A new project for joint care of protected areas

The Parks Dinarides have started the implementation of a project titled “Protected Areas of Montenegro – a Common Good for All,” aimed at drawing attention to the importance and need for enhancing protected areas and nature conservation in the process of joining the European Union.

Montenegro is in the process of joining the EU and, regarding Chapter 27, has committed to increasing the percentage of protected areas to at least 20%. Currently, Montenegro’s national network of protected areas consists of 80 sites, covering 13.22% of its land and 1.87% of its marine territory.

Practices and the current situation have shown that protected areas are not managed adequately and are subject to significant pressures from unsustainable practices and illegal resource use. It is necessary to initiate a dialogue among all stakeholders to find systemic solutions and improve the current management model of protected areas. Therefore, through this project, we will focus on the need to enhance the functioning and management of protected areas by transferring best practices from the EU and raising public awareness about the importance of conserving and enhancing the network of protected areas in Montenegro.

As part of the project, a two-day conference dedicated to the state and perspectives of protected areas in Montenegro in the context of EU accession is planned. Also, in cooperation with the Agency for the Management of Protected Areas in Podgorica, an exhibition on the Protected Areas of Montenegro will be organized in the Gorica Forest Parks Nature Monument area. The project will prepare an educational and informative publication “Guide to Protected Areas in Montenegro,” which, along with a social media awareness campaign on protected areas, will contribute to spreading knowledge and awareness about the need to conserve and enhance protected areas.

This project is supported through the program “CSOs in Montenegro – from Basic Services to Policy Shaping – M’BASE” implemented by CCE (CGO), in partnership with the German Friedrich Ebert Stiftung (FES), the NGO Center for the Protection and Research of Birds of Montenegro (CZIP), and the NGO Politikon Network. The project is funded by the European Union, co-financed by the Ministry of Public Administration