Since April 2019, MES has started implementing a three-year project related to monitoring of certain rare plants within the boundaries of the identified national Important Plant Areas (IPAs). A total of five plants (Campanula debarensis, Aesculus hippocastanum, Centaurea rufidula, Crocus jablanicensis and Astragalus physocalyx) and four significant plant areas (Jablanica, the gorge of Crn Drim, Bogdanci and Dojran Lake) will be covered by the monitoring.
The goal of the project is to renew the past outdated data on the distribution of the selected plants, which will give insight to their population and will update the status information on some of the important vegetation areas in Macedonia. At the same time we will also work on the popularization of the IPAs with a special emphasis on the rare plants.
The monitoring will be carried out under the guidance of two botanists based on prescribed protocols, but students who are interested in botany will also be included. In addition, part of the activities will be implemented in cooperation with active environmental local organizations, such as “Polimath13” from Bogdanci.
In Macedonia, 42 IPAs have been identified that are not legally designated. They are located on the official International database of PlantLife http://www.plantlifeipa.org/home. Floristic researches in Macedonia are minimized due to lack of staff and funds for scientific and research work in the field of botany. This project will provide a significant share in obtaining information on the populations of several rare national plants.
The project is financially supported by the CEPF (Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund) and is implemented within one of the CEPF’s strategic objectives of ‘plant protection’, which is part of the long-term program for the preservation of certain Mediterranean hot spots.
“The Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund is a joint initiative of l’Agence Française de
Développement, Conservation International, the European Union, the Global Environment Facility,
the Government of Japan, and the World Bank. A fundamental goal is to ensure civil society is
engaged in biodiversity conservation.”
During the implementation of the project, Polymat 13 as a local focal point operating in the distribution area of Astragalus physocalyx will mediate the submission of possible complaints and grievances from the local population to MES as a national project coordinator.
All news, event announcements and meetings will be published in a timely manner, on existing media, websites or social networks (Facebook) of the partner organization and MES web site.
For any possible conflict, the complainant will be able to contact the project’s local point or the project coordinator or the financier on the following contacts:
- Nadica Madzirova, Polimat 13, St.Marshal Tito No.64, 1484 Bogdanci, phone: 075 393 306 nadicamadzirova@gmail.com.
- Natalija Melovska, Macedonian Ecological Society, Blvd. Boris Trajkovski, St. 7, No 9a, 1000 Skopje, phone: 078 371 175, angelova@mes.org.mk
- Borut Rubinic, Programme coordinator for Balkan, Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF)|Regional Implementation Team (RIT) +386 (1)426 5875, borut.rubinic@dopps.si
- Pierre Carret, CEPF Grant Director, Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF), 2011 Crystal Dr. Ste. 500, Arlington, Virginia, United States, (703 ) 341 2400, pcarret@cepf.net
We will share all grievances – and a proposed response – with the Regional Implementation Team and the CEPF Grant Director within 15 days. If the claimant is not satisfied following the response, they may submit the grievance directly to the CEPF Executive Director at epfexecutive@conservation.org or by mail. If the claimant is not satisfied with the response from the CEPF Executive Director, they may submit the grievance to the World Bank at the local World Bank office.
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