Short description of the overall project

The objective of this project is to promote the successful implementation of the national Natura 2000 networks and the required monitoring protocols in the Western Balkan countries. To reach this objective, Bioaqua Pro Ltd. (BP), in strategic co-operation with the Hungarian Natural History Museum offers help to the national authorities of five Western Balkan countries in the form of knowledge transfer.

The knowledge transfer includes four tasks:

1. BP provides georeferenced distribution records of invertebrate animals as well as cryptogamous and vascular plants originating from the territory of the target countries in a database structure that can be imported into the national biodiversity repository of the target country in order to be utilized during the national Natura 2000 network designation process.
2. BP helps with the adaptation of the Hungarian monitoring protocols of selected Natura 2000 indicator species. The existing monitoring protocols, developed for Hungarian conditions and habitat types, will be adapted to the conditions of the beneficiary countries in close co-operation with local experts and will be translated to local languages. These adapted protocols might serve as templates for the development of the rest of the national protocols in the target countries.
3. BP organizes two-day workshops in each to hand over expertise in the practice of Natura 2000 monitoring and the development of monitoring protocols.
4. BP helps to adapt and translate available Hungarian information material (posters, brochures) about Natura 2000 indicator species.

Short description of activities financed by the donation

Technical assistance for capacity building.