Mainstreaming Karst Peatlands Conservation Concerns into Key Economic Sectors
Background
Karst fields (areas with geologic bedrock mainly consisting of carbonate rocks such as CaCO3 and MgCO3) are important production landscapes that are characteristic for the Mediterannian region. Approximately 35% of the European continent consists of carbonate bedrock, which is around 3 million km² and most of it is karstified.
The barriers which hamper mainstreaming karst biodiversity conservation requirements into spatial planning at local level are:
(i) Cantons and municipalities lack capacity for analysis of possible options of land use in karst areas. Studies have identified clear capacity gaps among municipalities (such as Grahovo and Livno) and Cantonal authorities to carry out a serious economic and environmental research of options for the short-term, mid-term, and long-term vision of areas such as karst fields, under different assumptions and scenarios;
(ii) poor local enforcement capacity. The project aims to remove the above barriers by developing a model for imbedding karst biodiversity conservation concerns into policies and regulations governing spatial planning at the cantonal level, as well as into the said sectors.
Specifically, the project will:
(i) assist in preparation of biodiversity-minded policy instrument - a Cantonal spatial plan; further, through replication and co-financing the project will trigger biodiversity-friendly local spatial panning at all karst-lying cantons and municipalities in BiH;
(ii) introduce municipal-level regulations for karst field biodiversity use by local population parallel to strengthening enforcement capacity of municipal and cantonal officers and inspectors;
(iii) develop by-laws and methodological guidance on ecologically safe peat mining, and test it at 750 ha of karst peatlands; and
(iv) promote an international (Croatia-BiH) formal agreement and plan for cross-border water management plan.
Objectives
- Karst and peatland needs integrated in the BiH cantonal spatial planning policies and procedures;
- Water use and mining policies in BiH reflect karst and peatland biodiversity conservation requirements;
Achievements and Expected Results
- Spatial plans for cantons integrate karst biodiversity concerns;
- Municipal-level rules for karst field biodiversity use developed, and enforcement capacity of municipal and cantonal officers and inspectors created/strengthened;
- By-laws and methodological guidance on ecologically safe peat and coal mining developed, and options for post-extraction rehabilitation developed and validated;
- International (Croatia-BiH) agreement and plan for cross-border water management plan;
- Lessons learned are shared on sectoral mainstreaming for karst and peatland biodiversity;
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