Institute of Lowland Forestry and Environment (ILFE), a REFOCuS project partner, is organising a two-day workshop in Novi Sad on policy related issues affecting riparian forest management in the Biosphere Reserve Mura-Drava-Danube.

Forest management planning in the Biosphere Reserve is regulated by national forest laws and related programs, all based on forest ecosystem sustainability and multifunctionality. However, for forests in this area other Laws and Directives are complementing forest sector policy, including (national) nature protection regulations and regulations connected to NATURA 2000. This mosaic of often overlapping and typically vaguely formulated policy documents usually creates confusion in interpretation and thus implementation, triggering conflicts between various stakeholders (forest sector, nature conservation sector, hunters, producers of forest reproductio material, representatives of the civil society) who have different attitudes towards priority forest management goals (conflict between market oriented and conservation goals).

Aim of the workshop is identification and discussion of relevant policy-related (first day) and stakeholder-related (second day) issues and views concerning riparian forest management and conservation in project countries. The workshop will take place in ILFE.

Please see the agenda of the workshop here.

(Photo of Petrovaradin Citadel in Novi Sad)