Dinaric Parks - An Undiscovered World
27 November 2012
27/11/2012 - Organized by the Mediterranean Office of the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), from 19 to 23 November 2012 in Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the International Conference on the Dinaric Arc Parks was held.
The conference was one of the activities of the "Dinaric Arc Parks" project, which the global non-governmental organization for nature conservation WWF is implementing in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Croatia, Kosovo, Macedonia, Slovenia, and Serbia. Under the motto Dinaric Parks - An Undiscovered World, the project aims to promote the Dinaric Arc as a region with diverse landscapes, but also with a unified culture. The project is funded by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the MAVA Foundation, while implemented by the Mediterranean Programme of the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF).
Kosovo is represented in this project by the Sharr Mountain National Park, the proposed Bjeshkët e Nemuna National Park, as well as two Nature Parks: Gërmia and Mirusha. The project "Parks of the Dinaric Arc" started in January 2012 with the main goal of creating a network of 75 parks in the region. In addition, it also has a very important task, to teach park employees to better manage the parks and sustainable tourism. Another objective of this project is to work for the recognition of the Dinaric Arc, which in the world should be considered as important as the Alps or the Carpathians. The Dinaric Arc could become synonymous with sustainable development.
The aim of this project is to strengthen dialogue and cooperation in the region by developing a sense of belonging based on shared natural heritage and building a positive internal and external image of the region.
Among the key speakers at the conference were Lučka Kajfe Bogataj, winner of the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize, who gave a presentation on climate change and its impacts on protected areas, nature, and the environment. Nigel Dudley presented the benefits and values of protected areas in the region, while Erica Stanciu shared her knowledge of protected areas in the EU context with the participants. Wilf Fenten from Europarc Consulting delivered a lecture as well as a training on sustainable tourism. The conference was also welcomed by the Ambassador of Norway to the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Ms. Lilloe Anne Vibeke.
On this occasion, the Kosovo delegation presented Kosovo's protected areas, with special emphasis on the parks included in this project, the way these parks are managed, as well as the challenges they are facing in order to manage them as best as possible. During the Conference, several workshops were also held, among which the workshop on sustainable tourism development through the inclusion of National Parks in the EuroParks network is worth mentioning. Kosovo intends to be represented in this network by its only National Park, Sharr Mountain. Conference participants had the opportunity at the end of the Conference to also visit the Kozara National Park.
WWF is one of the largest and most respected independent international organizations for nature conservation, with nearly five million supporters and an active global network in more than 100 countries. The mission of WWF is to halt the degradation of the Earth's natural environment as well as to build a future in which people live in harmony with nature, through the conservation of global biodiversity, the sustainable use of natural renewable resources, sustainable development, etc.