Protection of Biodiversity of the Sava River Basin Floodplains International (WI) with technical support from Orbicon (DK) have jointly initiated the Protection of Biodiversity of the Sava River Basin Floodplains project to support the Sava Basin countries in identifying, designating and managing the biological and landscape diversity along the Sava River and in supporting the implementation of the EU Birds and Habitats Directives. The proposed project will demonstrate innovative protection and management schemes that seek to combine viable land use practices, biodiversity protection and management and flood management. Du{ka Dimovi} Donors and Partners The project is financially supported by the LIFE-Third countries programme and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation. The international project applicant responsible for Lonjsko polje Nature Park, Croatia / Park, Croatia Lonjsko polje Nature executing the project is IUCN Regional The Sava River found in the central Sava basin with a Office for Europe. Throughout the mosaic of natural floodplains and project, the IUCN together with the WI The Sava River is the second largest cultural landscapes formed by will be responsible for the project tributary to the Danube River and is of traditional land-use patterns typical to management, while the partner institu- biological significance because of its the river valleys of Central Europe in the tions from the Sava countries - the outstanding biological and landscape past. The Sava River is considered by Center for Ecology and Natural diversity. It hosts the largest complex of nature conservationists and scientists to Resources of the Faculty of Science in alluvial floodplain wetlands in the be one of the “Crown Jewels” of Sarajevo, the Agricultural Institute of Danube basin and the largest lowland European nature and has been selected Republic of Srpska, the State Institute forests. The Sava is a unique example of as a focal region in the Pan-European for Nature Protection of Croatia, the a river where the floodplains are still Biological and Landscape Diversity Institute for Nature Conservation of intact, supporting both floods alleviation Strategy (PEBLDS) of the Council of Serbia - will provide important expert and biodiversity. The total length of the Europe. inputs to the project through their Sava from its source to the Danube is participation in the project working 945 km. The Sava River springs in The Project groups and trainings. An additional Slovenia and runs through Croatia for expert contribution will be provided by 562 km constituting the border with To secure the integration of the protec- the Institute of the Republic of Slovenia Slovenia for 2 km, and with Bosnia and tion of ecological values along the Sava for Nature Conservation. Herzegovina for 311 km and discharges into the management of the Sava River, into the Danube in Serbia. The most IUCN (International Union for Conserva- important landscape characteristics are tion of Nature) and Wageningen Institute for Nature Conservation of Serbia Furthermore, the project will identify the It is of utmost importance to achieve threats to the biodiversity of the public and political support for the floodplains and also define the current protection and management of the conservation status of the existing transborder ecological network along Natura 2000 habitat types and species the Sava River. This will among others identified along the Sava River. be achieved by raising awareness on the role the Sava floodplains play in the The specific biodiversity features of the protection of biodiversity of European Sava floodplains are directly linked to importance and the important role the the traditional land use of grazing by floodplains play in flood alleviation. Kupinovo village, SerbIa / IUCN domestic animals that has shaped the Objectives and Activities area for ages. Preserving the specific Enhanced co-operation between the landscape and biodiversity implies the environmental sector and the water The overall objective of the project is to maintenance of some extensive live management sector in each country is protect and manage the unique stock grazing enabling the local one of the leading objectives of this landscape and biodiversity along the communities to sustain traditional project. Sava River by supporting Bosnia and extensive agriculture practices. The Herzegovina, Croatia, Serbia and challenge the project faces it to sustain For more information, please contact: Slovenia to: identify, protect and these grazing activities while securing manage floodplain areas of importance sufficient income for the farmers along IUCN Programme Office for SEE for the landscape and biodiversity the Sava River. Dr Ivana Ribara 91, 11070 Belgrade applying the criteria of the Birds and Serbia Habitats Directives; design a coherent This project will assist to enable the Tel: + 381 11 22 72 411 transboundary ecological network of the responsible authorities and scientific Fax: + 381 11 22 72 531 core areas, buffer zones and corridors; institutions in handling, managing and http://www.iucneurope.org introduce land use practices that exchanging data on the ecological support the protection of the landscape network through both capacity building Mr. Joerg Lohmann and biodiversity; and to raise awareness on and the development of a GIS Project Director on the need to protect and manage the database. The structure and procedures E-mail: [email protected] unique landscape and biodiversity along of the GIS data base need to be the Sava through transboundary harmonized and shared by Bosnia and Mr. Boris Erg co-operation. Herzegovina, Croatia, Serbia and Project Manager Slovenia. E-mail: [email protected] The project will support the elaboration of national interpretation manuals of EU Natura 2000 habitat types relevant for the Sava River in order to meet EU requirements when selecting sites for the ecological network, and as a national and regional contribution to the relevant conventions (Bern Convention, Bonn Convention, Convention on Biological Diversity). To design the ecological network, an inventory of the biodiversity along the Sava River will be carried out with specific focus on identifying the presence of the habitat types and species annexed under the EU Birds and Habitats Directives and by assess- ing the already existing systems of protected areas in the Sava countries. Training and capacity building activities will support the countries in implement- ing the Birds and Habitats Directives and other relevant international conven- tions on the protection and sustainable use of biodiversity. Cattle / IUCN Pannonian Grey.