Project Description

Network of Carpathian Protected Areas and Ramsar sites

Legislation basis:
The Framework Convention on the Protection and Sustainable Development of the Carpathians (The Carpathian Convention) was signed by ministers of environment of Carpathian countries in May 2003 during the 5th European Conference of Ministers of Environment in Kyiv, Ukraine. Article 4 of the Convention includes inter alia obligation to support a Carpathian Network of Protected Areas (CNPA) creation of which was recommended also by resolution of the Kyiv Conference.

Implementation of the obligations of the Ramsar Convention on wetlands and its new Strategic Plan and resolutions adopted at the 8th Meeting of Contracting Parties in November 2002, as well as national targets towards a Ramsar Convention Work Plan 2003-2005

Geographical scope of the project:
The project concerns the following 7 Carpathian countries :
Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Slovak Republic, Ukraine, Serbia and Montenegro.

Project aims:

Help in establishment of the Carpathian Network of Protected Areas and Ramsar Sites,

the support to the existing CNPA Steering Committee, using an example of the Alpine Network of Protected Areas, or MedWet Initiative working under the Ramsar Convention;

establishment of a node for co-ordination of the Network on national level;

support for publicity, using web-site, maps, the proposed Carpathian News Briefs (e-mail communication tool) and existing journal Carpathi, issued in Slovakia by Association of Carpathian National Parks and Protected Areas (ACANAP);

cooperation by organising of the meetings of the Steering Committee members and representatives of protected areas of all Carpathian countries in Slovakia to decide on ways of collaboration in sustainable development and biodiversity protection within Carpathian Mountains.

The project leads to an efficient management tool for the sharing experience, exchange and co-operation with all national parks, protected landscapes, biosphere reserves, Ramsar sites and other important protected areas in the region, with aim to address priority needs for biodiversity protection, protected areas conservation and management, establishment of Natura 2000, collaborative Ramsar network and other European networks in Carpathians, and capacity building in nature conservation.

Purpose of the project:
The purpose is to institutionalise cooperation and coordination of Carpathian countries in nature protection, initiate common projects between several protected areas (twinnings, partnership agreements...), to integrate the local population in sustainable local and regional development, to lead a reflection on the forms and types protected areas with the national and international authorities and to support initiation of training activities.

Target groups:

Professionals of national parks and protected areas administrations and managers of Ramsar sites and Biosphere Reserves of the seven countries;

Ministries responsible for nature protection in Carpathian countries;

Non-governmental organisations active in biodiversity and landscape diversity protection in Carpathians.

Funding:
The project has been funded by Norwegian government as the part of the Plan of Action for Candidate countries to the EU

Recipient
Slovak Nature Conservancy of the Slovak Republic