15th Sava PEG RBM meeting  29 January 2010, Zagreb, Croatia

Protection of Biodiversity of the Sava River Basin Floodplains

- objectives and outcomes -

Boris Erg, IUCN SEERamona Topić, SINPNeven Trenc, SINP

► Support transborder co-operation and agreement between the Sava countries (Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia) to designate and manage an ecological network for habitat types and species of European importance

► Protect global significant biodiversity, having a focus in species and habitats occurring on EU Birds and Habitats Directives (Natura 2000)

► Support rural development through stimulating sustainable land use practises and rural tourism

In addition, the project seeks to a) increase political stability and transborder co-operation, b) involve stakeholders in the planning and implementation, and c) lay a foundation for the EU Water Framework, Birds and Habitats Directives

Project objectives

1. Improved transboundary co-operation on the protection and management of the landscape and biodiversity along the Sava

2. Proposal for an ecological network in accordance with EU Birds &Habitats Directives

3. Established GIS and data base as a tool for the ecological network design and management of the Sava River and its ecological network

4. Strategy for sustainable land use and rural economic development to supportbiodiversity and landscape protection and to reduce nutrient emission.

5. Increased awareness on the protection and management of the landscape and biodiversity

6. Increased co-operation between the nature protection sector and the water management sector on the management of the floodplains along the Sava River

Planned outputs

Stakeholders (loc, nat, int.)

International organizations

BiH

BiH

HR

SRB

Intergovernmental

SLO

BiodiversityLand use

GIS

Awareness

● Biodiversity field forms in line with the Birds and Habitats Directives for key animal groups, plants and habitats, N2k interpretation manuals

● Land use assessment – land use types, landscape characteristics, forestry related features, pollution sources

● Practical solutions – land use to support biodiversity and biodiversity to support livelihoods

Introducing Natura 2000 - Biodiversity & Land use

Identify species & habitats of European significance• through assessment of existing data and databases • through field inventories in compliance with the EU Birds and Habitats Directives

…as a base for design of a transboundary network of sites along the Sava River

Biodiversity – objectives

► National interpretation sheets of Natura2000 habitat types

► Inventory of Natura2000 habitat types and species

► Analysis of threats and assessment of conservation status of Natura2000 habitats and species

► Proposal for a network of sites along Sava

► Restoration action plans for selected sites

► Action plan and recommendations for network of sites

Biodiversity – outputs

Gajna, Croatia

Land use

► Action plan to sustain and promote traditional extensive agriculture, especially livestock grazing, including the use of autochthonous species

► Recommendations for agri-environment schemes for maintaining the landscape and biodiversity based on EU and national policies and funding schemes

► Recommendations for sustainable tourist development

Land use – outputs

Odransko polje, Croatia

● Sava Data Portal accessible at http://www.savasdi.org/

● Portal is based in Zagreb

● Data upload is under finalization

● Multi-beneficiary principle

GIS

Zasavica, Serbia

● Communication strategy

● Life along the Sava / Zivot duz Save

● Website www.savariver.com

● Stakeholder meetings

● Sava exhibition

● International Sava conference

Awareness / Communication

● Over 200 stakeholders identified and addressed

● Policy and decision makers, experts, practitioners

● Institutional networking – ISRBC and ICPDR

● Building synergies and know-how share

● Local, regional and international outreach

● International Sava Conference

Stakeholder involvement & networking

► The Sava Floodplains are home to biodiversity of European Importance

► The cooperation between the water management sector and the nature protection sector requires improvement in order to secure integrated approach to the management of the Sava and its biodiversity

► The future of traditional land use (extensive agriculture) is uncertain and targeted support is needed to support farmers, there livelihoods and the landscape and biodiversity

► The dispersal of invasive species poses a real threat to the biodiversity along the Sava and requires a coordinated transboundary approach

Preliminary conclusions

Lonjsko polje, Croatia

Establishment of a network of protected areas; managers of protected areas should meet once a year

Development of a joint plan to develop tourism along the Sava

Stakeholder Council for the Middle Posavina could be extended as stakeholder council for the Sava

Strengthened cooperation between the Institutes for Nature Conservation from Serbia, Slovenia, Croatia plus CEPRES and the relevant institute in RS

Strengthen cooperation with the agricultural sector to develop support schemes for the farmers including the promotion of cattle breeding, introduction of organic agriculture, regional product development

Recommendations

www.savariver.com

Thank you!