The Ministry of Environment and Physical Planning, in the direction of ensuring the transparency of the processes, informs about the status for declaring Vodno a protected area.
- In order to justify the proclamation of part of Vodno as a protected area in accordance with the Law on Nature Protection and the Regulation on the content of the study for valorization and revaluation of protected areas ( Official Newspaper of RM no.26/2012 ), a Study for valorization of the protected park – forest area ” Vodno “. The study was developed within the project ” Improving the management of protected areas ” funded by the European Union, through IPA 2 – Sectoral Operational Program for Environment and Climate Action 2014-2020, and is implemented by the Program for Development of United Nations (UNDP).
- To the Ministry of Environment and Physical Planning ( MOEPP) the proposal for declaring Vodno a protected area in the category Protected area ( category V – Protected area ) was submitted by the City of Skopje ( letter dated 29.04.2020 ). The proposal is based on the Decision approved by the Skopje City Council, which was preceded by the preparation of the Study, communication of the expert team with stakeholders, analysis of plans for development and utilization of natural resources, the size of the area, its population, population needs and traditional values, which define that category V – protected area, best reflects the specific interaction of people and nature of Vodno and that it complies with IUCN standards. Also, at this stage of the procedure, two public hearings were held, organized by UNDP, the city of Skopje and the expert team, and the stakeholders gave their suggestions for the valorization study of Vodno, which were reviewed by the expert team that prepared the Study and after the inclusion of the arguments and remarks, the City of Skopje submitted the Study to the Ministry of Environment and Physical Planning (MOEPP).
- Based on the mentioned study, in accordance with the Law on Nature Protection, the MOEPP conducts the procedure for declaring and for that purposed prepared ” Information on the need to declare part of Vodno a protected area in category V – protected area and the Decision on the admissibility of the proclamation proposal in a part of Vodno for a protected area in the category V – protected area “. This information is submitted for opinion to the Government of the Republic of North Macedonia and all relevant institutions for review and approval.
- Following the adoption of the Decision on the admissibility of the proposal for declaring Vodno a protected area in the category V – protected area by the Government. there will be a public debate on the proposal act for proclamation in which all interested parties will be invited. The act will also be posted on ENER for comments. After the public debate, the MOEPP will prepare the final act for declaring Vodno with embedded argumentative proposals and suggestions included by the interested parties.
- The MOEPP will submit then the Act for declaring Vodno to the Government for review and approval. Given that the Study of the City of Skopje proposes a degree of protection in category V – protected area, it does not require the adoption of a law on proclamation, but only a decision of the Government, upon the proposal of the Ministry.
A study on valorization of the protected area forest-Vodno is published on the website of the MOEPP on the following link:
https://arhiva.moepp.gov.mk/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Studija_Vodno.pdf