Serbia, 15th April 2020: Work on the ConnectGREEN project continues as the Second National Workshop on the Strategy of Ecological Corridors for the Carpathian countries turned online to move discussions further.

As the song goes, the show must go on. Even in times of COVID-19. Thus, the ConnectGREEN project, funded by the Interreg Danube Transnational Programme (Interreg DTP), has adapted to the circumstances to meet its objectives, among which is the production of the Strategy on the Identification, Preservation, and Management of Ecological Corridors in the Carpathian Countries. On that matter, last 15th April 2020 the project held its Second National Workshop, with its broadcasting epicentre coming from Serbia.

Under the organisation of the Institute of Architecture and Urban & Spatial Planning of Serbia, an amalgam of 20 relevant Serbian stakeholders — namely, from institutions involved in nature protection, spatial planning, infrastructure planning and design, management of protected areas, forestry, and interest groups from the national, regional and local levels — were summoned and they gladly showed up.

The experts listened to, discussed about and rendered their contributions for the development of the ConnectGREEN strategy, their knowledge and experience enabling a better identification of all the relevant sectors’ needs to improve the Strategy’s contents. Among others, the exchange allowed for a revision of the objectives and activities, the responsibilities for the adoption and implementation of the Strategy into the legal framework, and cross-border cooperation, as well as GIS and spatial planning, among others.

Currently, all inputs coming from the Serbian online workshop are being analysed and summarised to be to the expert leading the production of the Strategy, Dr Gabriella Nagy, from CEEweb for Biodiversity, and to the Secretariat of the Carpathian Convention.

Copyright Marina Nenkovic-Riznic