The sourcebook with real-world cases studies lays out why, how and which financing mechanisms can be used to strengthen biodiversity conservation while contributing to sustainable development. The sourcebook is tailored to the Western Balkans context and conditions and offers a selection of suitable mechanisms for the region.
In addition, the glossary is aiming to further familiarize the stakeholders and its multi-sectoral users with key biodiversity and financing terminology and definitions.
Moving on into the post 2020 agenda, mobilization of resources for biodiversity conservation is of utmost importance. The global processes are set to emphasize sustainable development and environmental conservation as cross-cutting goals, while the European Green Deal is a fundamental part of EU’s approach for implementing the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals.
Furthermore, the Western Balkan region is committed to EU accession processes, whereas the financing of Chapter 27 on Environment remains one of the most challenging (and potentially most expensive) chapters in the EU negotiations process.
Enhancing financial sustainability of biodiversity
The sourcebook seeks to equip planners with information about sustainable financing approaches, instruments and real-world case studies, as well as to distil concrete lessons learned and recommendations about needs, opportunities and ways forward, enhancing the financial sustainability of biodiversity, ecosystems and protected areas in the Western Balkan region.
In addition, it aims at raising awareness on sustainable finances of biodiversity, ecosystems and protected areas in the region. The publication is designed in a visually appealing and user-friendly format, with strong focus on synthesizing and presenting practical and policy-relevant information that is tailored to the needs and circumstances of the Western Balkans.
Real-world case study examples
The sourcebook provides a selection of biodiversity financing mechanisms, which have been demonstrated as the most effective or useful in practice, and which appear to hold the greatest potential and opportunity to be used to strengthen conservation and sustainable development in Western Balkans economies. They span five main types of financial instruments, including those which aim at:
- Enhancing the management and distribution of the public budget;
- Creating and improving markets in biodiversity goods and services;
- Facilitating commercial or return-based investments in biodiversity;
- Capturing donations from the general public and
- Administering and disbursing financial resources.
Expert team, consisting of Ms. Lucy Emerton and Mr. Mladen Lazić, developed the sourcebook in close consultations and contributions of the Biodiversity Task Force of South East Europe (BDTF SEE) and the regional expert group on ecosystem service assessment and valuation (ESAV EG). Both regional structures provided technical and policy advice and validation of the sourcebook structure and content, as well as the suggested regional case studies of sustainable financing that are included as examples.
Sourcebook to serve for mainstreaming of biodiversity across sectors
The sourcebook is to be scaled up from the regional level to the global level via the BDTF SEE, and translated back to the Western Balkan economies. In addition, it is to be considered for the upcoming regional ESAV curricula for public servants and higher education system, as well as other capacity building measures on sustainable financing of biodiversity, ecosystems and protected areas, undertaken by partners across the region.
The Biodiversity Information Management and Reporting (BIMR) regional scientific platform and the BioNET regional civil society organizations platform will have an important role in multiplication and promotion of the sourcebook, which also represents a practical tool in the daily work of anyone engaged in sustainable development issues.
The platforms are to interface with the mapped stakeholders, in particular with the structures and ministries in charge of environment and finances in the region with regard to further transmission and use the sourcebook for implementation of additional financial mechanisms for biodiversity and protected areas in the Western Balkans.
Furthermore, practitioners from the local level may also benefit from the information provided in the sourcebook and decide to seek partners for piloting measures.
The overall process and the sourcebook is supported within the “Strengthening the capacity and sustainability of the Biodiversity Task Force (BDTF)” component of the Open Regional Fund for South East Europe – Implementation of Biodiversity Agreements (ORF BDU), German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit GmbH (GIZ).
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