On 13.12.2019 in the premises of the Municipality of Dojran the Mayor held a working meeting with Petra Pop Ristova, Doctor of Natural Sciences, representative of Milieukontakt Macedonia and coordinator of the project “Improving the biodiversity of Dojran Lake through cooperation with all stakeholders and implementing ecosystem practices” which will be implemented within the protected area. The project is funded by the Partnership Fund for the Protection of Critical Ecosystems (CEPF). The Partnership Fund for the Protection of Critical Ecosystems is a joint initiative of the French Development Agency, the International Association for Conservation of Nature, the European Union, the Global Environment Facility, the Government of Japan and the World Bank. The main goal of CEPF is to ensure the participation of civil society in the conservation of biodiversity. The project is implemented by the Association for Sustainable Development Milieukontakt Macedonia, in partnership with the Municipality of Dojran and the Association of Citizens Polimat 13 from Bogdanci, for a period of two years, ie until July 2021.
The main goal of the project is to establish sustainable management of the Dojran Lake Natural Monument. The project includes activities for direct conservation of defined locations, in order to improve the protection of endangered species. This project is aimed at addressing issues related to the quality of lake water, the volume and flow of water, as well as the disruption of species and habitats.
The project contains two main components, namely:
1) Improving the management of the Dojran Lake Natural Monument, and
2) Sustainable management, protection and rehabilitation of the lake through the implementation of ecosystem practices.
The meeting discussed the development of the first Management Plan for the protected area Dojran Lake (2020 – 2030) with an action plan, which is one of the activities of this project, which will be implemented in cooperation with all stakeholders. Additionally, as part of the project, trainings for strengthening the capacities of the local administration for its implementation and education for Integrated River Basin Management will be conducted. The meeting also discussed the rehabilitation of the flooded pedestrian path, the needs for the improvement of the treatment plant, as well as the improvement of the management of Dojran Lake through close cooperation with the Greek governing bodies.
