06 March 2026
Organized by CNVP (Connecting Natural Values and People), as the main implementing organization of the project, in cooperation with the Directorate for the Administration of Bjeshkët e Nemuna National Park, as the main project beneficiary, the workshop “Communication and Cooperation Strategy for Bjeshkët e Nemuna National Park” was held today in Istog.
The workshop was organized within the framework of the project “Shaping the Future of the Bjeshkët e Nemuna Region”, supported by the Hans Wilsdorf Foundation and the German Federal Environmental Foundation (DBU). Other partners involved in the implementation of the project are NACOON GmbH and the Alfred Toepfer Academy for Nature Conservation.
In his opening remarks, the Acting Executive Director of the Kosovo Environmental Protection Agency, Afrim Berisha, expressed the support and commitment of KEPA and the Directorate for the Administration of Bjeshkët e Nemuna National Park towards achieving the project’s main objectives, which focus on ecosystem conservation alongside socioeconomic development in Bjeshkët e Nemuna National Park, by strengthening the capacities of the Park Directorate’s staff and enhancing cooperation with key stakeholders for the sustainable use of natural resources.
Other speakers, Xhevat Lushi from CNVP and Thomas Wehinger, an adviser from the Academy for Nature Conservation, spoke about the importance of the project, its objectives, and the planned activities aimed at strengthening the implementation of the Park Management Plan, developing guidelines for the sustainable use of natural resources, as well as empowering and raising awareness among the community about the sustainable development of the park in support of local development.
As part of the workshop, which aimed to strengthen inter-institutional cooperation, a stakeholder analysis was presented, the challenges and problems facing Bjeshkët e Nemuna National Park were discussed, and a draft stakeholder cooperation document was presented. The document will serve as a key instrument for the successful implementation of the project’s objectives.