Issue 8 · March 2006 Brussels · Moscow · Belgrade · Warsaw

IUCN South-Eastern European e-Bulletin

Dear colleagues,

We have the pleasure to introduce the 8th issue of the IUCN South-Eastern European e-Bulletin, focusing on conservation related activities in this specific region, and also providing some information on the global work of the World Conservation Union. We are happy to welcome three new staff members working on various issues for the IUCN SEE office in Belgrade. Katharina is based in Sarrod where she is working on the Green Belt initiative, Boris, based in Belgrade, is managing a project in Vojvodina province, while Gabriel is about to join us in the near future. Welcome all!

Thanks to all of you for your continuous interest in contributing to the e-bulletin which is being distributed widely in the SEE region and further away via IUCN’s network. The updates on your activities are always welcome and we are looking forward to cooperating with you in the future. Please note the guidelines for writing articles are at the end of this issue.

Best wishes,

IUCN Programme Office for South-Eastern Europe

Content

IUCN SEE – New staff

News

1 Launch of the ecological network database 2 Edible dormouse between exploitation and conservation 3 Restoration of Budakovac wetlands 4 Take part in EUROPARC Junior Ranger Programme 2006 5 Participatory approaches for management of Bulgarian wetlands 6 En route for the protection of the along the SEE Green Belt 7 Ramsar Secretariat undertakes advisory missions to the SEE wetlands 8 International seminar to halt the loss of biodiversity 9 Balkan Peace Park Project 10 Eco-Logic action for Vrbas protection 11 Sustainable development for Prokletije mountains 12 Integrated ecosystem management for transboundary lake 13 Carpathian Convention enters into force 14 Europe’s protected areas celebrate the 8th European Day of Parks

Events

1 Mura walk against HE dams 2 Securing future of Mediterranean protected areas 3 Shkodra Lake on Ramsar List 4 High Nature Value Farming workshop 5 Trilateral expert meeting on the Middle Danube Floodplain

1 6 “Biodiversity in Europe” conclusions to be presented in Brazil 7 in focus 8 Programme of Work on Protected Areas in Dinaric Arc countries 9 The World Conservation Union at CBD COP 8 10 Free access to biodiversity data requested 11 Environmental management in the context of European integrations 12 Bosnia hosts IFOAM conference 13 ‘Biking the Balkans’ for sustainable local development

Publications

1 Release of the 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2 Saving a transboundary river corridor 3 Integrated management of Natura sites 4 Protected Landscapes 5 NHBS offers environmental books free of charge 6 Reports of the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment

IUCN SEE – New Staff

Boris Erg joined the IUCN SEE team at the beginning of 2006 as a project coordinator. Boris has been working in protected area management planning, particularly in the field of forestry and wetland management, for the last 8 years. He has been involved in transboundary conservation efforts in the Middle Danube Floodplain area through various projects. His latest professional engagement was in the Institute for Nature Protection of . Boris enjoys travelling and exploring diverse cultures, natural and urban areas, cycling and walking in countryside. Welcome to the team!

Katharina Diehl is the new assistant to the IUCN Green Belt Coordinator based in Sarrod, . She studied Landscape Ecology and Nature Conservation in . She completed an internship in South Africa on the ecology of mangroves and an internship in northern Thailand on eco-management in National Parks. Katharina enjoys reading, listening to music and swimming. IUCN SEE team is happy to welcome her and looks forward to work with her for the next six months.

Gabriel Simcic is a French and Italian bi-national who was born and raised in Luxembourg. He obtained a Bachelor in Psychology and a Masters in Environment, Science and Society at the University College of London. Parallel with his studies Gabriel has worked as a volunteer for an environmental charity in London (Global Action Plan UK) where he was responsible for communications tasks. Gabriel will begin his internship with the IUCN SEE office in Belgrade at the beginning of May. Welcome!

News

1 Launch of the ecological network database

Although many ecological networks are under development in Central and Eastern Europe, their realisation is suffering from very limited resources and lack of awareness and best practices that are being generated by programmes in the region and beyond. A project conducted by IUCN Programme Office for (IUCN SEE joined the coordination at later stage) in partnership with the Dutch expert centre, Syzygy, aimed to meet these challenges by developing the Ecological Network Database for Central and Eastern Europe. The database provides systematic information on 17 ecological network programmes in the region and it is available at

2 www.iucn-ce.org/econets/database. The information on the ecological networks is organized in such a way to allow users to explore the database in various ways: by the name of the ecological network, by country, by the type of initiating organization, by the status of the ecological network initiative, or by ecosystems. In addition, the database makes available a wide range of sources on ecological networks, including relevant documents, references and links.

Funding for the development of the database was kindly provided by the Dutch Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality (LNV). For questions, comments and suggestions on improving the database please contact Tamara Kutonova, Project Coordinator, IUCN SEE, [email protected].

2 Edible dormouse between exploitation and conservation

Dormice, an ancient group of rodents, are in steady decline for already millions of years. Not surprisingly, many species of this small family are of conservation concern, being rare in nature or even seriously threatened with extinction. Thus it sounds surprising and anachronistic that the edible dormouse (Glis glis), the largest representative of the group, is still a game species in one of the EU countries. In the Dinaric Alps of , the edible dormouse used to be a commodity species for centuries, providing poor peasants with meat, fat and skin. Although the tradition of dormouse hunting lost its economic significance after the World War II, it still survived as an important social event in some rural communities. Current legislation allows this kind of activity and restricts it to late autumn. By this, the Slovenian Government partly fulfils the requirements of the Bern Convention (Glis is listed in Appendix III) but it failed so far to place hunting on sustainable grounds. It remains unknown how many people are engaged in dormouse hunting, nor what the annual bag is. Besides, no research is devoted to provide sound scientific basis for cull planning. All this raises concern since dormice are, at least for rodent standards, relatively long-lived (Glis lives up to 7 years) and have slow rate of reproduction. More information is available from Boris Krystufek, Professor, University of Primorska, [email protected].

3 Restoration of Budakovac wetlands

The UNDP/GEF Danube Regional Project investigates many different approaches towards reducing the input of nutrients – nitrates and phosphates – into the Danube- system. One element of the project monitors and assesses the nutrient removal capacities of riverine wetlands. Within this project component WWF- DCP is managing three model projects in the Danube Basin: the Elan Valley in , Olsavica Uplands in and Budakovac wetlands in . Phase I of the project, completed in 2003, established and tested the project methodology, which has a strong stakeholder input. Phase II, implementation, began at the end of 2005 and will be completed on all three sites by December 2006.

The Croatian pilot site lies near Budakovac village in the floodplain of the River , south-east of Virovitica. In cooperation with the Croatian Waters company, the project aims to reconnect relict oxbows to a canalized river, the Zupanijski Canal, which carries municipal waste-water from Virovitica city. In a partnership unique in Croatia, the city’s outflow is treated by the excess nutrient-removal capacity of the Viro sugar factory. However this can be augmented by lengthening and slowing the canal’s course through the restored wetlands, allowing the aquatic vegetation to remove remnant nutrients from its waters. Other benefits of the restoration are better groundwater recharge and improved and enlarged habitats for fish and other wildlife, plus opportunities for socio-economic development of the rural area. More information is available from David Reeder, Project Manager, WWF-DCP, [email protected].

4 Take part in EUROPARC Junior Ranger Programme 2006

In 2006 the EUROPARC Federation intends to enlarge its European Junior Ranger network through attracting new partner protected areas and through enhancing current programmes in protected areas. Several activities are planned for this year, one of which is providing financial support for five new partner protected areas in Southern and Eastern Europe who would be willing to organize international Junior Ranger summer camps. EUROPARC is currently calling for applications.

3

EUROPARC intends to organize the 5th International EUROPARC Junior Ranger Camp in the Picos de Europa National Park in July in Spain. New network partners will be granted a travel allowance for participation at this event. Further on, the 5th International Ranger Federation World Congress will be held in June in Stirling, Scotland. For more information please contact Claudia Klampfl, Europarc, [email protected].

5 Participatory approaches for management of Bulgarian wetlands

Bulgaria: A number of IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA) members are working on the EU funded “Danube Wetlands Management” project, which runs until September 2006. A new governance model has been developed for the two Bulgarian wetland protected areas, Kalimok Brushlen Protected Site and Persina , following consultations with national and local authorities. This project provides specific roles and responsibilities for national and local government and for non- government stakeholders. A management plan that has been drawn up is currently being considered by all of the stakeholders. Additionally, a variety of ecologically friendly projects are being developed. To find out more look at www.persina.org and www.kallimok.org or contact Roger Crofts, Chair, IUCN WCPA Europe, [email protected].

6 En route for the protection of the Balkan Lynx along the SEE Green Belt

Within its project for the protection of large mammals in and Macedonia, with main focus on the Balkan Lynx, Euronatur has started to conduct a range of training workshops on lynx management and monitoring, as well as on protected area designation including GIS technologies. In December 2005, a GIS training for 5 young researches from Albania and Macedonia was held in Freiburg, Germany. The main objective of this 5-day training was to teach basic skills of GIS technology and to impart knowledge how these technologies can be used for nature protection. In January 2006, Euronatur held a 12-day field training for another group of 5 young researchers from both countries. The training was carried out by experts from the Swiss KORA and included field lessons on snow tracking and camera trapping as well as more theoretical lessons on reporting, data handling and analysis. Both workshops are regarded as important steps towards a competent surveillance of the threatened Balkan Lynx population and will contribute to its survival as part of the natural heritage of the SEE region. For more information please contact Annette Spangenberg, Euronatur, [email protected].

7 Ramsar Secretariat undertakes advisory missions to the SEE wetlands

In autumn 2005 the Secretariat of the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands undertook two advisory missions to outstanding wetland sites in South-Eastern Europe: the Kopacki Rit Nature Park in Croatia at the confluence of the Danube and Drava Rivers, and the Skadar/Shkodra Lake in . Both sites are included on the Ramsar List of Wetlands of International Importance, and are transboundary. Kopacki Rit covers the Croatian part of the larger floodplain which spans through neighbouring Hungary and Serbia. The Nature Park administration is working actively (under an ECNC project) with its Hungarian neighbours, the managers of the Beda-Karapancsa part of the Drava-Danube National Park (also on the Ramsar List). Hopefully in the near future a trilateral cooperation, also with the Gornje Podunavlje Special in the Vojvodina province of Serbia and Montenegro, can be started.

Skadar Lake is also shared between two countries: Serbia and Montenegro included the National Park on the Ramsar List already in 1995, while Albania added its part of the lake to the List in February 2006.

The significant progress achieved with the management and conservation of both wetland areas over recent years, and the remaining problems to be tackled are described in the mission reports that can be downloaded at: www.ramsar.org/index_ram.htm (numbers 55 and 56). Management plan of the Kopacki Rit is available at http://www.kopacki-rit.com/management_plan.html. For further information please contact Tobias Salathe, Regional Coordinator for Europe, Ramsar Secretariat, [email protected]

8 International seminar to halt the loss of biodiversity

“Countdown 2010: people and protected areas for biodiversity conservation” is an international seminar on the management of biodiversity and protected areas promoted by the IUCN WCPA European Training Task Force, and sponsored by the Majella National Park and the Italian Protected Areas Federation. The

4 seminar is the first initiative to be organized at the European level, promoted according to the experiences of the US National Park Service in the 1980s, recently restarted by the Universities of Montana, Idaho, Colorado, in the framework of the IUCN WCPA Programme on Protected Areas.

The 4-week training program, starting from the end of September 2006, will be developed by the two sponsoring institutions, in cooperation with IUCN WCPA (through its Task Force on Training) and IUCN Commission on Education and Communication (CEC), and with the support of Italian Universities. The seminar will stimulate debates and interactive problem solving for issues related to protected areas and biodiversity management, taking advantage of the rich experiences and multiple cultural perspectives of the participants, as well as the unique heritage and resources available in the Majella National Park. Educational tours to several protected areas of the Apennine Mountains will also be scheduled, offering opportunities to interact with experts, park managers and staff, as well as local communities. The seminar will be dedicated mainly to managers and protected area staff worldwide, although it would also be beneficial for government authorities, NGOs, academic and private sector representatives. Further information will be released by Istituto Pangea ([email protected]), IUCN member organization.

9 Balkan Peace Park Project

Founded in 2000, the UK Committee has been working with partner NGOs in the single mountain range which straddles the of Albania, Montenegro, and UNMIK . Since 2003, the UK Committee has been taking trekking groups through the region. With a grant received, Balkan Peace Park Project (BPPP) took on an experienced fundraiser and project developer. Through his work, the Committee has developed relationship with FRACTAL, Serbian partner organisation, while new links have been forged with a number of potential project partners in the region including, but not limited to: Green Home, Plav Forum, and The Centre for the Protection of Birds (all from Montenegro). In association with UNEP (Vienna), the project leaders have started on a programme of workshops, desk and field assessments and conferences in the region to examine issues related to the development of the Peace Park, other transboundary protected areas and more general conservation issues. For more information please visit www.balkanspeacepark.org.

10 Eco-Logic action for Vrbas protection

Banja Luka, Republic of Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina: NGO Eco- Logic from Banja Luka, started a project ‘’Afforesting of Vrbas Brinks for Erosion Prevention and Improvement of Water Quality’’. The project will be implemented with financial support from UNDP/GEF Danube Regional Project, through a grant programme of REC. The main objective of this project is to improve Vrbas River ecological and chemical water status, and to decrease the overflow influence at neighbouring areas. The activities foreseen under this project will also help decrease impacts of erosion processes. More information is available from Dragan Comic, Project Coordinator, Eco-Logic NGO, [email protected].

11 Sustainable development for Prokletije mountains

Montenegro, Serbia and Montenegro: In January 2006, NGO Green Home (Montenegro) started a project ''Sustainable development - Prokletije region'', supported by UNDP office in Montenegro and WWF MedPO. This project aims to promote the ecological values of the Prokletije region, as well as to strengthen regional partnerships to reach the goals of conservation and sustainable development, and to enhance the capacities of local NGOs.

Prokletije Mountains are a very important area with regards to biological diversity. There are around 250 plant endemic species and sub-species, out of which 19 taxa have been included in the Red List of Threatened Plants (1997 IUCN). Prokletije also have an important hydrographic potential for Montenegro and wider region. These characteristics make Prokletije one of the most valuable mountain ranges in the region for sustainable tourism development.

The first phase of the project on sustainable development of Prokletije will focus on media promotion, including updates about the area on the newly launched website of the Green Home NGO,

5 www.ecotourism.cg.yu. Green Home intends to organize a round table in Plav, on the topic: ''Possibilities for economic and tourist valorisation of the Prokletije region''. The second phase of the project will focus on training workshops for local NGOs in order to strengthen their capacities necessary for further development of economic and tourism valorisation of the region. More information is available from [email protected].

12 Integrated ecosystem management for transboundary lake

Skadar/Shkodra Lake, Montenegro and Albania: In May 2005, the World Bank started financing a preparatory phase of the “Lake Shkodra Integrated Ecosystem Management” project. Two documents have been prepared so far – an assessment of transboundary aspects of the Shkodra Lake, which outlines the threats and investment opportunities, and social elements, which deal with stakeholder analysis. Final project document is foreseen to be finished by the end of 2006, after preparation of a Joint Strategic Action Plan which will assist the Governments of Albania and Montenegro to outline a 10-year strategic view of this ecologically valuable area.

The budget of about 5 million USD is planned to be used for integrated ecosystem management of both sides of the lake, the Albanian and the Montenegrin. The project activities include three main components: transboundary management framework, sustainable natural resource management and biodiversity conservation, and public awareness strategy. The Governments of Albania and Montenegro will aim at enhancing the tourism potential of this valuable lake area and strengthen joint management of its watershed. For more information please contact Agim Shimaj, Project Manager, [email protected].

13 Carpathian Convention enters into force

In 2003, the Ministers of Environment of the , Hungary, , Romania, Serbia and Montenegro, Slovak Republic and Ukraine signed the Framework Convention on the Protection and Sustainable Development of the Carpathians. This Convention entered into force on 4 January 2006, providing the framework for cooperation and a platform for joint sustainable development strategies to all stakeholders involved. More information is available at www.carpathianconvention.org.

14 Europe’s protected areas celebrate the 8th European Day of Parks

The EUROPARC Federation invites parks across Europe to take part in the 8th European Day of Parks on and around 24 May 2006. This year’s theme, following on from the European Nature Conference in Apeldoorn in 2005, is Our Landscapes: Space for Nature, Opportunities for People. Events and activities could be held on the theme of connectivity, in particular connecting nature with people, policy and practice. Further potential themes include the role of protected areas in human health and well-being, combating and responding to the challenges posed by climate change. EUROPARC will further promote the pan-European focus of this initiative by providing a complete overview of events organised by EUROPARC members. Please register your activities on the 2006 European Day of Parks calendar at www.europarc.org/international/data/edp.htm.

Events

1 Mura walk against HE dams

Mura River, Slovenia, 29 January: The Sixth Annual Wetlands Day Walk was held along the banks of the River Mura in Slovenia. About 330 people from , Slovenia, Croatia, Hungary and Great Britain took part in this 13km walk, organised by the NGOs Tabrih of Razkrizje and Mavrica of Lendava. The event was also an opportunity to meet in solidarity against the eight HE dams which are planned along the Mura, at sites originally proposed for Natura 2000 protection. This inappropriate development has so far not been proposed officially in either the country's spatial plan or the long-term energy-production strategy. Thus Slovenian ecological organizations have launched an appeal to all their associates to join

6 them in opposition to this programme, which threatens to destroy one of the most beautiful and unspoiled riparian landscapes in Europe.

The four-hour walk along the left bank of the ice-strewn Mura and its side-branches and backwaters, and through the Mura woodlands, made all participants aware of the rare beauty and liveliness of this river, which still changes its course and displays the strength and vitality of a dynamic watercourse with few equals in Europe. It has been proposed that this part of the Mura becomes part of the network of wetlands protected by the Ramsar Convention; and the Croatian Ministry has also pledged the establishment of the Regional Park Mura-Drava, which will hopefully one day become a part of the Biosphere Reserve Danube-Drava-Mura. More information is available from David Reeder, Project Manager, WWF-DCP, [email protected].

2 Securing future of Mediterranean protected areas

Sevilla, Spain, 29-31 January: Protected areas in the Mediterranean are seriously under funded, despite their major contribution to preserving the region’s biodiversity and economy. To address that situation, experts at the Conference on Financing Protected Areas in the Mediterranean, held in Spain, identified new ways to secure financial future for protected areas in the region. The conference was organized by the World Conservation Union (IUCN), Fundación Biodiversidad, and the Spanish Agency for International Cooperation (AECI), with the collaboration of the Junta de Andalucia. Three needs were identified as the main priority areas to act upon: 1) to create additional income generation opportunities through partnerships with the private sector; 2) to encourage governments to increase funding commitments to their protected areas; and 3) to foster capacity development and experience sharing.

Meeting participants agreed on the need to apply all possible financing mechanisms, together with the importance of adapting them to the different realities for each country in the Mediterranean region. Experts acknowledged that more has to be done to illustrate the direct and indirect benefits of protected areas, and to communicate this to national and local governments. If the values of protected areas within the Mediterranean context are clearly conveyed, it will be easier to convince governments that investment in protected areas is a key responsibility. More information is available at www.uicnmed.org.

3 Shkodra Lake on Ramsar List

Shkodra Lake, Albania, 1 February: The Ministry of Environment of Albania has placed the Albanian portion of a valuable transboundary wetland system of Shkodra Lake onto the List of Wetlands of International Importance. The International Day of Wetlands, 1 February, was chosen as the official declaration day. The newly designated "Lake Shkodra and River Buna" Ramsar site (49,562 ha) comprises the eastern side of the largest lake in the Balkan Peninsula, shared with Montenegro (Skadar Lake Ramsar site), as well as the River Buna with its nearby delta on the Adriatic coast. The area includes a variety of habitats: freshwater, brackish water, woodland, freshwater marshes, wet pastures, sandy shore and rocky habitats, supporting up to 1000 plant species. Connection with the River Drin ensures the migration of mainly fish species from the Adriatic via Shkodra Lake to and from Ohrid and Prespa Lakes, such as the endangered Acipenser stellatus and Salmothymus obtusirostris as well as the critically endangered species Acipenser studio and Chondrostoma scodrensis. The site hosts about 25,000 wintering waterbirds, amongst them the endangered Oxyura leucocephala and the critically endangered Numenius tenuirostris. Threats to the whole ecosystem arise from past and present practices of drainage for agriculture, uncontrolled development, changes in water regime, deforestation, illegal hunting and fishing, and introduced species. Albania now has three Ramsar sites, with Butrint and Karavasta Lagoon. More information is available from Dorothea August, Ramsar Secretariat, [email protected], or Djana Bejko, REC Shkodra, [email protected].

7 4 High Nature Value Farming workshop

Belgrade, Serbia and Montenegro, 2-3 February: WWF Danube-Carpathian Programme, in collaboration with UNEP-Regional Office for Europe, and European Centre for Nature Conservation and Pastoralism (EFNCP), organized a workshop on High Nature Value Farming (HNVF) in Belgrade. The workshop gathered more than 30 experts from Western Balkan countries - Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, FYR of Macedonia, and Serbia and Montenegro. Protected area managers, representatives of government organizations, agriculture and nature conservation experts, NGOs and international organizations gathered to define current state of HNVF in the Western Balkans, to present ongoing initiatives, to review available data and information, existing and potential capacities, and to develop recommendations how to protect HNV farmlands in these countries. More information is available at www.efncp.org.

5 Trilateral expert meeting on the Middle Danube Floodplain

Osijek, Croatia, 19 February: IUCN Programme Office for South- Eastern Europe (IUCN SEE) joined the group of experts in Osijek to discuss current achievements and future possibilities in transboundary cooperation in the Middle Danube Floodplain area, spanning through Croatia, Hungary and Serbia and Montenegro. The Middle Danube Floodplain is one of the largest intact floodplains along the Danube River, covering more than 60 000 ha across the three neighbouring protected areas in the above mentioned countries.

Regional cooperation between NGOs, protected area authorities and experts in nature conservation has been established almost five years ago, and these key stakeholders aim to support and improve management measures in order to safeguard biodiversity at the regional level. This time the initiative came from the representatives of the Danube-Drava National Park (Hungary), who successfully finished a project on the Ecological Network jointly with the Croatian Kopacki rit Nature Park. The new initiative is aimed to involve Gornje Podunavlje Special Nature Reserve (Serbia and Montenegro) management and to develop trilateral nature conservation project focused on wetland restoration. The participants were informed about ongoing projects in the region, namely WWF’s project “Sustainable rural tourism as a tool for improving nature management in the Middle Danube Floodplains” and “Integrating local communities and nature protection in the European Green Belt”, implemented by IUCN SEE. More information on the meeting is available from Boris Erg, Project Coordinator, IUCN SEE, [email protected].

6 “Biodiversity in Europe” conclusions to be presented in Brazil

Plitvice Lakes National Park, Croatia, 22-24 February: Officials from 40 European governments and 42 environmental organizations have recognized the need to redouble their efforts if they are to achieve the goal agreed in 2003 of halting the decline in Europe’s biological diversity by the year 2010. This and other conclusions of the 4th Intergovernmental “Biodiversity in Europe” Conference, held at Plitvice Lakes National Park, will be forwarded to the 8th Conference of Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD COP 8), in Brazil.

The Plitvice conference was held under the Pan-European Biological and Landscape Diversity Strategy (PEBLDS) and it was hosted by the Ministry of Culture of Croatia. Dr. Ivo Sanader, Prime Minister of Croatia opened the conference, while keynote addresses were given by HE Mr. Aleksandar Popović, Minister of Science and Environmental Protection, Republic of Serbia, Serbia and Montenegro, Mr. Wolfgang Stalzer, Director General, Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, Environment and Water Management, Austria, representing the EU presidency, Mr. Ahmed Djoghlaf, Executive Secretary, Convention on Biological Diversity Secretariat, Mr. Ladislav Miko, Director, Protecting the Natural Environment, Directorate General – Environment, European Commission; Dr. Jeffrey McNeely, Chief Scientist, The World Conservation Union (IUCN), Ms. Ana Liro, Deputy Director, Department of Nature Protection, Ministry of Environment, Poland, Mr. Bulat Yessekin, Regional Environment Centre-Central Asia, Ms Marie Belling, European Landowners Organisation, and Mr. Alex Kirby, journalist.

The conference noted that, despite many positive developments, the loss of biological diversity is continuing at a rapid pace throughout Europe. One of the success stories highlighted at the conference

8 was the pan-European initiative Countdown 2010, which brings together actors from civil society, the private sector and governments in an attempt to save biodiversity, and to honour the promise of all European governments to “halt the loss of biodiversity by 2010”. The Secretariat of the Countdown 2010 initiative is being held by IUCN.

For more information please visit: www.strategyguide.org/200602/Documents/2006%20003%20PEBLDS%20Croatia%20conclusion.pdf and www.countdown2010.net.

7 Gornje Podunavlje in focus

Petrovaradin, Serbia and Montenegro, 27 February: A meeting in Petrovaradin between IUCN SEE, WWF DCP and local institutions, Vojvodinasume, Institute for Nature Conservation of Serbia, Provincial Secretariat for Environment of Vojvodina, Volunteer Center of Vojvodina and the Bird Protection and Study Society of Vojvodina, had a goal to inform about two recently initiated projects in Gornje Podunavlje Special Nature Reserve (SNR), and reach several agreements.

IUCN SEE presented its project within the Green Belt Initiative, “Integrating local communities and nature protection in the European Green Belt”, while WWF DCP presented “Sustainable rural tourism as a tool for improving nature management in the Middle Danube Floodplains”. IUCN and WWF are closely cooperating in the implementation of these two projects. The meeting with local authorities proved beneficial for reaching agreement on several aspects of project implementation, such as provision of a map of the protected area, revitalization and eco-tourism infrastructure development, study trips to Donauauen and Danube Drava parks, mapping of the SNR, and the workshop on sustainable forestry and management plans.

More information on IUCN SEE project is available from Boris Erg, Project Coordiantor, IUCN SEE, [email protected], and on WWF DCP project from David Reeder, Project Manager, WWF-DCP, [email protected].

8 Programme of Work on Protected Areas in Dinaric Arc countries

Belgrade, Serbia and Montenegro, 6-7 March: Under the Dinaric Arc Initiative (DAI) framework, WWF Mediterranean Programme Office (WWF MedPO) and the World Conservation Union – Programme Office for South-Eastern Europe (IUCN SEE) organized a multi-stakeholder workshop on the ‘Implementation of the CBD Programme of Work on Protected Areas in the Dinaric Arc countries’. The workshop proved successful for raising awareness about the importance of the CBD Programme of Work on Protected Areas (PoW PA) which was adopted by the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity in Kuala Lumpur in 2004. The Programme of Work outlines a set of specific activities for each Programme Element which is to be implemented by the national authorities according to the special local/national needs. It is a comprehensive document with the overall purpose to support the establishment and maintenance by 2010 for terrestrial and by 2012 for marine areas of comprehensive, effectively managed, and ecologically representative national and regional systems of protected areas that collectively, inter alia through a global network contribute to achieving the three objectives of the CBD and the 2010 target.

The workshop gathered participants from the Dinaric Arc countries: Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia and Montenegro, and Albania, as well as some of the DAI partners (WWF, IUCN, UNESCO and FAO), international donors (MAVA Foundation) and other organizations such as UNEP, REC, and Artemis. Regional participants included government officials, NGOs and scientific institutions representatives. The workshop identified progress undertaken by the governments so far in achieving the goals of the PoW PA, as well as constraints hindering the Programme’s implementation, and the needs in terms of capacities and resources. The information gathered at the meeting will be used for development of an Action Plan for implementation of the PoW in the coming years.

WWF and IUCN emphasized the need for the governments to work in close cooperation with different partners such as NGOs and scientific institutions due to complexity of the PoW PA. They also noted the need for the governments to cooperate beyond their national borders in order to implement the ecosystem approach which was adopted by the CBD Secretariat in the framework of the PoW PA. WWF

9 introduced its 2012 Protected Areas Programme, focusing on the PoW PA implementation. The PoW PA is one of the main global policy tools to achieve the 2010 biodiversity target. For more information please contact Maja Zitkovic, Project Officer, IUCN SEE, [email protected].

9 The World Conservation Union at CBD COP 8

Curitiba, Brazil, 20-31 March: The World Conservation Union (IUCN) is present at the 8th Ordinary Meeting of the Conference of Parties to the Convention of Biological Diversity (CBD COP 8) as an inter- governmental organization with Observer Status to the UN General Assembly. IUCN is hosting 13 side events on various issues including protected areas, high seas, access and benefit sharing, sustainable use indicators and indicators to measure progress to meet the 2010 target, the Conservation Commons, CEPA and the CBD Programme of Work, the ecosystem approach, and the private sector. In addition, IUCN is associated with a number of side events as co-organizer and partner.

The GBF – 2010 Biodiversity Forum focusing on Sustainable ways to conserve and equitably share biological diversity: implementing the 2010 targets, is being organized on 24-25 March through the Countdown 2010 Secretariat. IUCN identified five key strategies to achieve the 2010 target and the decisions on all of them are expected at the CBD conference. The five issues are: protection of high seas, sustainable use of biological resources, access to genetic resources and equitable sharing of benefits, integration of protection and sustainable use of biodiversity into the policies and practices, and involvement in Countdown 2010 initiative in Europe.

One of the side events IUCN was involved in as the co-organizer together with the International Training Centre for Local Authorities and Local Actors (CIFAL) of Curitiba and the Decentralised Cooperation Programme of the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), is a Forum for Local Authorities on Biodiversity from the 18th to the 19th March, back to back with COP8. The event provided a number of examples of regional cases, among others, Backi Monostor local community of Vojvodina’s province (Serbia and Montenegro).

IUCN has prepared 12 Position papers and 4 Information papers for the COP 8. All of them are available at www.iucn.org/cbd.

10 Free access to biodiversity data requested

Curitiba, Brazil, 23 March: During the 8th Conference of Parties to the CBD, a Joint Statement of the organizations under the Conservation Commons framework on Open Access to Biodiversity Data and Information, will be presented to the Parties. The Statement, currently endorsed by 19 organizations, is open for consideration and endorsement. Conservation Commons is a global cooperative effort of conservation organizations, agencies, institutions and corporations committed to open access of biodiversity data and information. The World Conservation Union (IUCN) is one of the organizations that initiated the Conservation Commons framework. The Joint Statement is available at: www.conservationcommons.org/index.php?section=home&langue=en.

11 Environmental management in the context of European integrations

Sv. Stefan, Montenegro, Serbia and Montenegro, 26-28 March: The Ministry of Environmental Protection and Physical Planning, Government of the Republic of Montenegro, in cooperation with the UNDP Liaison Office in Podgorica, hosted a conference on “Environmental Management in the Context of European Integrations” in Sveti Stefan.

The main objective of the conference was an open dialogue on the Ministerial and donor levels to initiate joint regional environmental management in the framework of sustainable development. Thus experts in the field of environment, agriculture, tourism and economy from the Ministries of Environmental Protection, Agriculture and Tourism from Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Albania, FYR of Macedonia, and UN Administered Province of Kosovo (Serbia and Montenegro), donors from Netherlands, Austria, Germany, Japan, Spain, , Sweden and , as well as high representatives of international organisations, including the World Bank, UNDP, UNEP, UNESCO, and the World Conservation Union (IUCN), along with Stability Pact for South-Eastern Europe and Rockefeller Brothers Fund, attended the meeting.

10 IUCN SEE gave an overview of current development on the main initiatives in the region, namely the European Green Belt Initiative and the Dinaric Arc Initiative. For more information, please contact Joerg Lohmann, Director, IUCN SEE, [email protected].

12 Bosnia hosts IFOAM conference

Teslic, Bosnia and Herzegovina, 3-4 May: The first IFOAM International Conference on Organic Wild Production will be held in Bosnia and Herzegovina this May. The event is being organized by the Agricultural Institute of the Republic of Srpska in cooperation with FAO and the Agricultural Institutes from Sarajevo and Mostar. The conference will focus on harvesting of wild products from forests, natural lands, pastures and uncultivated agricultural lands, and on the production that enters the organic market system. The participants, including communities involved in harvesting, producers, consumers, developers of standards, governments and NGOs, will also discuss Fair Trade and sustainable forest management certification with special focus on plant products. More information about the IFOAM Conference is available at www.organicwildconference.org.

13 ‘Biking the Balkans’ for sustainable local development

24 June-15 July: Padova in will be a starting point for a 3-week long biking tour across the Western Balkans. Under UNESCO ROSTE organization, fifty participants from various European countries will stop at ten different sites of natural and cultural international importance, with the aim of discovering unique environmental situations, discussing crucial issues related to sustainability of local territorial dynamics and demonstrating concrete solidarity and openness to cultural diversity and local traditions and practices.

Each of the chosen sites will host a specially designed seminar or round table related to some of the most important issues for the particular site. After Padova’s seminar on Cycling paths and green areas and Venice’ Wetland management, Triglav National Park (Slovenia) will host a seminar on Certified biological products, Lonjsko polje Nature Park (Croatia) on Sava river initiatives, while Belgrade (Serbia and Montenegro - SCG) will focus on Sustainable urban mobility. The participants in ‘Biking the Balkans’, including bikers, local communities, local and national authorities, NGOs, and media will have an opportunity to learn more about the pan-European Green Belt Initiative in Djerdap National Park (SCG). This particular round-table will be organized by IUCN SEE.

Further topics that will raise public awareness and draw attention to policy and decision-makers to fostering local sustainable development goals are: World Heritage and Biosphere Reserves in Golija- Studenica (SCG), Sustainable tourism and protected areas at Durmitor National Park (SCG) and Sutjeska National Park (Bosnia and Herzegovina), Transboundary lake management at Skadar Lake (Albania) and Natural and cultural assets in transboundary territorial systems at Ohrid (Macedonia). For more information please visit www.bikingthebalkans.org.

Publications

1 Release of the 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species

Gland, Switzerland: An updated version of the world’s most authoritative source of information on the status of the Earth’s plants and animals, IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, will be released on 4 May 2006. Marine and freshwater species and other previously poorly covered species and habitats are now being assessed, and many of these will appear on the Red List for the first time in 2006. As humankind’s global footprint on the planet grows, not only is the world’s wildlife in jeopardy, but humankind will also have to bear the consequences: many species are essential for food and trade. Increasingly, the close link between the livelihoods and well-being of millions of people has become apparent, as important commercial species have declined and become threatened with extinction along with the more exotic and obscure.

A full 2006 Red List media package will be available, including a photo gallery, species changes, case studies, species profiles and statistics. For more information please contact Carolin Wahnbaeck, IUCN Global Media Relations Officer, at [email protected].

11 2 Saving a transboundary river corridor

Plitvice Lakes, Croatia, 24 February: During the 4th Intergovernmental “Biodiversity in Europe” Conference at the Plitvice Lakes National Park, WWF and the network of Drava NGOs presented a recently published brochure that advocates better protection of the Danube, Drava and Mura Rivers. The brochure “Saving a picture of beauty” highlights the ecological values of the region and promotes the establishment of a transboundary Biosphere Reserve that is foreseen to be an ideal framework for the effective conservation and sustainable development of this corridor, which would also be the largest European coherent riverine reserve. The well preserved river corridor has more than 250,000 ha of ecologically valuable areas and it is home to a high density of endangered species such as White-tailed Eagle, Black Stork and Little Tern. Biodiversity along the pan-European Green Belt unfortunately seems to be threatened by currently planned development of HE dams along the Mura River in Slovenia. NGOs of the four adjacent countries, Slovenia, Croatia, Austria, and Hungary, have now joined forces to protest against the building of HE dams. For more information please contact Stojan Habjanic [email protected]. The brochure can be downloaded from www.sterna-albifrons.net or ordered from [email protected]

3 Integrated management of Natura sites

“Integrated Management of Natura 2000 Sites” is a new publication of the Directorate General Environment’s LIFE Unit of the European Commission. This publication examines the contribution that the LIFE-Nature programme has made to the integrated management of Natura 2000 sites. In this context, the term ‘integrated management’ is used to indicate the nature conservation of a site, alongside the management of other activities or resources, such as the management of agriculture, tourism or water resources. The document has some useful information on management planning as well as the links to LIFE project websites with management plans. The document can be downloaded at: http://europa.eu.int/comm/environment/life/infoproducts/managingnatura_highres.pdf.

4 Protected Landscapes

A new IUCN’s publication “Protected Landscape Approach: Linking Nature, Culture and Community” is now available online in both PDF and HTML formats. The publication was edited by Jessica Brown, Nora Mitchell and Michael Beresford, and is available at IUCN’s website: www.iucn.org/wcpa/pubs/taskforce.htm#landscapes.

5 NHBS offers environmental books free of charge

Oxford University Press has published a new book “Conservation Education and Outreach: a handbook of techniques”, by Susan Jacobsen, Mallory McDuff ad Martha Monroe. This is the second book in Oxford University Press’ Techniques in Ecology & Conservation Series. The first book was “Bird Ecology and Conservation: a handbook of techniques” by Sutherland, Newton and Green. Both books are available free of charge at www.nhbs.com/Conservation/gratis-books.html.

Alongside to these two publications, NHBS Environment Bookstore offers other interesting titles to those working on nature and wildlife conservation issues. The NHBS Bookstore also introduced Gratis Books Scheme for conservation workers and researches from countries outside of Western Europe, North America, Japan, Australia and New Zealand with the aim to spread ecological knowledge as widely as possible. The Gratis Books Scheme is made possible by NHBS’ collaboration with the British Ecological Society and the publishers and authors of the books.

6 Reports of the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment

Four reports of the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MA) are now available for purchasing through Island Press, while some chapters are available online. The technical reports examine Current State and Trends, Scenarios, Policy Responses and Multi-Scale Assessments, while a summary report contains summaries of all the four assessment volumes for decision makers.

Further on, the World Health Organization (WHO) released the MA “Ecosystem and Human Well-being: Health Synthesis”, providing an overview of linkages between human health and the health of ecosystems. The report states that some 60% of the benefits that the global ecosystem provides to

12 support life on Earth (such as fresh water, clean air and a relatively stable climate) are being degraded or used unsustainably. In the report, scientists warn that harmful consequences of this degradation to human health are already being felt and could grow significantly worse over the next 50 years.

Another MA report - “Ecosystem and Human Well-being: Wetlands and Water Synthesis” was launched at Ramsar COP9 in Uganda. This report was prepared for Ramsar Convention to meet the need for information about consequences of ecosystem change for human well-being, and also to strengthen linkages between scientific knowledge and decision-making for wise use of wetlands. Further information is available at www.maweb.org.

13 Guidelines for contributing to IUCN SEE e-bulletin

IUCN welcomes articles in which you report on your activities related to transboundary cooperation in protected areas and biodiversity conservation. Please report on the status of your projects and actions, as well as events that you attended. You are welcome to announce new meetings and workshops and briefly report on new publications and announce funding opportunities.

The articles should be 150-250 words in length. Please note this as the interest to distribute news articles through the bulletin is extremely high and we are trying to secure space for all of you to contribute. Therefore, please be short. The editor keeps the right to shorten and modify the text if necessary.

Please send a photo to accompany your article if appropriate and indicate your email and/or web-link for further reference.

Thanks for taking these guidelines into consideration! All contributions should be sent to [email protected].

ROfE in Belgrade ROfE's Structure Programme Office for South-Eastern Europe Regional Office for Europe (ROfE) is a branch of The Dr. Ivana Ribara 91 World Conservation Union (IUCN) global network. We 11070 Belgrade along with offices and commissions around the world link back to the President, Director General and Council of Serbia and Montenegro IUCN. For a history of IUCN and an explanation of the Tel: +381 11 2272-411 global structure please visit www.iucn.org. ROfE is Fax: +381 11 2272-531 comprised of four IUCN offices located in Brussels, Email: [email protected] Warsaw, Belgrade and Moscow. The head office, located in Brussels, is a meeting point where the IUCN Programme Office for Central Europe in Warsaw, The IUCN Programme Office for the Commonwealth of Independent States in Moscow and the IUCN Programme Office for South-Eastern Europe in Belgrade can disseminate information and strategies. Together as ROfE we strive to meet our goals for a sustainable Europe by utilizing local expertise and the strength of the global IUCN network.

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