Sharing ideas for a joint candidature of the Transboundary Biosphere Reserve ‘Ohrid – Prespa Watershed’

– March 10, 2013Posted in: Macedonia

In Ohrid, Millenium Hotel, from 4-8 march 2013 was held a five-day workshop for sharing ideas and common planning of the resources and potentials of the Ohrid-Prespa region towards nomination of the Transboundary Biosphere Reserve ‘Ohrid – Prespa Watershed’ within the UNESCO’s Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Programme started.

The workshop was opened for all stakeholders that are interested in contributing to the establishment and promotion of the Transboundary Biosphere Reserve. The workshop was attended by representatives of the Ministries of Environment, Ministry of Agriculture, Ministries of Foreign Affairs of the concerned countries; Local Government officials of the municipalities included in the Ohrid – Prespa Watershed area (Ohrid, Struga, Resen, Pogradec, Communes of Bucimas, Liqenas (Pustec), Proger, Cerrava, Dardhas, Udenisht, Vreshtas, Pojan); National Parks representatives; Members of the NGOs that are active on the issues covered by the workshop; Representatives from the educational and research institutions; Local producers and economy sector and Media experts and journalists.

During the workshop the participants from different interesting groups were informed with the concept of the Transboundary Biosphere Reserve within the UNESCO’s MAB Programme and it applicability to the Ohrid-Prespa Watershed region and to each of the 5 different topics: (1) media and communication; (2) environmental protection; (3) local product valorization; (4) tourism; and (5) education and science.

 

Biosphere reserves aim at to balance the need to protect biodiversity values, the need for a better life for all residents, said Mr. Wolfgang Fremuth, the Team Leader of the Project: ‘Transboundary Biosphere Prespa – Support to the National Park Prespa in Albania’.

The proposal to implement the Biosphere Reserve concept into the Ohrid-Prespa region dates back to a joint project for Lake Ohrid protection which led to a bilateral agreement between Albania and Macedonia signed in 2004, in which the creation of a Transboundary Biosphere Reserve for the Ohrid Watershed is stipulated. As a result of the activities and efforts for joint protection and development of the entire region and series of stakeholder meetings realized by the Bilateral Secretariat for Ohrid Lake Protection with support of the German Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development via the German Bank for Reconstruction (KfW) in cooperation with Albanian Ministry for Environment and the UNESCO Venice office, a broad support of the concerned communities and protected areas in the region of the neighbouring countries has been achieved. These lead to joint Declaration of commitment for the creation of a Transboundary Biosphere Reserve Ohrid- Prespa watershed within the UNESCO MAB Programme signed by the both Ministers for Environment and Mayors and heads of the National Parks in October 2012.

The signed Declaration of commitment and the received support of the UNESCO Headquarters enable continuation of the initiative and starting the nomination process, which includes wide information and participation campaign and elaboration of common Nomination Form which is planned to be presented in front of UNESCO Authorities in Paris by the end of September 2013. (Makedonium)