ANNUAL REPORT 2020

Despite a difficult year for all of us PONT continued providing financial support to its partners for essential conservation actions. Ten-year management plans, with detailed five-year operational plans and realistic budgets, were prepared for Pelister National Park, Lake Prespa Monument of Nature, and Galicica National Park. The respective Protected Area Authorities have submitted all documents for official approval by the Ministry of Environment and Physical Planning in North Macedonia. Although legally not yet required Natura 2000 aspects have already been integrated in the draft management plans. For Prespa National Park in Albania a mid-term review of the management plan was conducted followed by a detailed operational plan for the upcoming years. These efforts formed the solid basis for detailed three-year grant applications by the Protected Area Authorities which were approved by the PONT Supervisory Board.

We are pleased that the recently established local PrespaNet offices have resulted in an improved cooperation between the Protected Area Authorities, local communities and NGOs. In cooperation with the Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund we ran our first open joint Call for Proposals resulting in two complementary grants on the conservation of endemic plants and one grant on the conservation of the Prespa trout.

We are concerned about the ongoing water crisis in Prespa, caused by the historically low water levels, affecting both humans and nature in the Prespa basin. PONT continuously supports the Protected Area Authorities in the Prespa watershed by covering a part of their operational costs. Through this effort Galicica National Park managed to abandon the profit-driven management of forest habitats which resulted in a decrease of at least 2,4 tonnes CO2 emission in 2020. Pelister National Park plans to also gradually reduce the extent of commercial logging as “the nature zone” in the new recently approved management plan has been enlarged. With regard to climate change adaptation we continue to support our partners through wetland restoration and improved habitat management. We are happy with the recent steps made by the three governments to set-up the institutions related to the transboundary Prespa Park.

In 2021 we plan to start the geographical expansion of PONT by including other important protected areas located in the Wider Prespa-Ohrid region.

Unlike standard “project-based” or “short-term” solutions, PONT’s funding is long-term and designed to ensure the sustainable management of the Wider Prespa-Ohrid region. Our model emphasises long-term commitment, transparency, accountability and collaboration, and these traits are reflected in our five-year strategy. Our emphasis is on the implementation of operational measures and, if appropriate, applied research, studies and experimentation linked directly to implementation.

PONT enables protected areas in the Wider Prespa Area to develop and implement their management plans to conserve nature through sustainable co-financing of operational costs. PONT supports the development and use of standard operational planning and reporting systems for the implementation of proprietary protected area programmes. Standardised biodiversity monitoring systems must be developed in which data collection, data analysis and habitat management are implemented, with an efficient division of what can be done by the protected area staff themselves, local people and what to outsource to third parties. Enabling the protected area staff to increasingly use scientific data in managing the area must be included in the third-party contracts. The inclusion of minimum Natura 2000 requirements will garner importance in the coming years.

Grants to environmental actors are for qualified NGOs, municipalities and research institutes with a local presence in the Wider Prespa Area and with a strategy in conservation, developing society, improving communities, and promoting citizen participation in conservation. PONT funding priorities for environmental actors are mainly focussed on transboundary conservation activities, some important specialised conservation activities and work related to nature-based tourism and non-timber forest products. In addition, environmental actors with a focus on conservation in the Wider Prespa Area are supported with their operations and organisational development so as to make the organisations more robust and capable of sourcing third party funding.

PONT financial support to NGOs and research institutes is directed towards the implementation of activities identified in the management plans for the respective protected areas and where there is a lack of capacity within the protected area management bodies. Applied research, with the involvement of protected area staff, directly focussed on species or habitat management is also supported, but fundamental research is not.

We are very pleased with the progress made by our beneficiaries. Below we want to highlight some of the results.

Please click on the slides to read more about each of the projects.

Despite the COVID-19 pandemic PONT disbursed 90% of its planned 2020 budget allocated to grants and grant related consultants. This illustrates once again the importance of the long-term financial support for essential conservation actions. Law enforcement, fire management, visitor management and other important activities continued throughout the year. It also shows the resilience and commitment by our long-term partners continuing to operate in often challenging circumstances.

In Prespa National Park in Albania the rangers continued regular patrolling even during the COVID-19 pandemic. The environmental education programmes related to the junior rangers continued with online sessions and existing hiking trails were cleared and marked by four local temporary workers. Firefighting equipment and materials were procured and effectively used in the dry season.

Since the lockdown was lifted, Galicica National Park has been a popular destination for the people in the Prespa-Ohrid region and across the country, seeking relaxation in nature after their indoor isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic. The park has kept the entrances open and waived entrance fees until the end of June. The park staff continued with the preparations for implementing the ambitious plan for maintenance and repair of the visitor infrastructure.

As PONT grants require co-financing of at least 50% for protected area grants and 25% for environmental actor grants, we rely on contributions by the government, the own contribution by our grantees and the contribution by our cooperation partners. We acknowledge and are grateful for the following sources of cofinancing by our cooperation partners.

With an additional endowment of €4.4 million from the German Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), the total capital input for PONT amounts to €42.6 million. The MAVA Foundation awarded a Fundraising Grant of €49,515 so we can increase our fundraising capacities. PONT is extremely grateful for the additional contributions and the unwavering commitment of our founding donors to our mission and its future success: MAVA Foundation and the KfW Development Bank (KfW) – mandated by BMZ.

With the funding split between permanent capital committed to our endowment and a portion in the form of “sinking funds” (which must be spent by a certain date), these commitments provide us with a solid financial base for the coming years.

Earnings on the investment of KfW’s endowment contribution and sinking fund, and the entire principal of the sinking fund, are dedicated primarily to support PONT’s grant programme for protected areas and environmental actors, such as NGOs working in the portions of the Wider Prespa Area located in Albania and North Macedonia. A smaller portion may also be used to cover PONT operating expenses.

The MAVA sinking fund (including investment earnings thereon) is actively used to support PONT’s grant programme in favour of the Greek NGO Society for the Protection of Prespa (SPP). The investment earnings on MAVA’s endowment can be used for any purpose that supports our mission.

Earnings on the investment of the endowment provided by a donor who wants to remain anonymous are used to support the work related to the conservation of species and their habitats in the entire basin.

The Financial Statement 2020 will be published when the 2020 audit report is finalised by PONT’s independent auditor by mid 2021. A summary of the 2020 Financials is provided in the full PONT Annual Report 2020 which can be downloaded here.