Towards the network of mountain protected areas in the Balkans and the Dinaric Arc

The programme of work on mountain biological diversity under the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) recommends establishing regional and transboundary collaboration, and cooperative agreements for mountain ranges1, as well as establishing and strengthening adequate, effective national and regional networks of mountain protected areas.

Neighbouring States, which often have different levels of technical expertise, knowledge, capacity and fi nancial resources, can benefi t by combining their respective strengths through transboundary co-operation3. Protected area networks allow for a more effective and harmonised management of the shared natural heritage, habitats and species as well as for joint preservation and promotion of cultural values of the region.

Protected area networks are usually established on the legal basis of either global or regional Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs), such as the Alpine or Carpathian Conventions. The possible MEA for the South-Eastern European region is still in the early phase of its development. But the consultations on the potential for protected area networking in the Balkans and the Dinaric Arc should not remain suspended until the opening of the offi cial negotiation procedures on the possible ‘Balkan Convention’. The sooner the managers of the protected areas in the SEE region recognize the added values of acting as a network, identify potential benefi ts and opportunities, consult this idea with their supervisory bodies and colleagues, and jointly manage to find the way to cooperate under such network – the better designed network and the stronger the cooperation could be in the future.

The following report by UNEP Vienna Office

• Briefly summarises potential benefits of acting as a protected area network,
• Describes the experience on the development of protected area networks in the mountain ranges directly neighbouring the Balkan / Dinaric region – in the Alps and in the Carpathians,
• Provides a brief overview of the ecological network in particular countries of the South Eastern Europe,
• Describes possible criteria for selection of the potential partners of the sub-regional network of mountain protected areas in the Balkans and the Dinaric Arc and provides their tentative contact list,
• Compares conditions for protected area network initiatives in the Alps, Carpathians and the Balkans,
• Includes recommendations on the necessary fi rst steps towards the proposed network,
• Presents initiatives undertaken under ENVSEC-SEE with the objective to share the Alpine and
• Carpathian experience, promote and consult the idea for establishing a network of mountain protected areas in the Balkans and the Dinaric Arc with the possible stakeholders, and bring this issue to the attention of nature conservation authorities and political decision-makers.