Integrated management of biological and landscape diversity for sustainable regional development and ecological connectivity in the Carpathians
BIOREGIO Carpathians is aimed at enhancing the integrated management of the Carpathians protected areas and natural assets in a transnational context and thereby increase the attractiveness of the region. The Carpathians, the largest mountain range of Europe, harbour a unique natural heritage and act as a major ecological link within Europe. Experiences e.g. from the Alpine Space demonstrate that the exceptional natural assets of mountain areas offer considerable potential for a sustainable regional development by maintaining the biological and landscape diversity as well as their ecological connectivity. The project promotes the harmonized management of natural assets and protected areas including NATURA 2000 sites in the Carpathians by involving all relevant stakeholders and by building on the existing framework of cooperation of the Carpathian Convention, its Biodiversity Protocol and other related transnational networks and initiatives. BIOREGIO provides the identification of common standards for integrated management plans and therewith the elaboration of common integrated management measures in particular transboundary areas and their implementation in pilot projects. These measures will be mainly identified in the meetings of stakeholders involved in the management of natural assets and protected areas from all the Carpathian countries. Further outputs are the identification of the main natural, legal, social and economic barriers and the elaboration of recommendations for the elimination of these barriers to improve the connectivity and continuity of the Region. In addition to that, the project develops a Joint Biodiversity Information System and a Red List of the most endangered habitats and species in the Carpathians based on the already established databases. The establishment of an intergovernmental platform will further ensure the follow up of the project activities. The project results are transferred to other mountain region in the Programme Area.