What is the project about?

The objective of the project is to introduce a conservation-centered and financially self-sufficient approach to management of forests and wetlands that harbor internationally important biodiversity and are important for climate and land integrity.

The project will introduce changes to management of forests and wetlands in and outside of key biodiversity areas with the objective of making it financially more sustainable and more efficient with respect to the conservation effect. The project is focused on: environmental legislation, sustainable management of forest and wetland ecosystems, conservation of globally threatened species.

Expected Outcomes

Component I

Improved institutional, financial and management sustainability of forest and mire protected areas, which are key areas for conservation of globally threatened species.

Environmental legislation aimed at conservation of globally threatened species and their habitats, as well as the system of registration of nature protection areas will be improved within the project.

The habitat conditions for the European bison micro population will be improved in the Nalibokski Reserve.

Financially self-sustaining wetland biomass harvesting and processing program will be launched at two Protected Areas (Sporaŭski and Zvaniec ) in partnership with private sector.

Ecotourism development at the key Specially Protected Areas will improve their financial sustainability.

Component II 

Sustainable management of biodiversity-important forest and wetland ecosystems outside protected areas.

The project will ensure sustainable management of rare and typical biotopes subject to special protection at an area of 150,000 ha.

Development and implementation of the Scheme of Sustainable Use of Drained Forest Peatlands (260,000 ha) will allow to prevent the degradation of inefficiently drained forest peatlands. The methods of ecological rehabilitation will be demonstrated at the area of about 12,456 ha of inefficiently drained peatlands.

Component III 

Increased experience and knowledge of innovative measures for habitat restoration and elimination of the most significant threats to globally threatened species. Monitoring of efficiency of the project's measures.

The habitats of globally threatened species – the Aquatic warbler, the Greater spotted eagle, the Great snipe, the Black-tailed godwit – will be restored at the key protected areas. That will be achieved through control of vegetation succession and the optimization of hydrological regime.

The project will be implemented in synergy with the initiatives on the conservation of Aquatic warbler implemented by the EU funded “LIFE” project in Lithuania, Germany, Poland.

The program of exchange between micro populations of European bison will be developed and implemented to improve genetic status of Nalibokskaya Puscha micro population.