General information

CE1359 CentralparksBuilding management capacities of Carpathian protected areas for the integration and harmonization of biodiversity protection and local socio-economic development

Duration: 01.04.2019 – 31.3.2022

Program: Interreg Central Europe

Total Budget: 1.599.440 €

Official website: https://www.interreg-central.eu/Content.Node/Centralparks.html

Project Partners:

Associated strategic partners:

The Carpathians are one of the most important European wildlife refuges harbouring some of the last undisturbed ecosystems (primeval beech forests) and one-third of European vascular flora (endemic and threatened plant species). This area supports viable populations of all big native carnivores (incl. the brown bear, wolf, lynx) and all big native herbivores (incl. free-roaming European bison). Moreover, it forms one of the main European ecological corridors allowing migrations of animal populations and genetic exchange. Biodiversity loss is a global problem and the Carpathians are no exception. Threats are increasing due to changes in social and economic conditions, incl. infrastructure development and tourism pressure, habitat destruction and fragmentation, poaching and illegal logging, pollution, climate change, over-harvesting and inappropriate natural resource management methods, putting the mountain ecosystem under an enormous pressure.

The Carpathian protected area system is not capable of an effective management, as nature conservation policies and management cultures significantly vary among the Carpathian countries. Traditional approaches to natural resource management and biodiversity conservation may no longer be sufficient to guarantee long-lasting economic benefits and provision of ecosystem services.

The Centralparks project aims to reconcile nature conservation and local socio-economic development, as well as to ensure the support and better involve local communities. Policy support documents and tools, tailored for decision-makers and protected area managers will focus on enhancing biodiversity and landscape conservation, local sustainable tourism development, integrated nature conservation planning, habitat evaluation and communication with local communities.

Partners in Centralparks will facilitate the harmonisation of measures undertaken in border areas and transboundary protected areas with the aim to have common strategies endorsed by the Carpathian Convention.