Belgrade, March 18, 2024 – With support of the European Union (EU) and the Government of Switzerland, and in cooperation with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), civil society organizations (CSOs) have implemented 13 solutions that have improved conditions for the survival of numerous endangered wild species of animals and plants in protected areas throughout Serbia.

These solutions included practical measures to improve active protection in natural habitats, as well as measures to raise awareness of their importance for human well-being. In addition to the direct positive impact on wild species and their habitats, the implemented activities also contribute to strengthening resilience to climate change and restoring the natural balance disrupted by human activity.

Among the implemented solutions is an initiative of the Biological Society "Dr Sava Petrović," which has set up a system for early detection and suppression of fires in the natural monument "Lalinačka Slatina" near Niš, thus protecting the biological value of Slatina and reducing the risk of disasters in the surrounding local communities. The nature lovers' association "Riparia" from Subotica has installed 200 artificial nests, thus helping the recovery of the endangered bird species, the Eurasian roller, while the citizens' association "Jadovnik - oasis of untouched nature" from Prijepolje has created conditions for the rehabilitation of injured birds of prey and vultures in the southwestern part of Serbia. The association " World Wide Fund for Nature Adria-Serbia" has installed electric fences in the Tara National Park and the Uvac Special Nature Reserve, where conflicts between humans and bears and wolves occured, to avoid incidents with large carnivores and reduce the number of cases of damage caused by these animals and the subsequent undesirable reactions of the local population that endanger these rare species. In addition, trainings and workshops on the importance of preserving endangered species and nature were organized in Subotica, Niš, Novi Sad, and Tara.

Initiatives to improve biodiversity in protected areas were selected through a Public Call to Civil Society Organizations within the project "EU for the Green Agenda in Serbia", implemented thanks to financial support of the EU and Switzerland, worth $190,000 in total.

The project “EU for Green Agenda in Serbia”, with the technical and financial support of the European Union and in partnership with the Ministry of Environmental Protection, is implemented by UNDP in cooperation with the Embassy of Sweden and the European Investment Bank (EIB), with additional funding from the governments of Sweden, Switzerland and Serbia.