On February 19th in Tetovo, an event was held where 6 local civil society organizations based in the Mavrovo and Shar mountain regions, signed agreements with the CNVP North Macedonia for the implementation of projects focused on nature conservation and the sustainable use of natural resources, with a focus on non-timber forest products and nature-based tourism. The grants were awarded under the fourth open call, part of the project "Sustainable Use of Natural Resources in Shar, Korab-Koritnik, and the Albanian Alps," implemented by CNVP and financially supported by PONT.

After a successful evaluation process, 6 civil society organizations were selected to implement projects in the national parks of Shar and Mavrovo. These organizations are:

• Women's Farmers Association "Moja Farma"
• Tetovo Mountaineering Club
• "CEZARD" Association for Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Development, Village of Shipkovica, Tetovo
• Association for Ecology and Promotion of Culture and Sports "ZEUKSTRITON", Village of Mavrovo and Rostusha
• Association for Education, Culture, Tourism, and Ecology "RENESANSA 2019"
• Center for Education and Youth Mediation, Gostivar

During the event, Nehat Ramadani, Director of CNVP North Macedonia, addressed the attendees, congratulated the grant recipients, and emphasized the importance of the joint commitment and cooperation between CNVP and local civil society organizations in protecting nature and biodiversity and sustainable using natural resources.

After the agreements were signed, the CNVP project team held a training on financial management and visibility. During the training, grant recipients were informed about the procedures they need to follow when implementing their projects and how to properly promote the results they achieve.

About the project: 

The project "Sustainable use of natural resources in Korab Koritnik, Shara and the Albanian Alps" is being implemented by the offices of CNVP North Macedonia and Albania and financially supported by PONT. The regional project started its implementation on September 1, 2022, and will last until August 31, 2025. The main goal of the project is the promotion of sustainable use of natural resources by providing and supporting local communities to create a better socio-economic life in harmony with nature, and the project aims to provide direct support to local non-governmental organizations, protected areas, municipalities, small and medium-sized enterprises, and other local communities operating in the Polog and Mavrovo regions (North Macedonia). 

More information about the project is available at the following link: http://www.cnvp-eu.org/eng/project.php?mv=10&id=1426