WWF, Protected Areas for Nature and People II, 2019-2022

The Policy Outcome (previously called Objective 1) focused on building the platforms and engaging with decision-makers and interested parties to improve policies and legislation that govern and significantly impact the management of protected areas and biodiversity protection. The outcome impacted both national and regional work. According to the final report, the main achievements of the outcome include: - Increased knowledge on shortcomings in PA management (legislation and strategy); - Roadmap with clear advocacy targets for North Macedonia created; - Content for improving management of PAs in North Macedonia and Kosovo provided; - Four bad practices in Serbias protected areas stopped; - 12 policy processes on biodiversity conservation influenced; - Waters Act in Serbia stopped and removed from legislative procedure; - Cooperation for the establishment of Dinaric Regional Platform Initiative started; - 6 national Coalition 27 groups established and supported to monitor countrys progression towards EU in the area of environment and climate change; - Regional Coalition 27 established to exchange knowledge on EU accession in the area of environment and climate change. The Education Outcome (Objective 2) focused on creating and delivering education programs through cooperation between protected areas and schools, including kindergarten teachers in environmental education and ensuring the professional development of teachers through WWF educational programs. Main achievements according to the final report include: - 12 protected areas are delivering high quality educational programs across the region; - 78 schools have created long-term partnerships on education with protected areas in their communities; - 2491 students learned on nature and environment through educational projects between schools and PAs, increased their knowledge and interest in biodiversity; - Educators and teachers in elementary schools have increased skills and knowledge on educational projects with PAs and show higher levels of readiness to conduct such programs in the future; - 3 professional education programs for teachers are accredited and publicly available for teachers in Serbia. The Transparency and Accountability Outcome (Objective 3) focused on ensuring that decision-makers are held accountable for their actions or inaction relative to the management of protected areas and use of natural resources. The strategy addressed building the capacities of key stakeholders such as media and civil society actors that can contribute to long-term changes in the political environment of their countries through uncovering unsustainable environmental practices. The main achievements of the outcome include: - Raised awareness on corruption and lack of transparency in PA management through uncovering 37 cases of bad environmental practice across the region; - 10 local organizations are continuously monitoring and reacting to bad environmental practices and have become the stewards of environmental transparency and accountability within their communities; - 20 civil society organizations have developed action plans for countering non-transparency and lack of accountability in environmental matters and have knowledge and skills to implement it on local and regional levels; - 30% of organizations (supported within the project) explicitly include work with underrepresented and vulnerable groups in their monitoring and advocacy actions. The Sustainable Development Outcome (Objective 4) promoted the regional collaboration between the protected area managers and facilitated the exchange of knowledge and information between them. The main achievements of the outcome include: - Protected areas across the region are using Parks Dinarides website to increase their knowledge and find experts of specific topics in order to improve their work; - Protected area managers across the region have forged partnerships and conducted improvements of their work in collaboration with other PAs; - Parks Dinarides became further recognized organization for protected area managers resulting in increased membership during the project; - Advocacy plan for recognizing the role of PA managers in delivering green agenda has been developed, including the set of recommendations for technical and financial support. The Participation Outcome (Objective 5) aimed at increasing community participation in protected areas management and the use of natural resources. The main achievements of the outcome include: - Citizens and communities are participating in management of protected areas in Serbia through two formal participation fora established; - Citizens and communities are engaged in creating new protected areas within their respective communities through 6 locally-led non-formal fora or initiatives; - CSOs are actively contributing to mainstreaming gender through their action plans and projects.

Preserve biodiversity in the Western Balkans and secure well-being for all current and future generations. Objective 1: Improved and/or better implementation of national policies for management of protected areas, biodiversity conservation and climate adaptation and  through advocacy and national civil society organisation platforms. Objective 2: Raised awareness on biodiversity and active citizenship amongst public and decision-makers through educational programmes. Objective 3: Decision-makers are held accountable for their actions or in-actions in relation to nature through engaged civil society and media. Objective 4: Opportunities for sustainable development in and around protected areas among local community members, with a special attention given to inclusion of underrepresented groups such as youth women, elderly and ethnic minorities. Objective 5. Increased community participation, emphasizing gender equality. The contribution will address how protected areas can be better managed and on how local communities can participate in the decision making processes connected to management of protected areas, PA, in Western Balkan. The contribution will target regional, national and local level. By spreading knowledge about the economic and social values of biodiversity, as well as the importance for climate adaptation and mitigation, the ambition is to obtain better protection for and management of protected areas.  Regional and national platforms will be used to address gaps in policy framework linked to management of PA involving key actors from civil society and authorities.  WWF will empower PA staff and the local school to collaborate on joint education projects. This will be done in Serbia, Montenegro and BiH. The first approach is to ensure that PA management develop education programmes for their staff, the second to ensure that schoolteachers are trained in education for sustainable development within a program that brings together students teachers and PA staff to learn together. The third approach is to engage relevant decision-makers in the ministries of the educational sector to promote education in sustainable development. WWF will continue to build capacity of civil society organisations in the Region. Small grants will be provided for specified activities.  WWF also seeks to raise awareness about corruption and environmental crimes by empowering civil society and media in their roles as a watchdogs.