Continuation of successful partnerships!

Over the summer four of PONT’s partners successfully closed their grants and applied for follow-up grants. We are delighted to announce these four successful partnerships between Environmental Actors and Protected Areas will continue for another three years.

• Une, Gruaja (Me, the Woman): This follow-up project by ‘Me, the Woman’ was developed in close consultation with major stakeholders in the Albanian part of the Lake Ohrid Region, represented by the Local Action Groups, based in Pogradec, Albania, as well as local NGOs in both Albania and North Macedonia. The grant builds upon the previous PONT/CEFP support for the establishment of functional and effective stakeholder networks in Albania, especially in the Pogradec Protected Landscape, and the transboundary Lake Ohrid Region. These will bring together representatives of CSOs, local institutions, and informal groups to promote and facilitate and coordinate their participation in the governance of the protected areas in the Lake Ohrid Region.
• Alpine Club Patagonia: The new grant from PONT will help to add new infrastructure and services to diversify visitor opportunities and improve the quality of their experience in Galicica National Park with a particular focus on year-round adventure activities. This will help to divert current human pressure on the neighbouring zone of strict protection around the peak of Magaro, but also create new sources of revenue for the park authority and the Alpine Club Patagonia. This will in turn ensure sustainability in the long- term.
• Red Cross Ohrid: This grant builds on the partnership established with the Public Institution Galicica National Park (PIGNP) through the previous PONT/CEPF grant. The new grant was developed in close cooperation with the PIGNP and the Exploring Society Ursus Speleos (ESUS). The grant will strengthen the capacity of PIGNP and its partners in the management of Galicica National Park with a focus on the impacts of climate change on biodiversity in the park to inform the management plan alongside habitat management, environmental education, infrastructure upgrades, and strengthening wildfire responsiveness.
• Subsidiary Eko-svest-Vevcani: The grant from PONT to the Center for Environmental Research and Information – Eko-svest builds on their previous joint grant from PONT and CEPF which involved citizens in the importance of mapping selected species of conservation. It also focused on educating local school children and visitors about nature conservation and environmental protection in the Vevchani Springs Monument of Nature. They will continue to develop and establish this with this grant but will also extend the support to Vevchani Municipality in enhancing management effectiveness in several key functional areas, in line with the current Management Plan for the Vevchani Springs Monument of Nature. The establishment of a local office is also planned under this grant.

PONT is looking forward to continuing to support these successful partnerships and the work being undertaken.