On the occasion of the World Environment Day on June 5, the Ministry of Environment and Physical Planning in cooperation with PINP Mavrovo organized an event for the public presentation of the activities for the implementation of the revision/supplement of the Study for Revaluation and the development of a Management Plan for the NP Mavrovo, as foundations for good and sustainable management of this protected area.
At the event, the Minister of Environment and Physical Planning, Kaja Shukova and the director of PINP Mavrovo, Samir Ajdini, gave introductory speeches at the event, and the activities were presented by the representatives of the partner organizations Global Conservation, Macedonian Ecological Society and MOEPP.
“It is a particular honor and pleasure for me to highlight the already established cooperation with our partners Global Conservation Fund, the Macedonian Ecological Society and the Public Institution National Park Mavrovo in the process of re-proclamation of Mavrovo as a protected area in the national park category, as an obligation arising from the Law on Nature Protection. This significant cooperation represents an opportunity to continue the path towards the protection, preservation and promotion of the natural values that characterize the National Park Mavrovo and overcoming the challenges faced by the management of the park in its sustainable management and protection of the natural values”, said Minister Shukova.
The director of PINP Mavrovo, Samir Ajdini, expressed his satisfaction with the final start of the process for the re-proclamation of the Park, as one of the largest protected areas in the country, especially because in the past they often faced accusations incorrectly and unfairly, probably due to ignorance of the facts or incorrect interpretation of the same.
The history of NP Mavrovo dates back to 1949, when it was declared a protected area for the first time, but conditions have changed over the years.
With the entry into force of the Law on Nature Protection in 2005, legal conditions were created, but also an obligation to re-declare the already protected areas in Republic of North Macedonia, including NP Mavrovo.
The study for the valorization of the Mavrovo protected area was prepared in 2012 by the Public Institution National Park Mavrovo, which was submitted to the Ministry of Environment and Physical Planning in order to start a procedure for re-declaring Mavrovo a protected area in accordance with the Law on Nature Protection. Due to the reactions of the non-governmental sector to the open file in the Berne Convention on the planned hydro projects in NP Mavrovo, the reactions of domestic and international experts, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the local population living within the boundaries of the park, the procedure for adopting the Proposal -Law on the proclamation of Mavrovo as a protected area in the national park category was suspended and the Proposal-Law did not enter the government procedure. The file for NP Mavrovo is still open, so the Standing Committee of the Berne Convention modified the old recommendation RECOMMENDATION NO. 184 (2015) and adopted new recommendations Recommendation No. 211 (2021) regarding measures to preserve the national parks in North Macedonia, including Mavrovo National Park.
In connection with the signed memorandum of cooperation for NP Mavrovo (04.04.2023), additional scientific research will be conducted this year by the Macedonian Ecological Society, which is the basis for the continuation of the procedure for the re-proclamation of the Mavrovo National Park. The study for the revaluation of NP Mavrovo will follow the legal obligation of its co-owner with proposal-external boundaries and proposal-zoning with narrative descriptions of each of the proposal zones and GIS data, based on data for assessing the status of habitats and species from national and EU meaning, which reflects their current state and need in accordance with the monitoring carried out by the Public Institution NP Mavrovo. Funds from the budget of the MOEPP have been provided for the preparation of this activity.
During the revision and addition of the Study for the revaluation of the Mavrovo protected area, recommendation No. 211 of the Standing Committee of the Berne Convention of December 3, 2021 regarding measures to preserve the national parks in North Macedonia, including the National Park Mavrovo, will be taken into account.
The socio-economic character of NP Mavrovo is an important feature of this area, considering the fact that there are 37 settlements on the territory of the park. Activity for Socio-Economic Study together with the Management Plan represents the basic strategic document for the work of the park will be prepared for a period of ten years and financially supported by the Global Conservation Fund.