Feasibility Study on Establishing a Transboundary Protected Area Prokletije / Bjeshkët e Nemuna Mountains

The proposed “Prokletije / Bjeshkët e Nemuna Mountains” transboundary protected area expected to involve Albania, Kosovo - UN administered territory under UN Security Council resolution 1244/99, Montenegro and Serbia is one of the three “priority areas in focus” of the ENVSEC-SEE project, identified during the 1st sub-regional meeting organised by UNEP in June 2006 in Podgorica. The Prokletije / Bjeshkët e Nemuna Mountains encompass areas of unique landscape and are one of the most important regions for the protection of biodiversity in the Balkans and the whole Europe. Their name (in English: cursed mountains) best describes the character of this region, considered to be the most inaccessible mountain range in Europe and the wildest range on the Balkan Peninsula, with extremely harsh mountain environment providing for the extremely hard living conditions for their inhabitants. The highest peaks are Maja Jezercë (2694 m) in Albania and Đeravica/Gjeravica (2656 m) on the territory of Kosovo - UN administered territory under UN Security Council resolution 1244/99. Zla Kolata (2534 m), Dobra Kolata (2528 m) and Rosni Vrh (2525 m) in Prokletije Mountains are the three highest peaks of Montenegro. The number of glacial ponds in this area is rare for the European mainland and can only be compared to the Alps. The proposed “Prokletije / Bjeshkët e Nemuna Mountains” transboundary protected area can involve as many as six protected areas (three national parks of IUCN Category II and three regional parks of IUCN Category V) and encompass the total territory up to some 205’174 ha, which will then make it the one of the largest protected areas in the South Eastern Europe. The following feasibility study by UNEP-Vienna provides a brief overview on the local transboundary context for cooperation in the region, e.g. border context, socio-economic context, the state of the environment of the region and potential threats. Further the study describes existing legal and administrative frameworks and compares the development of protected area networks in particular countries, provides a brief overview of the natural values and protected areas of the region, and initiatives aimed at improving the connectivity and continuity of protected area network. Finally, the study suggests priorities for biodiversity conservation and transboundary cooperation in the region, and concludes with the analysis of different opportunities and challenges for transboundary cooperation in the proposed transboundary protected area “Prokletije / Bjeshkët e Nemuna Mountains”.