Crossing Borders for Nature European examples of transboundary conservation Edited by Maja Vasilijević and Tomasz Pezold international union for conservation of nature Crossing Borders for Nature European examples of transboundary conservation IUCN IUCN, International Union for Conservation of Nature, helps the world find pragmatic solutions to our most pressing environment and development challenges. IUCN works on biodiversity, climate change, energy, human livelihoods and greening the world economy by supporting scientific research, managing field projects all over the world, and bringing governments, NGOs, the UN and companies together to develop policy, laws and best practice. IUCN is the world’s oldest and largest global environmental organization, with more than 1,000 government and NGO members and almost 11,000 volunteer experts in some 160 countries. IUCN’s work is supported by over 1,000 staff in 60 offices and hundreds of partners in public, NGO and private sectors around the world. www.iucn.org The World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA) The World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA) is the world’s leading network of protected area managers and specialists, with over 1,300 members in 140 countries. WCPA is one of the six voluntary Commissions of IUCN and is administered by the Global Protected Areas Programme at IUCN’s headquarters in Gland, Switzerland. WCPA’s mission is to promote the establishment and effective management of a worldwide representative network of terrestrial and marine protected areas, as an integral contribution to the IUCN mission. www.iucn.org/wcpa Transboundary Conservation Specialist Group IUCN WCPA Transboundary Conservation Specialist Group is the premier global network of transboundary conservation specialists. Transboundary Conservation Specialist Group’s mission is to promote and encourage transboundary conservation for the conservation of nature with associated ecosystem services and cultural values while promoting peace and co-operation among nations through enhancing knowledge and capacity for effective planning and management of transboundary conservation areas, in fulfilment of the Durban Action Plan and CBD Programme of Work on Protected Areas. www.tbpa.net BfN The German Federal Agency for Nature Conservation (BfN) is Germany’s central scientific authority responsible for national and international nature conservation. The Agency provides the German government – primarily the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU) – with professional and scientific assistance in all nature conservation and landscape management issues and in international cooperation activities. BfN performs a key knowledge transfer function for nature conservation by preparing scientific knowledge and rendering it suitable for practical application. Also, BfN furthers its objectives by carrying out related scientific research and is in charge of a number of funding programmes. The Agency therefore maintains an ongoing dialogue with policymakers, development organisations, business sector, scientific community, educators and the media, and is constantly adapting the nature conservation toolkit to societal change. BfN´s international activities are guided by the goals and priorities enshrined in the multilateral environmental conventions and agreements relevant to nature conservation and aim to advance their implementation. www.bfn.de Crossing Borders for Nature European examples of transboundary conservation Edited by Maja Vasilijević and Tomasz Pezold The designation of geographical entities in this book, and the presentation of the material, do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of IUCN, BMU, UBA or BfN concerning the legal status of any country, territory, or area, or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. For the purpose of this publication, the name Kosovo has been used to refer to the territory under the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo, established in 1999 by UN Security Council Resolution 1244; and the name Macedonia has been used to refer to the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. The views expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect those of IUCN, BMU, UBA or BfN. This publication has been made possible in part by funding from the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU) and by the German Federal Environment Agency (UBA) with support of the German Federal Agency for Nature Conservation (BfN) with means of the Advisory Assistance Programme for Environmental Protection in the Countries of Central and Eastern Europe, the Caucasus and Central Asia. Published by: IUCN, Gland, Switzerland and Belgrade, Serbia Copyright: © 2011 International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources 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: Vasilijević, M., Pezold, T. (eds.). (2011). Crossing Borders for Nature. European examples of transboundary conservation. Gland, Switzerland and Belgrade, Serbia: IUCN Programme Office for South-Eastern Europe. viii + 72pp. Collaborators: Giorgio Andrian, Robert Brunner, Stanka Dešnik, Katharina Diehl, Gregor Domanjko, Bernhard Harrer, Gjorgi Ivanov, Aleksandar Ivanovski, Hubert Job, Hans Kiener, Zdenka Krenova, Alois Lang, Marius Mayer, Daniel Metzler, Martin Müller, Zbigniew Niewiadomski, Hana Petrikova, Dimitar Popov, Spase Shumka, Annette Spangenberg, Andrea Strauss, Marina Trusova, Manuel Woltering. ISBN: 978-2-8317-1383-0 Design by: Imre Sebestyén, jr. / UNITgraphics.com Cover photo: Tomasz Pezold Produced by: IUCN Programme Office for South-Eastern Europe Printed by: Stojkov, Novi Sad Available from: IUCN Programme Office for South-Eastern Europe Dr Ivana Ribara 91 11070 Belgrade, Serbia [email protected] Tel +381 11 2272 411 Fax +381 11 2272 531 www.iucn.org/publications Table of contents Foreword. vii Preface. viii Acknowledgments. ix Acronyms. x 1. Introduction — The Project and its Background. 1 2. Transboundary Conservation — A Global Context. 3 3. European Green Belt Initiative — A Retrospective on Crossing Boundaries . 8 4. Dinaric Arc Initiative — An Innovative Approach in the Governance of International Cooperation. 13 5. Prespa Lakes — Where Green Diplomacy Wins. 18 6. Pasvik-Inari Trilateral Park — Cooperation in the Arctic. 22 7. East Carpathians — The World’s First Trilateral UNESCO Biosphere Reserve . 26 8. 8000 Years of Crossing Borders — Neusiedler See / Fertő-Tó. 31 9. Good Practices in Sustainable Transboundary Cooperation — Krkonoše/Karkonosze Biosphere Reserve. 35 10. Goričko-Raab-Őrség — Developing with Nature in a Trilateral Park . 39 11. Europe’s Wild Heart — Responsibility for Europe. 42 12. Thaya River — Connecting Thayatal and Podyjí National Parks . 46 13. Cross-sectoral Cooperation for Bird Conservation — Green Balkans NGO and Bulgarian Chief Directorate Border Police. 50 14. Jablanica-Shebenik — Working Towards a Transboundary Protected Area for the Balkan Lynx. 55 15. Regional Economic Impact of Bavarian Forest National Park. 59 16. Summary and Conclusions — Benefits of Transboundary Cooperation in Nature Conservation. 66 17. References. 71 v vi Foreword Running from the Barents to the Black and Adriatic Seas, the European Green Belt forms the backbone of an ecological network in Europe, thus creating a global symbol for transboundary cooperation in nature conservation and sustainable development. By following a course that was in large sections part of the former Iron Curtain—one of the most divisive barriers in history—it symbolizes the global effort for joint, cross border activities. Moreover, the initiative serves to better harmonize human activities with the natural environment, and to increase the opportunities for socioeconomic development of local communities. On this basis, the Green Belt can enhance cooperation between European Union (EU) Member States and neighbouring countries aspiring to EU membership. The German Federal Agency for Nature Conservation (BfN) is proud to be part of this initiative. Over the years, BfN has funded numerous Green Belt projects at the national and international level. This publication was produced within the project “Walk on the Wild Side. Building up capacity and strengthening cooperation for the promotion of transboundary nature conservation along the South-Eastern European Green Belt“, implemented by IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature), in cooperation with BfN and local partners and funded by the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU) through the German Federal Environment Agency (UBA). The south-western part of the Balkan Peninsula is a global hot spot of biodiversity. The border areas in the region represent some of the last intact nature sites. These sites are not only a common wealth but also a common responsibility. Nature does not stop at political borders, nor does nature conservation. Nowadays, many examples show the benefits that transboundary cooperation can bring to the protection of natural and cultural heritage, improving the wellbeing of local communities, mitigating tensions and re-establishing friendly