Protected Areas

Protected areas have a key role to play in maintaining the outstanding natural jewels of our region. But in many cases, where they do exist, national and nature parks are on paper, not in practice.

To protect the Danube-Carpathian region's outstanding natural jewels, WWF focuses on:

Identifying and designating protected areas and ecological networks

• Early work initiated by WWF and partners through the Carpathian Ecoregion Initiative led to the first identification of areas of especial nature value deserving special protection and is now continuing with identification of ecological networks in the region.
• For several years, WWF has been closely involved in identification and designation of areas as part of the EU’s Natura 2000 network of specially protected sites.

Promoting favourable legal, financial and other conditions for Protected Areas

• In cooperation with national authorities, WWF has organised assessments of Protected Areas in Romania, Bulgaria, Slovakia and Ukraine (April 2008) according to the WWF/World Bank RAPPAM methodology
• WWF has been closely involved in programming for EU funds in Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Austria and Germany and through partner organisations in the Czech Republic and Slovakia
• In Romania and Bulgaria in particular, WWF has been closely involved in lobbying government and parliament to address current gaps in PA legislation.

Promoting effective management for protected areas

• In 2006, WWF initiated a 5-year programme to support Protected Areas across the Carpathians and meet government commitments for implementation of the Convention on Biological Diversity.
• WWF is provided ongoing support for the Carpathian Network of Protected Areas (CNPA) and the Danube Network of Protected Areas.
  
• WWF is also providing more focused support for training and capacity building for selected Protected Areas, including the Carpathians and East Carpathian Biosphere Reserves in Ukraine.

Ensuring local communities benefit from protected areas

• Protected areas ultimately depend on the support of local people. Therefore, many of our local projects, like those in the Carpathian areas of Ukraine or the Danube Delta, are designed to generate new opportunities for local development, for example through tourism or sustainable forestry, agriculture or fisheries.

Addressing threats to protected areas and nature values

• Unfortunately, all too many of the protected areas in our region offer little or no protection against an onslaught of pressures, including illegal construction, illegal logging as well as poaching. Where necessary, WWF has not shied away from taking a stand to protect many of our greatest natural treasures, with public campaigns as in Romania and Bulgaria as well as in the courts.

Contact:
David Strobel, WWF-DCPO