Locations
Sustainability of Protected Areas
SPA Project
Bosnia and Herzegovina is home to numerous endemic, relict species and habitats, and is among the top five countries in Europe in terms of its rich biodiversity.
However, biodiversity in BiH faces many threats due to the impact of climate change. Despite that, the legislative and planning documents of the nature protection sector in BiH do not adequately address the measures necessary to adapt and strengthen resilience to the climate change effects.
Moreover, existing financial mechanisms do not provide sufficient resources to managers of protected areas to perform basic business operations and most of them are not self-sustaining.
SPA Project objective
Achieve practical improvement in the management of protected areas in BiH, ensure a better status of biodiversity through strengthening resilience to the climate change impact and financial sustainability of protected areas.
Project components
✔ Strengthening the resilience of the protected areas to the climate change threats
✔ Improving the financial sustainability of targeted protected areas through sustainable tourism development
✔ Knowledge management
✔ Monitoring and evaluation
✔ Project management
Expected results
Management plans created and updated with the findings of the comprehensive climate threat assessment for 10 pilot protected areas.
A portfolio of adaptation and resilience solutions for targeted species and ecosystems developed and set under implementation.
Restoration and rehabilitation of protected wetland habitats conducted.
Sustainable tourism products developed for pilot protected areas.
Eco-tourism concession model developed and piloted.
The participation of protected areas in the government grant programs is ensured in a sustainable manner.
Promotion of natural values, products, and services in the targeted protected areas is improved.
Communication, promotion and building marketing capacity.
Duration:
2022 - 2027
Donor:
Global Environment Facility (GEF)
Value:
USD 2.79 million
Main partners:
Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations of BiH, Ministry of Environment and Tourism of the Federation of BiH, Ministry of Spatial Planning, Construction and Ecology of Republika Srpska, Ministry of Trade and Tourism of Republika Srpska, Environmental Protection Fund of the Federation of BiH and the Environmental Protection and Energy Efficiency Fund of Republika Srpska.
