In November 2024, Parks Dinarides launched the project titled “Empowering Local Communities for Sustainable Management of Protected Areas in Montenegro,” which will be implemented over the course of one year.

The overall aim of the project is to contribute to strengthening participatory processes for managing protected areas in Montenegro by empowering local communities and managers of protected areas.

Key activities of the project include:

• Conducting an analysis of the involvement of local communities in the management of protected areas in Montenegro;
• Developing a handbook for establishing User Councils;
• Establishing a User Council for the Komovi Protected Area (Andrijevica);
• Drafting rules of procedure for the Council and creating a three-year Action Plan;
• Implementing an advocacy campaign to promote the participation of local communities in decision-making processes within protected areas.

As part of the project, a Strategic Plan for our organization for the period 2025-2030 will also be developed.

The project “Empowering Local Communities for Sustainable Management of Protected Areas in Montenegro” is supported under the program Supported=Empowered, implemented by the Fund for Active Citizenship in partnership with the Community Foundation for Local Development “Slagalica” from Croatia. The program is financed by the European Union and co-financed by the Ministry of Public Administration.