In order to contribute to the process of establishing ecological networks in Montenegro, in 2021 we conducted a mapping of Natura 2000 habitat types, covering four river basins and approximately 12,000 hectares of territory (rivers: Skrbuša, Vranještica, Štitarica, and Komarnica).
While exploring these areas, we discovered many interesting facts — for example, that the most beautiful and best-preserved forests of linden and maple, or alder and willow, grow in these basins. These are priority habitats for protection.
In addition to field data collection, we organized meetings with local communities to introduce the concept of ecological networks and explain their role and importance in the process.
Alongside presenting our results, at the conference we also initiated discussion on the establishment of EMERALD — the national network of protected areas — as a way to safeguard Montenegro’s most valuable natural assets until the country joins the EU and establishes the Natura 2000 network.
Together with the representative of the Ministry of Ecology, Spatial Planning and Urbanism, Director of the Directorate for Nature — Tamara Brajović, and the Director of the Environmental Protection Agency — Milan Gazdić, we reached several shared conclusions:
- Nature cannot wait, and the establishment of ecological networks in Montenegro is one of the top priorities for both the Ministry and the Agency.
- It is time to finally view and promote protected areas as a brand and a valuable resource.
- Establishing ecological networks is not just about nature conservation — it does not hinder development of the villages within them. On the contrary, it creates a new economic environment that benefits both people and nature.
The example from Slovenia and other countries in the region shows that nature is best preserved within ecological networks, and that local economies and rural tourism are most developed in villages that became part of these networks.
The project through which this research was carried out was supported by the Advisory Assistance Programme (AAP) for environmental protection in Central and Eastern Europe, the Caucasus, Central Asia, and other EU neighboring countries, within the framework of the German Federal Ministry for the Environment. The project was supervised by the Federal Agency for Nature Conservation (BfN) and the German Environment Agency (UBA).
