Identifying the Research base for a Sustainable development of the Mountain Regions in Southeastern Europe
Date:
24. 04. 2009
till 26. 04. 2009
Type of event:
Conference, Borovets Resort, Bulgaria
Content:
Programme: Follow the link...
List of Participants: Follow the link...
The mountain regions of the Balkan Peninsula are a unique natural treasure of great beauty and ecological value, and home of the headwaters of major rivers. They constitute a major ecological, economic, cultural, recreational and living environment in Europe, shared by numerous peoples and countries. The mountain regions are an important reservoir for biodiversity, and Europe's last refuge for large mammals – brown bear, wolf, lynx, wildcat, golden eagle, eagle owl, black grouse, plus many unique insect species. There are a big number of protected areas (national parks, nature parks, reserves and nature monuments).
From a socio-economic point of view mountain regions are observed to be the poorest areas in the SEE countries, but also successful economic practices and activities – based on the potential of mountain regions- evolved. The real opportunity is to set measures for the development of the regions and in particular for trans-border integration and co-operation. Regional cooperation is of high importance as the EU integration varies among the countries and a synchronisation of the processes triggered through the accession process is needed to avoid future imbalance of developments in border regions.
Preparation of a Convention on the protection and sustainable development of the Mountain regions in Southeastern Europe
Positive examples as the Alpine Convention or the Carpathian Convention do demonstrate the broad aspects and potential of local embedded processes contributing to the sustainable development of (also trans-border) regional cooperation and the high economical potential of mutual learning from each other. The development of these conventions provided the framework for cooperation and multi-sectoral policy coordination, a platform for joint strategies for sustainable development, and a forum for dialogue between all stakeholders involved. Both conventions were triggered or assisted by researchers in their development and implementation. The recent developments and the more stabilized peaceful neighborhood opens up the chance for preparing a Balkan –Convention on Mountainous regions.
The planned 2-days meeting in Bulgaria aims to bring together researchers from all Balkan countries working on scientific questions concerning mountain regions. Challenges as the rapid transformation in land-use, biodiversity, waters, tourism, nature risk and bio-productivity in line with the global changes and in particular with the local impacts of climate change are key questions for scientific discussion and can be the base of triggering the process of establishing a convention for mountain regions in Southeastern Europe.
The thematic scientific topics of the forum will be concentrated in several areas:
1. Nature protection, nature renovation and conservation and nature use;
2. Nature disasters and risk decisions;
3. Social – economical development of the mountain regions;
4. Sustainable practices and politics for land-use;
5. Development paths of the concerned regions;
6. Transborder co-operation .
A main topic to be discussed is the appropriateness of a “SEE-convention” for mountainous regions and therefore the recent examples of the two mentioned conventions (Alpine, Carpathian) will be analysed in the aspects mentioned above. Further steps towards a convention and possible scenarios as well as further practical steps have to be discussed. It is also crucial to get new ideas about the possible role of researchers in such a process.
As a first step to trigger the process towards a “convention” the following aspects are the most relevant and important for researchers
1. Stronger involvement of researchers in the development of the mountain regions in Southeastern Europe
2. Creation of a network of researchers, stating the process of promoting and realization of a “Convention for sustainable development of the mountain regions in SEE”
3. The conference is meant as a basis for cooperation and integration of people from Balkan countries and exchange of ideas in the particular field of research
4. Exchange of appropriate practice: Presentation of the sustainable practices in the other mountain regions as Alps, Carpathian, mountains of Balkan Peninsula
5. Exchange and presentation of different national programmes for development of the mountain regions in SEE
6. Creation and triggering of the framework for starting a process of establishing a “Convention on the protection and sustainable development of the Mountain regions in Southeastern Europe“.
7. First step for a strategic planning of an international cross-country political process for realization of the Convention, including stakeholders from various fields.
Practical Outcomes of the meeting
- Higher integration of researchers in the problems of the mountain regions in Southeastern Europe as a result of the Conference.
- The Initiative for integration of the researchers of the mountain regions in Southeastern Europe aims to function as a promoter for joint activities, facilitating contacts between countries and institutions and creating conditions for technical cooperation and resource mobilization at the national, regional and global levels.
- Bringing in the perspective of two recent conventions and stimulating the discussion of a possible regional convention and the role of research in the process towards such a convention
- Determination of the problems and ideas for future scientific projects concerning the general topic of the Convention to found a research basis for the process.
- Presentation of particular regions in the respective countries or regards trans-border cooperation areas (offered from the participants) with sustainable practices and assessing the research monitoring or other components of research inputs for the development of these regions. Comparative analysis, quantitative investigations and evaluation of the different practices for managing the nowadays problems from a scientific point of view.
- Drawing the direction for the next steps in the process of development of a Convention.
- Chance to get in touch with international organizations as the Mountain Partnership and Mountain Research Initiative.
Participants involved in the Research Agenda triggering the process towards a “Convention” are researchers in the fields of:- Biodiversity, nature protection and conservation;
- Spatial planning;
- Social-economic development of mountainous regions;
- Nature and disaster management
Partners for further development and towards a possible “Convention” will be mapped during the conference and the preparation work.
The conference is supported by the Federal Ministry of Science and Research of the Republic of Austria in the framework of its SEE science cooperation initiative.
Contact:
Georgi Zhelezov
e-mail: gzhelezov@abv.bg
Institute of Geography
Bulgarian Academy of Sciences
Acad. G. Bonchev str., bl. 3
1113 Sofia
Email: aso-sofia@zsi.at; gzhelezov@abv.bg
URL: http://geograph.bas.bg/index.php?l=4