Skopje, 10 July 2023 (MIA) - The Ministry of Environment and Physical Planning and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) continue activities to start the new UNEP/GEF 7 project "Biodiversity conservation, sustainable land management and sustainable tourism development in North Macedonia". According to the Environment Ministry, the project will run for 4,5 years, and is funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF). 

Environment Minister Kaja Shukova told Monday's inception meeting that the project will build on and strengthen existing thematic initiatives within the focal areas of land degradation and biodiversity. She pointed out that although work will be done towards supporting national and local efforts for achieving LDN and biodiversity targets in North Macedonia through the application of an integrated landscape approach in Shar Mountains as pilot area, support will be provided in the second component of the project for adopting and implementing the acquired experiences and best practices in integrated land management throughout the entire territory of the Republic of North Macedonia.

"Approaches to integrated land management will be developed and applied and the benefits of achieving synergies between biodiversity, sustainable land management, sustainable forest management, ensuring rural development, conservation of land as a resource base, through sharing the lessons learned is key to scaling up such approaches at a national level," Shukova added, as cited in a press release of the Environment Ministry. 

Head of the Nature Department at the Environment Ministry, Vlatko Trpeski also addressed the event highlighting national progress in this area, particularly cooperation with UNEP over the past years, while UNEP Associate Programme Management Officer Sonja Gebert, WB Projects Coordinator at UNEP Vienna Iskra Stojanova and UNEP Geneva task manager Ersin Esen presented the project, work plan and timeframe, expected results, monitoring and evaluation plan, as well as principles for inclusion of stakeholders, adds the press release. 

Photo: Ministry of Environment and Physical Planning