CNVP, through its branch offices in North Macedonia and Albania, will now be implementing a new three-year project “Sustainable use of natural resources for transboundary socio-economic development of protected areas in North Macedonia and Albania (Korab-Koritnik, Shar and Albanian Alps)”, funded by Prespa Ohrid National Trust (PONT).

The new grant builds on the experience gained by CNVP in Prespa as well as the extensive work CNVP has carried out in both the Korab-Sharr and the Albanian Alps areas over many years with the support of other donors. By coordinating its activities in the Sharr Mountains National Park, CNVP Kosovo will significantly contribute to transboundary cooperation in the Korab-Sharr area.

The grant will focus on improving the socio-economic conditions of local communities, while contributing to nature conservation. It focuses on sustainable use of non-timber forest products (NTFPs) and nature-based tourism and applies a participatory, transboundary and cross-sectoral approach.

In the first year, the activities will be launched within the PONT eligible Protected Areas – Mavrovo and Shar Mountain national parks, in North Macedonia, Korab-Koritnik Nature Park and Albanian Alps National Park in Albania. The activities will expand to the ecological corridors connecting them and to the wider landscape, in the second and third year.

A small grants programme for local NGOs, resource use associations, local governments, local businesses, farmers, and community members will be implemented by CNVP to promote and pilot new approaches and practices in nature-based tourism and NTFPs management in transboundary context. This will be accompanied by awareness raising and capacity building activities, facilitating local participation in nature conservation, as well establishing effective governance mechanisms.

For the last four years, PONT and Connecting Natural Values and People (CNVP) have successfully cooperated in the areas of Non-Timber Forest Products and Nature Based Tourism. The previous PONT grant “NTFPs for Prespa Economic Development”, helped the informal group “Rural Women of Prespa” (RWoP) in North Macedonia to establish non-governmental organizations.