old deciduous BiH (2003), the Nature Protection Strat- and mixed coniferous forests on Tara egy of Republika Srpska (2007/2008) Mountain represent a unique example and Spatial Plan of Republika Srpska to of well preserved forests with numer- 2015, stated that between 15 and 20% ous endemic and relict species of of the territory should be protected. indigenous flora and fauna. Preserved For example, in the territory of the mixed forest ecosystems Piceto-Abieto- Municipality of Visegrad, a number of Fagetum of spruce (Picea abies), silver picturesque and conserved localities fir (Abies alba) and birch (Fagus syl- can be included in the category of vatica) are dominant on the plateau of nature landscapes: ecosystems of Pinus Tara mountain and represent one of nigra (, around Visegradska the best preserved forests of Europe. spa, Hill Staniste) and the Special values of the area are the plant hunting grounds. The maidenhair fern communities and unique ecosystems (Adiantum capillus veneris) grows in the of the Serbian spruce (Picea omorika). Visegrad spa area. Apart from these, the following plant The Mehmed Pasa Sokolovic Bridge communities are also phytocenologi- in Visegrad has been included on the cally important: pine forests (forests of UNESCO World Natural and Cultural Austrian pine (Pinus nigra) and Scots Heritage List1. pine (Pinus silvestris) - Erico Pinetum ni- grae), oak communities, beech commu- Endemic plant species of the area nities (Fagetum montanum) and others. include: Centaurea derventana var. Interesting habitats on Tara include the dobrunae, (Derventan cornflower, peat bogs that are characteristic for Razdolina canyon near Dobrun); the boreal region and house a certain Amphoricarpus autariatus, Adenophora number of glacial relicts. lilifolia (Ladybells), Aquilegia grata (Mauve columbine; Drina canyon, Rzav This region has been known as a refuge canyon), Fumana bonapartei (Rock for many relic plant species, and played rose, Krusevica valley), Verbascum bos- an important role for the survival of nense (Krusevica valley), Cephalantera these species during the last glacial pastricensis and others. period. The most important is the tertiary relic species of spruce, Serbian A number of endemic and tertiary spruce (Picea omorika). The species was relicts exist among invertebrate spe- discovered in 1876 on the slopes of cies of the insect groups Psihodida, Tara Mountain and its discovery was a Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, Trichop- surprise for the scientific world. Today tera, Ortoptera. The region also the entire natural population of this abounds in amphibian, fish, reptile, species is confined to the area around bird and mammal species. Some of the the central reaches of the Drina River. most important mammals with viable Other important tertiary relict species 1 http://whc.unesco.org/en/list in the flora of this region are: English 17 ENVIRONMENT FOR PEOPLE A Western Balkans Environment & Development in the Dinaric Arc Cooperation Programme

yew (Taxus baccata), Bladder nut (Sta- Existing and potential natural phyllea pinnata), Holly (Ilex aquifolium), and landscape linkages across Euphorbia glabriflora and others. the border Chasmophytic, xerophilic plant com- The most important target species in munities with a distinct endemic this region is Picea omorika. Conser- character have developed on the steep vation of the habitats of this species, slopes and rocks of this region. Impor- unique in the world, should be a prior- tant endemic species on limestone ity. For the survival and proper conser- are Derventan cornflower (Centaurea vation management activities of this derventana) and French scorzonera species, transboundary cooperation is (Reichardia macrophilla), on serpentine essential. There are many endemic and grounds - Halacia (Halascya sendtneri), endangered plant species that are im- Novak’s feather grass (Stipa novakii), portant for transboundary cooperation Dyer’s greenweed (Genista friwaldskyi) such as: Derventan cornflower (Centau- and Cinquefoil (Potentilla molis). rea derventana), Golden drop (Onosma Invertebrates of the area are poorly stellulata), Sweet columbine (Aquilegia researched. A special feature of the grata), Lady Bells (Adenophora lilifolia), fauna is Pancic’s grasshopper (Pyrgo- Rock rose (Fumana bonapartei, Halacia morphella serbica), which is a tertiary (Halascya sendtneri). relict and a species endemic to Tara Animal species diversity is also impor- Mountain. Preserved forests are habitat tant for transboundary cooperation, for viable populations of diverse fauna, especially for the large mammals though detailed research is restricted such as Brown bear (Ursus arctos), to just a handful of species. There are Wolf (Canis lupus), Lynx (Lynx lynx) and an estimated 53 mammal species in Jackal (Canis aureus) that require large this region, though they are yet to territories, and also for species such as be researched. These include several Chamois (Rupicapra rupicapra), Golden Fig. 10 Centaurea derventana endangered species such as Brown eagle (Aquila chrysaetos), Peregrine bear (Ursus arctos), Otter (Lutra lutra), falcon (Falco peregrinus), Capercaillie and European pine marten (Martes (Tetrao urogalus), Pancic’s grasshopper martes). Tara is regarded as a reproduc- (Pyrgomorphella serbica) and others. tive centre for the population of Brown Some studies conducted to date have bear (Ursus arctos), and it is very impor- proven that these species migrate tant for the survival of these species over the border. Detailed research of in Serbia. A significant population of the area is required to show that other Chamois (Rupicapra rupicapra) has also species also have their mainstays on been recorded in this area. the other side of the border. The Drina Tara is on the list of Important Bird River is habitat for the Danube salmon Areas (IBA), with a total of 135 species (Hucho hucho), a species endemic to of birds recorded here, among them: the Danube watershed, as well as to a Golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos), Pere- number of other fish species. Fig. 11 Pyrgomorphella serbica grine falcon (Falco peregrinus), Ural owl Important habitats and ecosystems are (Strix uralensis), and Eurasian eagle owl divided by the state border or are in (Bubo bubo). Tara is also identified as close proximity to the border. Among a Prime Butterfly Area (PBA), with 138 the most important are the habitats species of diurnal butterflies recorded. and ecosystems of Pancic spruce (Picea omorica) ecosystems of Austrian pine forests (Pinus nigra), preserved forest ec- osystems of mixed forests of coniferous and deciduous tree species, freshwater habitats and ecosystems of Lake Peru- cac and the Drina River, and mountain meadows with rare plant species.

18 Fig. 12 Veliki Stolac (largest population of Picea omorika on the very border with BiH)

Habitats of rare and endemic species area has still not been designated. on the Serbian side are effectively Through transboundary cooperation protected with suitable zones of pro- at the regional level, it will be possible tection. Harmonisation of protection to protect the population through status on either side of the border is integrated management. essential for proper management of For local people on both sides, natural habitats divided by the border. resources are an important founda- Fig. 14 Meadow on the very border Serbia/BiH Mapping of habitats using GIS tech- tion for economic development. Local nologies using the EU framework and people are largely dependent on priority national habitats (Official Ga- ecosystem services and resources. In- zette SR 135/10) can also contribute to volving people in the processes of joint transboundary habitat protection. management of natural resources, with an emphasis on sustainability, could It is important to emphasize that this lead to more than just to protection transboundary region is an essentially of endangered species populations. unique area intersected by state bor- Previous systems in these two coun- ders. In general, these two countries tries were not based on the participa- share the same populations of species, tory approach. Introducing such an habitats and ecosystems. Transbound- approach and integrative management ary cooperation in the management of of biodiversity could bring benefits fauna species is necessary. This is very not only for wildlife but also to local important for large carnivore species Fig. 13 Brusnica gorge inhabitants. that can migrate over large distances. Transboundary cooperation is vital for some species, especially due to their different conservation status in the two countries. Brown bear (Ursus arcotos) is a very good example. Hunting of this species is prohibited under Serbian law, but not under BiH law. Manage- ment of this population in the region is even more difficult because of the fact that on the Bosnian side the protected

19 ENVIRONMENT FOR PEOPLE A Western Balkans Environment & Development in the Dinaric Arc Cooperation Programme

Potential threats to the envi- lime-making in some parts of the ronment region in the 1990s. In general, the extraction of limestone as resource has been intensified. Lack of financial means, civil war and a poor economy led to an increase in • Pollution problems and manage- the utilization of natural resources in ment of solid waste in the Drina the 1990s by local inhabitants. Though Valley- this problem is well illus- the economy is recovering, pressures trated by the case of floating waste on natural resources remain significant on Lake Perucac. This problem was (forestry, limestone extraction). The fol- and is a theme of several projects. lowing issues can be emphasized: Many of the upstream towns in the Drina watershed have their • Degradation of freshwater habitats landfills on the river banks. Due to by alterations of the hydrological the general lack of environmental regime caused by dam construc- awareness and the fact that the tion and energy-orientated water collection of waste is not well management. The hydropower organized in some parts of the plants at Perucac and Visegrad region (some villages, new tourism were built prior to the designation settlements) waste disposal, some- of Tara National Park. Additionally, times illegal, creates a problem a pumped storage hydroelectric- and poses a threat to water and ity plant (hydroelectric power land quality. is stored in the form of water, pumped from a lower elevation • Wastewater management - in the reservoir to a higher elevation) general area of the region, settle- with a system of several artificial ments usually do not have sewage lakes was built at Tara Mountain systems, and sewage is drained in the village Zaovine. Due to into the rivers without treatment. construction of these dams, some This is a problem especially for rare species habitats were de- karst areas. stroyed and, in the case of Lady • If tourism development is not bells (Adenophora lilifolia), this led managed in a sustainable way, to extinction of the species in the it can become a very significant gorge. Dam construc- threat and cause pressure to the tion also caused major changes environment. Tourism is becoming to other species dependent on an increasingly important branch aquatic habitats. of the economy on one hand, • Illegal building activities, largely though on the other it should be connected with unsustainable wisely dealt with so that any harm- development of tourism in the ful effects are prevented. region, are devastating the land- • In general, there is no heavy indus- scape. try in this region, with the excep- • Illegal hunting and fishing – al- tion of the Varda chemical plant in though fishing and hunting are Visegrad that is a major threat to traditional activities in this region, the environment. there is always the issue of intensi- fied utilization of natural resources. • Illegal utilization of forest and for- est products. • Extraction of mineral resources - mineral resources have been extracted for several purposes. One is the traditional practice of 20 SUPPORT FOR TRANSBOUNDARY COOPERATION

Legal and institutional frame- Legal procedures for protected area work for biodiversity conser- designation are outlined in Articles vation 41–46 of the Nature Protection Act. The initiative for designation of a protected Both countries have aligned their area can be made by government, local legislation in the field of environment authorities, scientific institutions, PA and nature conservation with the EU managers, citizens and others accord- legislative framework, meaning that ing to Article 6 of the Nature Protection currently it is very similar. Neither Act. The proposal for designation of a country has a satisfactory percentage protected area is based on a feasibility of protected areas, though the total study which is the responsibility of the protected areas in Serbia is near 6% of Institute for Nature Protection. The pro- the state territory, while in BiH this is cedure of protected area designation is only 0.9%. defined in Articles 41–47 of the Nature Protection Act.

Serbia The competent authority is obliged to put the designation proposal to The Ministry of Environment and public debate and public display. The Spatial Planning is responsible for the competent authority is defined by the formulation and implementation of Nature Protection Act and depends environment and nature conserva- on the type of protected area to be tion legislation. It also coordinates and designated. Government designates supervises protected area managers, protected areas based on the pro- and management plans and other posal of the Ministry of Environment documents, and programmes for the and Spatial Planning, in line with the protected areas are being endorsed by opinions granted by the competent the ministry. The Ministry of Agricul- ministries, in the case of internation- ture, Forests and Water Resources has ally important areas and nature parks the responsibility of natural resource that are on the territory of two or more management and endorses forest municipalities. Parliament designates a management plans and supervises national park by virtue of a special law. forests utilization in protected areas. Nature parks, nature monuments and The fundamental law in Serbia for nature landscapes (if on the territory biodiversity and nature conservation is of one municipality) are proclaimed by the Nature Protection Act (Official Ga- local authorities. zette SR 36/09). The Institute for Nature Protection, as defined by the Nature Pursuant to the Nature Protection Act, Protection Act, is a competent body for protected area managers are obliged affairs on nature conservation issues on to: protect, promote and enhance the territory of the Republic of Serbia protected areas; ensure conservation and is also in charge of providing a of natural resources and monitor the competent opinion and assessment on state of the environment; ensure the activities in protected areas and their proper level of protection of zones influence on protected species. They which are prescribed and properly also conduct studies for protected area marked on the ground; implement management plans; prevent any designation. The role of the Institute activity that could lead to devastation for Nature Conservation is defined in or put the protected area at stake. Article 102 of the Nature Protection Management of protected areas is Act. based on the following documents

21 ENVIRONMENT FOR PEOPLE A Western Balkans Environment & Development in the Dinaric Arc Cooperation Programme

(there are also other documents and Nature Protection Act, the Republic of plans like forestry management plants, Srpska National Assembly may author- regulatory plans and others): Decree ize RS representatives in an inter-entity for designation of a protected area, environmental commission to partake Spatial plan of the municipality in in designing guidelines for coordina- which territory protected area is placed tion and cooperation in transborder and Spatial plan of special purpose for protected areas. the protected area, Management plan The protected area administration is in of the protected area which is designed charge of implementation and control for a period of ten years. National park of specific management measures and administrations are also in charge of provisions that are stipulated by the forest management on the territory of relevant ministries. Pursuant to Article the park. It should be mentioned that 40 of the Nature Protection Act of new National Parks Act is currently in Republika Srpska, the general act on Government procedure. proclamation of the protected area es- tablishes the management goals, and specific measures and techniques to be BiH applied in protected areas. Following Since part of the transboundary area is adoption of the act on proclamation situated on the territory of Republika of the protected area, a management Srpska, environmental protection is plan should be developed. The Ministry under the jurisdiction of this entity of Spatial Planning, Civil Engineering in BiH. The Government of Republika and Ecology produces secondary legis- Srpska, Ministry of Spatial Planning, lation on the preparation, content and Civil Engineering and Ecology and the measures for the authorized body to Institute for Cultural, Historical and implement and control management Natural Heritage of Republic of Srpska measures. are responsible for nature and land- scape conversation issues in this part of BiH. Protected areas in the planned Nature protection is under the jurisdic- transboundary protected area tion of the Ministry of Spatial Planning, The first conservation initiatives in this Civil Engineering and Ecology of Re- area were undertaken in 1950. Later, publika Srpska. This subject is handled comprehensive research led firstly to pursuant to the Nature Protection the establishment of several nature re- Act (Official Gazette Republika Srpska serves and nature monuments. In 1981, 113/08). A legal or physical entity can the area of Tara Mountain and Zvezda submit a request for designation of Mountain were designated as Tara a protected area to the Ministry of National Park (Official Gazette SR 3/93). Spatial Planning, Civil Engineering and The area of Tara National Park was put Ecology. The minister responsible for on the tentative list for World Heritage nature protection initiates the proce- Sites in the 2005, however, approval is dure for designation of a protected still pending. area by submitting a proposal to the Government. The proposal is based In the former Yugoslavia, there was also on the professional expertise of the the idea for establishment of a trans- Institute for Cultural, Historical and boundary Drina National Park. In recent Natural Heritage of the Republic of years, thanks to the efforts of the Srpska and other expert institutions. Institute for Nature Protection in Serbia Depending on the professional exper- and studies conducted, new protected tise, the Government prepares the act areas have been established in this re- for designation of the protected area. gion: Sargan-Mokra Gora Nature Park in In accordance with Article 19 of the 2005 (Official Gazette SR 52/05, 81/08),

22 Zaovine Protected Landscape (Official Administration Gazette SR 76/08). Institutes in Serbia are in a better While there are three designated state than those in BiH (RS) in terms protected areas on the Serbian side, on of their technical, operational and the Bosnian side there are no currently human resources. Thus, the Serbian officially designated protected areas. Institute for Nature Protection is far Designation of Drina National Park is better equipped than its counterpart planned in BiH and there is a list of in Republika Srpska. Furthermore, Tara natural values on the Bosnian side cat- National Park already exists, while BiH egorized as nature reserves and nature is yet to proclaim a protected area on monuments. its side of the border.

Name of site Conservation category Size (ha) Country Drina planned for designation-national BiH park Tara national park 19,175 Serbia Sargan-Mokra Gora nature park 10,813 Serbia Zaovine nature landscape 6,264 Serbia Zlatibor planned for designation-nature park 32,174 Serbia Table 1 Protected areas in the region

In Serbia, the planned transboundary The Public Institution of Tara National area would comprise protected areas Park is the managing authority of the which have been divided into func- national park. This public institution tional zones according to the law and was founded in 1993 and already has designation studies. The surface area experience in managing protected currently under protection is 36,252 ha, areas and building technical and hu- or 57% of the proposed biosphere re- man capacities. It is mainly financed serve on the Serbian side. Of this area, from own revenues and only a small number of activities is financed by the Fig. 15 Excerpt from the Spatial plan of 3,361.49 ha is under strict protection Republic of Srpska to 2015. (zone I), 10,069.39 ha is under active protection (II zone) and 22814.35 ha is in the area of cooperation (zone III). The potential Zlatibor Nature Park, would also be partly included in the trans- boundary protected area. Designation of this protected area is in the pipeline. In 2006, the Institute for Cultural, Historical and Natural Heritage of Republic of Srpska prepared the basic documentation and submitted the pre- assessment application of the planned Drina National Park to the Ministry of Spatial Planning, Civil Engineering and Ecology .The documentation was re- submitted twice in 2007 and 2008. The procedure is underway in the Ministry.

23 ENVIRONMENT FOR PEOPLE A Western Balkans Environment & Development in the Dinaric Arc Cooperation Programme

State Budget. Tara National Park has cated on various occasions, took part always been open to international and in seminars, gave presentations, etc. transboundary cooperation. Joint papers on the Drina Biosphere Reserve have been published. Their National authorities create better pos- cooperation is based on good will and sibilities for transboundary cooperation professional collaboration, which is cer- by providing support in the field of tainly an advantage and enhancement legislative regulations and by develop- for future transboundary cooperation. ing cooperation at the national and Personal contacts are also frequent at regional level. Local authorities could the level of the local communities. provide technical and operational assistance in the field and could also There are several social events that provide some, though limited, financial bring together people from different contributions. parts of the proposed transbound- ary protected area. Two regattas are Strengthening activities could be sup- organized, one on Lake Perucac and ported by international organizations the Drina Regatta, which has become a through the transfer of knowledge and traditional event. During these events, presentation of good examples and the local population sails down the experiences from previously estab- river in various types of vessels over lished transboundary protected areas. tens of kilometres. It represents a major Additional financial assistance should social event for the region with great be provided from external resources tourism potential. Several music festi- since Serbia is a country in transition, vals are also organized, i.e. Most Fest, and the financial contributions of insti- Silvershine Fest. tutions is very limited. In order to ensure regular future com- The Republika Srpska recently adopted munication between stakeholders the National Parks Act. This will hope- within the TBR, it is necessary to create fully speed up the process of designa- institutional capacities on both sides of tion of protected areas in BiH, thus border for transboundary cooperation, creating institutional capacities for and to formulate means of coopera- cooperation at the level of the trans- tion. Nomination of the TBR should be boundary protected area. undertaken jointly by Serbian and BiH authorities. The proposed area should be considered within its ecological Communication and cultural context and it is presum- Since the official languages in these able that a BR will be designed in order two countries is understood by the to adequately deliver the three main local populations on both sides of the BR functions: conservation, develop- border, and one of the official lan- ment and logistics. In order to promote guages in BiH is also Serbian, there is conservation and the sustainable use no language barrier, which facilitates of biological and landscape diversity, successful transboundary cooperation. a participatory approach should be Scientific and technical terminologies applied and aimed at the involvement used in this region are similar. In recent of all relevant stakeholder groups. A years, progress has been made in the MoU could be one pillar, but it is neces- coordination of systems and legislation sary to organize regular meetings, with international and European ones. workshops, roundtables with relevant stakeholder groups and involve them Personal contact between individual actively in community based planning. representatives of official institutions and partners in trans-border coopera- Transboundary cooperation should be tion exists. The example is cooperation utilized as an excellent tool for increas- of the two institutes for nature protec- ing social capital in the target area. This tion. Their representatives communi- can be especially important in bridg-

24 ing the social capital in the area and • According to data specified in the serving as a good example (lessons Report on the state of environ- learned) to be multiplied throughout ment in Serbia published by the the region. Economic aspects of the UN in 2007, total government ex- initiative could be observed as crucial penses on the environment in this for the population on both sides of the country in the period 2003–2006 border and could serve as a mobilizing were 0.3–0.4% of the national GDP. factor. Furthermore, folklore and other Tax revenues from the field of en- cultural events that would poten- vironment (environmental taxes), tially follow the entire initiative could introduced pursuant to the new provide additional space for commu- Environment Act in 2004 (Official nication and the exchange of creative Gazette SR 135/04), totalled about energy between stakeholders on both EUR 26 million in 2006 (without sides of the border. taxes on petroleum derivates which are substantial). Nature pro- Funding and coordination tection and biodiversity expenses account to 2.5% of all expenses in Available funding resources that could the field of environment. be used for supporting common activi- ties are mainly external (international) • Local municipal budgets have founds, such as: rather limited potential in this respect. In Serbia, the budgets • EU IPA (European Commission of the municipalities Uzice (ap- Instrument for Pre-Accession As- proximately EUR 15 million) and sistance), especially pertaining to Cajetina (EUR10 million) are component II Cross-border coop- quite larger than of Bajina Basta eration, transnational programmes (EUR 5 million). The situation is (South East Europe Transnational similar in BiH, as local communi- programme); ties are underdeveloped and rely • World Bank; on budgetary support from the entity Government. Therefore their • UNDP programmes; budgets could not be considered a • GEF. potential source of financing. Therefore, it is obvious that substantial In both countries, national environ- external financial sources should be mental funds support environmental raised if this initiative is to be imple- projects. mented. One of the options could be to establish a regional fund for It would be difficult for the national or this purpose. There is no doubt that regional authorities in both countries establishment of such a regional fund to provide financial assistance, due to with a clearly defined mission would the following reasons: be of great importance for planned • The area in question is underdevel- transboundary cooperation. Such a oped and cannot generate funds fund would also serve to promote and needed for such interventions. generate mutual project ideas and serve to more easily attract additional • Republika Srpska is experiencing funds. A regional trust fund could also the difficult impacts of the finan- provide sustainability in achieving cial and economic crisis, which common goals. One problem that has only worsened the already poor arisen in some projects is that financial economic and financial position of resources are no longer present when this BiH entity which is now relying the project is finished and planned ac- on international help for budget tivities and cooperation between part- support. ners also ceases. The self-sustainability of projects depends on the concept of 25 ENVIRONMENT FOR PEOPLE A Western Balkans Environment & Development in the Dinaric Arc Cooperation Programme

the project. Institutional sustainability to the Republika Srpska Government is very important for long term success to proclaim the protected area of the of the project and serves as a driving Drina biosphere reserve in Republika force to initiate and implement project Srpska and BiH has made the initial ma- activities. jor step in getting the project off the ground. Finances have been earmarked for a study giving a detailed scientific There is no common governing body and professional analysis of the area, to coordinate transboundary coopera- which will form the basis for establish- tion in the proposed transboundary ing the borders of the protected area protected area. Establishment of such and proclaiming the area protected. a body would require fulfilment of The RS Government has taken this pro- several preconditions. Firstly, it is nec- posal into consideration and it will be essary to proclaim the protected area addressed integrally with other propos- of the Drina Biosphere Reserve in BiH als and planned protected areas. (RS) by establishing a protected area of similar status, e.g. national park, on In Serbia, the main stakeholders inter- the BiH territory. Secondly, the entire ested for transboundary cooperation transborder area could be proclaimed are: protected and a joint management • national level regulatory bodies: body formed after signing of the Ministry of Environment and Spa- memorandum and agreement on co- tial Planning; Ministry of Agricul- operation between the two countries. ture, Forestry and Water Resources; All stakeholders should be included in this type of cooperation. • Institute for Nature Protection; • protected area management bod- Support and involvement of ies: Public Institute of Tara National local stakeholders Park, Mokra Gora Tourist Board, The most interested stakeholders at Tara-Biosfera NGO; the local and national level in Bosnia • local administration: Municipalities and Herzegovina are: of Bajina Basta, Uzice and Cajetina; • Government of Republic of Srpska • Bajina Basta hydropower plant; - Ministry of Spatial Planning, Civil • Serbian Forests public enterprise; Engineering and Ecology; • NGO sector; • BiH Inter-entity Commission for Environment for both entities, i.e. • SME tourism sector. Federation and Republika Srpska in BiH; It should be mentioned that institu- • Institute for Cultural, Historical and tional stakeholders in Serbia support Natural Heritage of Republic of this proposal and are open to cross- Srpska; border cooperation. • Municipality Visegrad; Local people, on the other hand, are very sensitive to the issues connected • Municipality Srebrenica; with protected areas and they see • Municipality Rogatica. protected areas as an obstacle to the area’s development (restrictions, more These key stakeholders fully support complicated procedure for practices, the proposal to establish a transborder especially for building and construc- protected area. The Institute for Cul- tion). Community involvement and tural, Historical and Natural Heritage support is very important for a success- of Republic of Srpska, by initiating the ful TBPA and could be achieved though procedure and submitting a request capacity building activities, awareness

26 raising campaigns, including present- 2. Different subjects within projects ing information, especially on com- of a larger scope implemented by mon benefits, to citizens through the international organisations—REC had mass media. Presenting the benefits of several projects regarding cross-border sustainable use of joint resources and cooperation in the field of environment protected areas is certainly one of the in the Drina River watershed: activities for increasing the capacities • “Municipal Transboundary coop- and awareness of local communities, eration on the environment in however, support for implementation the Drina River Watershed”: the of concrete activities of sustainable de- Drina River Committee is one of velopment that will generate benefits the most important outputs of the is also needed. The local population REC projects implemented in this see their chance in market develop- region. This committee serves as a ment and small business opportunities. specific platform for communica- Tourism development could be a key tion and coordination between the factor for transborder cooperation. Fur- municipalities in the three coun- thermore, entrepreneurs on both sides tries of the Drina River Watershed of the border would be encouraged to and continues to be active and invest more money into the region’s holds regular meetings; development. Many major social, eco- nomic cultural and ethical issues could • “Enhancing Cross-border Coop- be addressed. eration in the Drina River Basin”: this project has a duration from Examples of common trans- June 2009 to June 2011, and is a follow-up to activities on the boundary initiatives under- Drina River Basin and projects taken previously implemented by REC Generally there were several trans- and financed by the Norwegian boundary initiatives in this region, but Government. The project aims to they were not directly connected with enhance cross-border cooperation the designation of the transboundary in the Drina River basin through a protected area. Transboundary initia- framework for sustainable pollu- tives in the region usually are focused tion prevention and environmental on a larger area of the Drina River protection. The goal of the project Watershed. is to promote peace and stability through environmental coopera- Transboundary initiatives in this region tion and sustainable development can be summarized as cooperation of: within the framework of the Drina 1. Institutions (Institute for Nature River Committee. Activities of the Protection of Serbia; Institute for project are focused on research Protection of Natural and Cultural and assessment, inventory of Heritage of Republika Srpska)—the significant pressures and impacts most important initiative for designa- in the Drina River Basin, capacity tion of the transboundary protected building and networking, strength- area was cooperation between these ening links to the existing Danube/ two Institutes. They signed a contract Sava Accident Emergency Warning in March 2005 on joint cooperation System (AEWS); on the designation of transboundary • CARE project “Tourism develop- biosphere reserve. Basic field research ment in the Drina valley”: the goal was conducted in September 2005, of the three-year project was to which led to defining of the borders of assist the economic regeneration transboundary biosphere reserve and of the Drina Valley and respec- valorisation of the area. tive municipalities by fostering and promoting a sustainable

27 ENVIRONMENT FOR PEOPLE A Western Balkans Environment & Development in the Dinaric Arc Cooperation Programme

and quality visitor industry in the of Singidunum University from region. Partner organisations of Belgrade (Serbia), also submitted the project were the Municipalities a project proposal to the IPA ADRI- of , Visegrad, Srebrenica and ATIC Programme. The project was in BiH and , Uzice, aimed at establishing the Drina Bajina Basta and in Ser- Biosphere Reserve with activities bia. One of the results of the CARE on valorisation of natural resources project was the establishment of and products from the communi- associations of stakeholders from ties and finally at the development municipalities from the Drina Val- of documentation for designation ley region of BiH and Serbia. of the Drina Transboundary Bio- sphere Reserve; 3. Associations: “Association of Drina Fisheries” is an associations of fish- • Non-governmental organisa- ers based on previous cooperation tions and societies, e.g. Friends of between the municipalities of Bajina Srebrenica Association, Srebrenica Basta, Uzice, Ljubovija, Priboj, Mali (BiH) and FORCA Civil Action Fo- Zvornik (Serbia), and Visegrad, Rudo, rum, Pozega (Serbia). Srebrenica, Bratunac, Foca and Gorazde (BiH); Drina Valley Entrepreneurs Asso- ciation; Tourism inter-regional associa- tion (TIDA) 4. Municipalities and institutions imple- menting IPA programs, especially Com- ponent II—Cross-border Cooperation Programme. Some of the IPA proposals submitted to the EU were: • IPA CBC Serbia-Bosnia and Herze- govina 2007–2013. One of the applications was submitted by Tara National Park (Serbia) and the Mu- nicipality of Srebrenica in the field of tourism. Other municipalities also submitted their proposals; • Institute for Protection of Cultural and Natural Heritage from (BiH) and the faculty Futura

28 FIRST STEPS IN TRANSOUNDARY COOPERATION: opportunities, challenges, benefits

Existing ground for trans- tion. Informal and formal cooperation boundary cooperation exists between different stakeholders in the area. Inhabitants in the region in There is already a foundation for trans- both countries have been connected, boundary cooperation in the context and have depended on each other of the protected area. Political support throughout history. has been stipulated in the general agreement signed between two coun- tries and the legal framework can be Opportunities found in strategic documents. This region offers a number of oppor- • Political support has been stipulat- tunities for transboundary cooperation. ed in a general agreement signed The benefits from cross-border coop- between two countries. The Re- eration can be generated at several public of Serbia and entity Repub- levels. The most feasible ones are: lika Srpska have signed a bilateral • Ecosystem-based manage- agreement on special relation- ment can be applied for plant ships. This is a general agreement, and animal species where their though Article 1 of this document populations occur on both sides of lists field tourism and the environ- the state border or for migratory ment as areas of cooperation. wildlife species that cross state • Serbia and the entity Republika borders. Srpska have strategic documents • Transboundary cooperation will (Spatial plans) identifying this create possibilities for more ef- region for transboundary coopera- fective protection of the area and tion. The spatial plan of Republic minimize environmental pressures. of Srpska 2005–2015, as a strategic Also, integrated and participatory development document, provides natural resource management the legal foundation for the Drina systems can be introduced for the Biosphere Reserve, having a trans- area as a whole. border character. Generally, all • Common inventories of natural stakeholders support transbound- and cultural resources can be ary cooperation and the idea of developed. the transboundary protected area. • By applying adequate biodiversity The legal framework for cooperation management systems, popula- on the Serbian side can be found in tions of endangered species could Article 24 of the Nature Protection Act be more effectively protected which stipulates that a protected area and their migration corridors can be a transboundary area connect- researched in greater detail. ed to neighbouring countries. • Transboundary cooperation can A great advantage for transboundary generate ecological, social and cooperation is that there is no language economic data including maps, barrier between these two countries, thus creating a foundation for bet- and the language is understood entire- ter decision-making and for devel- ly by the population in both countries. opment of common strategies and There are already several initiatives in planning common transboundary the region on transboundary coopera- actions. 29 ENVIRONMENT FOR PEOPLE A Western Balkans Environment & Development in the Dinaric Arc Cooperation Programme

• Tourism is recognized in the • Increased marketing strength of data exchange (protected area region as an economic activity of the whole TBPA region. partners). great potential. Development of • Created mechanisms for increas- • No common vision has been joint tourism policies and prod- ing incomes of local farmers and developed by stakeholders in the ucts is in the interest of all local craftsmen. region regarding the TBR. municipalities. • Contribution to the protection of • There is no commonly elaborated • Transboundary cooperation is traditional knowledge, traditional document or strategies which a great opportunity for better land-use forms, cultural heritage could be used for development understanding between partners and technical skills. of a work plan for transboundary from each side of the state border cooperation. To date, only several and building the common identity • Provides development of common scientific papers have been jointly of the TBPA region. regional products. prepared. • To some extent, the exchange of • Transboundary protected areas, • Spatial plans for the whole area experience and technical skills especially those with international (zoning plans, land use patterns) already exists, however, this is recognition, can attract interna- have not been developed. certainly a very feasible activity for tional donors and agencies to the future actions. region. • Common inventories, maps and databases on biodiversity do not • Coordination of management • Creates possibilities for new jobs exist. There is a lack of data regard- practices in the border region and and contributes to improving ing species population size and harmonisation of management the demographic situation in the distribution, especially on the BiH plans at the scale of the entire region, especially reducing the side. TBPA. migration of younger age popula- tion. • Species’ migration corridors have • Implementation of projects for not been researched and are not establishing of common labelling, known in the border area. This marketing, agricultural products Challenges kind of information is necessary and handicrafts. There are also constraints and chal- for spatial and zoning planning of lenges that should be overcome in the whole area. Benefits for the local popula- order to ensure sustainable trans- • Transboundary projects imple- tion boundary cooperation in terms of the transboundary protected area. These mented in this region in both As previously mentioned, transbound- are: countries have primarily been ary cooperation should be utilized as mainly financed by international an excellent tool for increasing social • On the BiH side, authorities have and external funds. Funding activi- capital in the target area. The eco- not yet designated a protected ties for the transboundary protect- nomic aspect of the initiative could be area of similar status as on the ed area will be difficult to secure observed as crucial for the population Serbian side, furthermore there from state or especially municipal on both sides of the border and could are no protected areas in this budgets. serve as a mobilizing factor. The most region on the BiH side. convincing potential benefits of trans- • Economies of the local municipali- • An official agreement on trans- ties are mainly under-performing, boundary cooperation and establish- boundary cooperation regarding ing the TBPA that should be communi- which implies greater engage- possible transboundary protected ment of external financial sources. cated to the local population are: area has not been signed by any • Open possibilities for improved stakeholders or authorities on • In both countries, this region has international recognition of the either side of the border. Agree- difficulties regarding demography. whole TBPA region. ments have been made between The area is marginalised in both certain stakeholders on varying countries with a declining popula- • Enhanced tourism development issues, but not specifically regard- tion, which is especially expressed due to improved and diversified ing the TBR. in BiH following the wartime tourism products, and increasing events. incomes for tourism accommoda- • Regional and local institutional tion owners. capacities in the two countries are not the same, thus impeding

30 Recommendations • Designation of a national park on the territory of BiH (entity Repub- lic of Srpska) would be the first ac- tion for triggering transboundary cooperation. The recently adopted National Parks Act in Republika Srpska will contribute to speed- ing up the whole process. This is necessary for creating possibilities and institutional capacities (defin- ing the management institution for this park) for transboundary cooperation. • Common objectives and vision for transboundary cooperation should be defined by all relevant stakeholders. • Furthermore, it would be good to formalise transboundary coopera- tion through the signing of an official agreement regarding TBR. • For sustainable transboundary cooperation, it is important to apply a participatory approach and actively involve all relevant stakeholder groups in commu- nity-based planning. In order to achieve this, organization of regular meetings, workshops and roundtables with relevant stake- holder groups is necessary. • Projects with concrete actions and quick wins, from which both nature and people will benefit, should be implemented in the region (developing products from sustainable tourism and agricul- ture). Tourism development could be a key factor for transborder cooperation.

31 ENVIRONMENT FOR PEOPLE A Western Balkans Environment & Development in the Dinaric Arc Cooperation Programme

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