Dear Centralparks friends,

Centralparks is making further strides towards the initiatives in the project´s first Thematic Work Package, which aims at the integration of biodiversity conservation and sustainable development in the Carpathian Region. 

To encourage and facilitate transnational cooperation, three Thematic Transnational Task Forces (TTTFs) were established under the first Thematic Work Package, with the objective to pool the expertise of protected area managers and experts from all Carpathian countries, and capitalise on the exchange of information, experience, and best practices available in particular countries.

These TTTFs were tasked with the joint development of mutually supportive policy support documents or tools: a strategy for enhancing biodiversity and landscape conservation outside and inside protected areas, a strategy for local sustainable tourism development based on natural and cultural heritage, and guidelines on communication between protected areas and local communities in the Carpathians.

Getting together protected area managers and local communities is vital for effective conservation in the Carpathians. The joint expert work of the TTTFs has made up the conceptual phase of the work package. In the following test phase the project has been involving key stakeholders in the pilot implementation of the draft strategies and developed tools. Several events have taken place in the past few months as a result. You can read more about them below!