The Macedonian Ecological Society (MES), in coordination with the IUCN Regional Office for Eastern Europe and Central Asia (IUCN ECARO) and collaboration with the Protection and Preservation of Natural Environment in Albania (PPNEA), with the support of the Ministry of Environment and Physical Planning, Republic of North Macedonia, has launched a new project “Northern Forests Initiative: Forest Restoration in North Macedonia and Albania” on the 6th of September 2023 in the National Park Mavrovo.
More than 60 representatives from the relevant ministries, local governments, scientific community, managers of protected areas, representatives of non-governmental organizations and media from North Macedonia and Albania attended the event.
As part of the global “Northern Forest Initiative” funded by the Swedish Postcode Foundation, the project aims to contribute to the restoration and preservation of especially important forests in Albania and North Macedonia and strengthen the capacity and commitment of local, regional, and national actors for sustainable forest management.
The implementation of Nature-based solutions will support the restoration of the forest landscape in important areas for the conservation of the Balkan lynx, especially Buković in North Macedonia and Pashtrik-Morina in Albania, which will result in minimizing further forest loss, through the revitalization of key biodiversity hotspots outside of the existing protected areas. It is expected that with the implementation of the project activities, the restoration of 40 hectares of forest area will be carried out in the both countries.
