Project Objective & Brief Description: |
The project was aimed at preparation of
management plans for three key fen mires of the Polesie area in Belarus. Project
implementation included activities directed at development of environmental
awareness among local population, as well as rendering support to national and
local governments in managing internationally valuable natural sites.
This project was of considerable importance to Belarus and the
neighbouring countries since it helped preserve the habitat of globally
threatened fowl and plant species, including, in particular, the Aquatic Warbler
and the Corncrake, which are endemic to a small number of Belarusian fen mires.
Approximately half of the world's Aquatic Warbler population, for example, is
found in three mires (Dikoe, Zvanets, and Sporovo) of the Belarusian Polesie
region.
The project was designed to assist the Belarusian Government to
meet an essential part of its international obligations under the Biodiversity
Convention which it ratified in 1993. Among other issues, this convention
requires Belarus to take adequate action in order to protect its ecosystems,
including fen mires within the Polesie region, which are among the most
significant.
The aim of the project was to expand management plans for the
above mentioned fen mires, raise local awareness of biodiversity issues,
transfer experience, and strengthen Belarus's in-country capacity in
environmental management planning. The project was being implemented by Bird
Conservation Belarus in partnership with the Royal Society for the Protection of
Birds, a globally acknowledged leader in the development and implementation of
reserve management policy. |
