The objective of the Forests and Mountain Protected Areas Project for Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) was to strengthen the institutional and technical capacity for sustainable Protected Areas (PAs) and natural resource management, and expand the BiH network of forest and mountain PAs.

 

There were three components to the project. :

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• (i)  Protected areas development - provided support for: protected area management plans, business management, assessments and facilitated development of existing and new protected areas.
   

• (ii)  Capacity and support of biodiversity protection - focused on strengthening institutions responsible for planning, establishing and managing protected areas, and
   

• (iii)   Local biodiversity protection initiatives - provided project support for biodiversity conservation efforts by actors who are promoting improved natural resources management and achieving economic benefits for local communities involved in the management of protected areas.

 

The immediate objective of the project was to provide expert assistance in the realization of sub-component (ii-a) “Institutional capacity development”, all for the purpose of achieving the general objective of reaching the results stated in the project.

 

The project funded capacity building, skills learning and development to strengthen institutions responsible for managing protected areas across BiH.

 

Although certain capacities already existed (especially in protected areas), management skills needed to be improved and built up in existing as well as in new  management bodies that will be established. Project was focused on ministries responsible for protected area management and land use planning as well as the National commission for biodiversity, so that they be able to perform leading role in biodiversity protection and approaching EU.

 

Additional efforts have been made to build institutional capacity for deepen understanding of using different programs and EU instruments for financing biodiversity and nature protection (including Natura 200 network), when BiH qualifies for the use of these funds.