PONT enables protected areas in the Wider Prespa Area to develop and implement their management plans to conserve the environment 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 adhering to minimum Natura 2000 requirements becomes more important in the coming years.
PROGRAMME
PONT’S PROTECTED AREA GRANT PROGRAMME
- PartnerCountryDescription
- National Agency of Protected Areas (NAPA) for Prespa National ParkAlbaniaThe grant focuses mainly on the requirement of additional manpower to implement priority conservation actions as outlined in the park management plan. A mid-term review of the current park management plan (2014-2023) will establish a timetable that will inform the preparation of the future annual operational plans.
- Public Institution Pelister NP (PIPNP) for Pelister National ParkNorth MacedoniaWith this grant a new Management Plan for Pelister National Park is developed. For the additional included territory in 2007 an inventory of all species and habitats and birds and endemic and rare species is needed.
- Resen Municipality for Lake Prespa Monument of Nature & Ezerani Nature ParkNorth MacedoniaThe grant supports the approval of the management plan and the implementation of priority activities derived from the management plan. This includes the monitoring of target habitats and species according to national legislation and EU birds and habitats directive (NATURA 2000).
- Public Institution Galicica National Park (PIGNP) for Galicica National ParkNorth MacedoniaImplementation of the 4 programmes of the current management plan to reflect the shift from operations related to firewood production to standard operations of a protected area: conservation and visitor management. In addition the management plan will be updated.
PONT’S ENVIRONMENTAL ACTORS GRANT PROGRAMME
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 developing society, improving communities, and promoting citizen participation in conservation. PONT funding priorities identified for environmental actors are mainly focussed on transboundary conservation activities and some important specialised conservation activities. In addition, the 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.
In addition, 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.
- PartnerCountryDescription
- Society for Protection of Prespa (SPP)GreeceThe grant supports efforts to improve the “greening” of the local economy on the Greek side of Prespa with an emphasis on applied research and monitoring and management of important habitat and species
- Protection and Preservation of Natural Environment in Albania (PPNEA)AlbaniaGrant activities include mapping of wetland and forest riparian habitats using the Natura 2000 habitat mapping protocols and conservation of large carnivores including a component on monitoring of the brown bear population in the region.
- Macedonian Ecological Society (MES)North MacedoniaThe grant supports wetlands restoration and monitoring of target species of water birds and the establishment of a network of community volunteers to assist in the protection and monitoring of wild plant species.
- Public Scientific Institution Hydrobiological Institute Ohrid (HIO)North MacedoniaDevelopment and implementation of a strategic plan focusing on capacity development and applied research supporting the management plans for the protected areas.
- Connecting Natural Values and People (CNVP)North Macedonia & AlbaniaSustainable cultivation of medicinal and aromatic plants to serve as a model of decoupling local economic development from harvesting of wild resources in the protected areas.
