Subject and goals of the project
As in other regions of Europe, climate change poses major challenges to forest and water management in northern Macedonia, Serbia and Albania. Only on the basis of an integrated forest and water management strategy will it be possible to avoid flood damage and – associated with this – massive erosion events. This goes hand in hand with the restoration and maintenance of ecosystem services and biodiversity.
The objectives of the project were to develop and test appropriate planning instruments for joint sustainable water management in Albania and Macedonia. The aim was to establish site-specific forest and watershed management based on examples of good practice, while at the same time protecting the environment and nature. Positive planning experiences of the German and Serbian project partners were incorporated in the preparation of laws and guidelines as well as in the implementation of forest practice measures. More about the project can be found at gembalkans.org.
Innovation and exemplary nature of the project
In this context, the pronounced systemic approach in terms of the management of forests in watersheds should be emphasized in particular. The Research Institute of Forest Ecology and Forestry (FAWF) as a grant recipient can refer to many years of experience in national and international projects in this context. The partners from Albania, Macedonia and Serbia have an equally high level of expertise, with the Serbian Institute of Forest Management in Belgrade in particular already having experience in implementing cooperation projects in integrated forest and water management. Particularly important for the implementation of the project in the target countries was the involvement of the relevant forest authorities or ministries. The northern Macedonian non-governmental organization Connecting Natural Values and People Foundation (CNVP) contributed in particular its expertise in capacity building. The project was able to make a valuable contribution to future-oriented integrated forest management in Albania and Macedonia. It was fundamentally very practice-oriented and was able to have a direct positive influence on the training of local experts after only a short time. The approach of GIS modeling, the theoretical background and the recommendations for forest planners are part of the Guide for forest planning and forest protective functions notably soil and water. More about this also on Youtube (with English subtitles).
Special aspects of the project
The project was characterized by an extremely high motivation of the project partners to also consider complex topics such as the valorization of ecosystem services. In this context, the joint project serves as a model for other European countries. Due to the pronounced practical relevance of the topic, it was possible to incorporate the project results into forestry practice and water management in the target countries to a high degree.
Funding subject: Integrated concepts and measures for protection and management of groundwater and surface waters management
Cooperation partners:
Locations: Northern Macedonia, Albania, Serbia
Funding period: March 2019 to March 2021, Download final report
Project costs: Total volume: 125 000 Euro, DBU funding: 125 000 Euro
DBU-AZ: 34842
Note: Translation of the German version with DeepL
Last updated: 15.11.2021
