Development of protected areas in the Western Balkans
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.56617/tl.7365Keywords:
Dinaric Mountain Range, local development, cross-border cooperation, protected natural areasAbstract
Protected areas in the Western Balkans face their own challenges, which have changed over time in line with the political and socio-cultural development of the region. The protection efforts began in the 19th century, aiming to protect small areas representing landscapes with significant aesthetic or cultural values. During the 20th century, with the increase in scientific knowledge about nature, the purpose of protection transformed into a more ecological approach. Nowadays, maintaining sustainability is the most often claimed aim in relation to protected areas in the Dinaric Mountain range. The number and size of protected areas have been relatively modest, but during recent decades they have increased progressively. In the past, the main challenges faced by authorities were creating institutions responsible for the management of protected areas, developing a legal framework for their functioning and establishing protected areas themselves. Today, the increase in the number of protected areas poses new challenges to be met by the Western Balkans countries and their administrations. The role of protected areas is being transformed and reinterpreted through development in national policies as well as in local economic activities that impact the sustainable management and functioning of local communities. Addressing these challenges requires a more holistic approach crossing cultural and political borders among nations and communities in the region. Combining the already established top-down management strategy with a bottom-up approach should help in addressing these challenges.
References
Abraham, R. 2024. The Peaks of the Balkans Trail: Montenegro, Albania and Kosovo. Cicerone Press, Milnthorpe. ISBN 1787650960
Alfirević, N., Pavić, I., Piplica, D., Rendulić, D. 2024. Anti-Corruption Research in Southeast Europe: A Comparative Assessment of Global and Regional Literature. World, 5(3): 751–768. https://doi.org/10.3390/world5030039
Banjac, N., Maksimović, R., Dragaš, K., Ivetić, J. 2019. Monitoring and Assessment of Protected Areas’ Management Capacities in the Republic of Serbia. Sustainability, 11(3): 666. https://doi.org/10.3390/su11030666
Bartlett, W. 2007. The Western Balkans. In: Lane, D., Myant, M., eds. Varieties of Capitalism in Post-Communist Countries. Studies in Economic Transition. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230627574_11
Bayes, A., Sammonds, P., Saville, N.M., Le Masson, V., Suri, K., Bhat, G.M., Hakhoo, N., Jolden, T., Hussain, G., Wangmo, K. 2019. Indigenous Mountain People’s Risk Perception to Environmental Hazards in Border Conflict Areas. International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction, 35: 101063. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijdrr.2019.01.002
Bekteshi, A., Misho, E. 2019. Transposition of Advocacy Experience as Triple-Loop Social Learning in Albania: Fighting HPPs in Protected Areas from the Vjosa River Basin to the Canyons of Osumi. In: Association of European Schools of Planning – AESOP. Annual Congress, Planning for Transition, Venice 9–13th July. pp. 4024–4034. https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14235/517
Belis, C.A., Djatkov, D., Lettieri, T., Jones, A., Wojda, P., Banja, M., Muntean, M., Paunović, M., Niegowska, M., Marinov, D., Poznanović, G., Pozzoli, L., Dobricic, S., Zdruli, P., Vandyck, T. 2022. Status of Environment and Climate in the Western Balkans. Publications Office of the European Union, Luxembourg. https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2760/294516
Bulatović, J., Rajović, G. 2018. Areas of Mountains and Valleys of the Northern Region of Montenegro: An Overview from the Aspect of Mapping, Typology and Landscape Protection. Sochi Journal of Economy, 12(1): 4–14. ISSN: 2541-8114
Busek, E. 2003. The Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe: Achievements and Future Challenges. OSCE Yearbook, 2002: 199–208.
Carter, F., Turnock, D., eds. 2002. Environmental Problems in East-Central Europe. 2nd ed. Routledge, London. ISBN 9780415174039
Cazzolla, G., Zannini, R.P., Piovesan, G., Alessi, N., Basset, A., Beierkuhnlein, C., Di Musciano, M., Field, R., Halley, J.M., Hoffmann, S., Iaria, J., Kallimanis, A., Lövei, G.L., Morera, A., Provenzale, A., Rocchini, D., Vetaas, O.R., Chiarucci, A. 2023. Analysing the Distribution of Strictly Protected Areas toward the EU2030 Target. Biodiversity and Conservation, 32(10): 3157–3174. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10531-023-02644-5
Clarke, R., Kolemisevska-Gugulovska, T.D., Dimirovski, G.M., Gjiknuri, L., Grupce, L., Andreesk, C.J. 2000. Conservation and Conflict Resolution in Transboundary Protected Areas: Prespa as an European Case-Study. IFAC Proceedings Volumes, 33(8): 127–134. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1474-6670(17)35432-0
Daskalov, R.D., Marinov, T., eds. 2013. Entangled Histories of the Balkans. Volume One: National Ideologies and Language Policies. Brill, Leiden. ISBN: 978-90-04-25076-5
Djordjevic, D. 2014. International Agreements and Region-Building in the Mountains of South East Europe. Mountain Research and Development, 34(1): 4–12. https://doi.org/10.1659/MRD-JOURNAL-D-12-00009.1
Doli, A. 2024. Sustainable Tourism in the National Park “Bjeshkët e Namuna”Case Study of the Western Balkans Triangle National Parks of Kosovo, Montenegro, and Albania. Doctoral thesis. Mendel University in Brno, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Technology, Brno. https://theses.cz/id/rzl3ga/
Doli, A., Doli, T., Bamwesigye, D. 2024. Visitors’ Perspectives on Sustainable Tourism: A Comparative Study of National Parks in Kosovo, Montenegro and Albania. In: Fialová, J., ed. Public recreation and landscape protection – with environment hand in hand! Mendel University in Brno, Czech Society of Landscape Engineers – ČSSI, z.s., Brno, pp. 365–370. https://doi.org/10.11118/978-80-7509-963-1-0080
Đug, S., Drešković, N. 2012. Nature Protection in Bosnia and Herzegovina: State and Perspectives. Revija za geografijo – Journal for Geography, 7(1): 69–80. https://doi.org/10.18690/rg.7.1.3856
Durham, E.M. 2017. High Albania (1909). Enhanced Media, Los Angeles.
Elbasani, A. 2008. EU Enlargement in the Western Balkans: Strategies of Borrowing and Inventing. Journal of Southern Europe and the Balkans, 10(3): 293–307. https://doi.org/10.1080/14613190802493600
Elbasani, A., ed. 2013. European Integration and Transformation in the Western Balkans: Europeanization or Business as Usual? Routledge, Abingdon.
Ferretti-Gallon, K., Griggs, E., Shrestha, A., Wang, G. 2021. National Parks Best Practices: Lessons from a Century’s Worth of National Parks Management. International Journal of Geoheritage and Parks, 9(3): 335–346. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijgeop.2021.05.004
Fuerst-Bjeliš, B., Mrgić, J., Petrić, H., Zorn, M., Zwitter, Ž., eds. 2024. Environmental Histories of the Dinaric Karst. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-56089-7
Gabioud, M. V. 2012. Improving Inter-State Relations through Transboundary Peace Parks. M.A. Thesis. University of Bradford, Bradford. http://hdl.handle.net/10454/5865
Gams, I. 1969. Some Morphological Characteristics of the Dinaric Karst. The Geographical Journal, 135(4): 563–572. https://doi.org/10.2307/1795104
Georgiadis, L. 2022. Possible Impacts of Infrastructure and Urbanisation Developments Particularly Vlora International Airport on the Vjosa-Narta Protected Area. Final Report. AEWA Implementation Review Process (IRP), A Joint On-the-spot Assessment Mission by the Bern Convention, AEWA and CMS. https://www.unep-aewa.org/sites/default/files/uploads/aewa_final_albania_irp_report.pdf
Getzner, M., Jungmeier, M., Lange, S. 2010. People, Parks and Money. Stakeholder Participation and Regional Development. Johannes Heyn, Klagenfurt.
Hamilton, L. S., McMillan, L., eds. 2004. Guidelines for Planning and Managing Mountain Protected Areas. IUCN, Gland. ISBN 2-8317-0777-3
Hara, S. 2009. Peace through Tourism: A Case-Study of the Balkans Peace Park Project. MA Dissertation. University of Bradford, Bradford. http://hdl.handle.net/10454/5873
Ingalls, M. L., Mansfield, D. 2017. Resilience at the Periphery: Insurgency, Agency and Social-Ecological Change under Armed Conflict. Geoforum, 84: 126–137. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoforum.2017.06.012
Jannils, Ł. 2021. The Concept of Political Instability in Economic Research. International Journal of Management and Economics, 57(3): 268–284. https://doi.org/10.2478/ijme-2021-0016
Joseph, B. D. 2020. Language Contact in the Balkans. In: Hickey R., ed. The Handbook of Language Contact. Wiley-Blackwell, Chichester. pp. 537–549. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781444318159.ch30
Jureković, P., Mandalenakis, E., eds. 2019. Greece and Its Western Balkan Neighbours – Common Challenges in a Changing Europe. Republic of Austria, Federal Ministry of Defence, Vienna. ISBN 978-3-903121-66-9
Khan, M. S., Bhagwat, S. A. 2010. Protected Areas: A Resource or Constraint for Local People? Mountain Research and Development, 30(1): 14–24. http://www.bioone.org/doi/pdf/10.1659/MRD-JOURNAL-D-09-00024.1
Kitromilides, P. M. 1996. “Balkan Mentality”: History, Legend, Imagination. Nations and Nationalism, 2(2): 163–191. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1354-5078.1996.00163.x
Kolchakovski, D., Dimitrovska, O., Todorova, A. 2019. Protected Areas in the Republic of North Macedonia Through Time and Their Perspective. In: Proceedings of the International Scientific Symposium, New Trends in Geography! Macedonian Geographical Society October 3-4, 2019, Ohrid. pp. 133–142. https://doi.org/10.37658/procgeo19133t
Kolstø, P. 2016. “Western Balkans” as the New Balkans: Regional Names as Tools for Stigmatisation and Exclusion. Europe-Asia Studies, 68(7): 1245–1263. https://doi.org/10.1080/09668136.2016.1219979
Kromidha, G., Dragoti, N., Dedej, Z. 2020. Assessment of Protected Areas System in Albania. National Parks Association of Albania, Tirana. ISBN 978-9928-4677-0-6
Lika, L. 2024. The Meaning of the Western Balkans Concept for the EU: Genuine Inclusion or Polite Exclusion? Southeast European and Black Sea Studies, 24(1): 63–78. https://doi.org/10.1080/14683857.2023.2170204
Lockwood, M., Worboys, G., Kothari, A., eds. 2012. Managing Protected Areas: A Global Guide. Routledge, London. ISBN 9781844073030
Mari, L., Tábori, Z., Šulc, I., Radeljak, Kaufmann P., Milanović, R., Gessert, A., Imecs, Z., Baricz, A., Telbisz, T. 2022. The System and Spatial Distribution of Protected Areas in Hungary, Slovakia, Romania, Serbia and Croatia. Hungarian Geographical Bulletin, 71: 99–115. https://doi.org/10.15201/hungeobull.71.2.1
Melenhorst, E., Tapaninen, M., Ferdinandova, V. 2013. Sustainable Tourism Management in the Transboundary Areas of the Dinaric Arc Region: Manual for planning, development and monitoring of tourism in the protected areas of the Dinaric Arc. IUCN, Gland. ISBN 978-2-8317-1632-9
Metodieva, A. 2022. Russian Narrative Proxies in the Western Balkans. Policy Paper No. 16. The German Marshall Fund of the United States, Washington.
Mickovic, B., Mijanovic, D., Spalevic, V., Skataric, G., Dudic, B. 2020. Contribution to the Analysis of Depopulation in Rural Areas of the Balkans: Case Study of the Municipality of Niksic, Montenegro. Sustainability, 12(8): 3328. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12083328
Miho, A., Bego, F., Beqiraj, S. 2023. Overview of the Vjosa Delta (Pishe Poro – Narta Landscape Protected Area) – Natural Values and Threats. AJNTS, 28(59): 43–68.
Miho, A., Marka, J., Krasniqi, Z. 2023. Importance of EU Integration for Biodiversity and Nature Conservation in Transboundary Protected Areas (TPAs) in the Western Balkan. Hydrobiology, 2(1): 235–243. https://doi.org/10.3390/hydrobiology2010015
Mitrofanenko, T., Muhar, A., Penker, M. 2015. Potential for Applying Intergenerational Practice to Protected Area Management in Mountainous Regions. Mountain Research and Development, 35(1): 27–38. https://doi.org/10.1659/MRD-JOURNAL-D-14-00080.1
Obradovic, V., Vulevic, A. 2023. Water Resources Protection and Water Management Framework in Western Balkan Countries in Drina River Basin. Acadlore Trans. Geosci, 2(1): 24–32. https://doi.org/10.56578/atg020103
Plieninger, T., Draux, H., Fagerholm, N., Bieling, C., Bürgi, M., Kizos, T., Kuemmerle, T., Primdahl, J., Verburg, P.H. 2016. The Driving Forces of Landscape Change in Europe: A Systematic Review of the Evidence. Land Use Policy, 57: 204–214. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landusepol.2016.04.040
Puecker, C., Steger, T. 2023. Protecting the Last Wild River in Europe from Hydropower Development in Albania: An Environmental Movement Strategy in a Flawed Democracy. Case Studies in the Environment, 7(1): 2018088. https://doi.org/10.1525/cse.2023.2018088
Runte, A. 1997. National Parks: The American Experience. University of Nebraska Press, Lincoln. ISBN 0803289634
Saura, S., Bertzky, B., Bastin, L., Battistella, L., Mandrici, A., Dubois, G. 2019. Global Trends in Protected Area Connectivity from 2010 to 2018. Biological Conservation, 238: 108183. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2019.07.028
Schwarz, U., Vienna, F. 2015. Hydropower Projects in Protected Areas on the Balkans. RiverWatch & EuroNatur. Retrieved on: 26 March 2025 (https://balkanrivers.net/en).
Shkurti, F. 2019. National Marine Park Karaburun – Sazan and Today’s Trends for Tourism Development. International Journal of Geoheritage and Parks, 7(1): 1–14. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijgeop.2019.03.002
Singleton, F., ed. 1987. Environmental Problems in the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe. Lynne Rienner Publishers.
Sladonja, B., Brščić, K., Poljuha, D., Fanuko, N., Grgurev, M. 2012. Introduction of Participatory Conservation in Croatia, Residents’ Perceptions: A Case Study from the Istrian Peninsula. Environmental Management, 49(6): 1115–1129. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00267-012-9851-4
Stevanović, Z., Kukurić, N., Pekaš, Ž., Jolović, B., Pambuku, A., Radojevic D. 2016. Dinaric Karst Aquifer – One of the World’s Largest Transboundary Systems and an Ideal Location for Applying Innovative and Integrated Water Management. In: Stevanović, Z., Krešić, N., Kukurić, N., eds. Karst without Boundaries. CRC Press/Balkema, Leiden. pp. 3–26.
Stubbs, P., Solioz, C., eds. 2012 Towards Open Regionalism in Southeast Europe. Nomos, Baden-Baden.
Vasilijević, M., Pezold, T., eds. 2011. Crossing Borders for Nature. European examples of transboundary conservation. IUCN Programme Office for South-Eastern Europe, Gland and Belgrade. ISBN 978-2-8317-1383-0
Veselaj, Z., Mustafa, B. 2015. Overview of Nature Protection Progress in Kosovo. Landscape Online, 45: 1–10. https://doi.org/10.3097/LO.201545
Vugdelić, M., Drobnjak, J. 2014. The Past and the Future of Protected Areas – Global and Montenegrin Perspectives. In: Vugdelić M., ed. 3rd Climate Change, Economic Development, Environment and People Conference. Proceedings. University Donja Gorica, Faculty for Food Technology, Food Safety and Ecology, Podgorica.
Walters, J. T. 2015. A Peace Park in the Balkans: Cross-Border Cooperation and Livelihood Creation through Coordinated Environmental Conservation. In: Young, H., Goldman, L., eds. Livelihoods, Natural Resources, and Post-Conflict Peacebuilding. Routledge, Abingdon. pp. 155–166. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781849775816
Willis, K. J. 1994. The Vegetational History of the Balkans. Quaternary Science Reviews, 13(8): 769–788. https://doi.org/10.1016/0277-3791(94)90104-X
Willis, K. G., Garrod, G. D. 1993. Valuing Landscape: A Contingent Valuation Approach. Journal of Environmental Management, 37(1): 1–22. https://doi.org/10.1006/jema.1993.1001
Zhang, Y., Vanclay, F., Hanna, P. 2025. How Communities and Social Impacts Are Considered in Policies for Protected Areas in China. Land Use Policy, 148: 107404. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landusepol.2024.107404
Zupan Hajna, N. 2012. Dinaric Karst – Geography and Geology. In: White, W. B., Culver, D. C., Pipan, T., eds. Encyclopedia of Caves. Academic Press, London. pp. 353–362. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-383832-2.00028-1
Referenced laws and regulations
Council of Ministers of the Republic of Albania. 2022. Decision No. 59, dated 26 January 2022, On the approval of the change in the status and area of natural ecosystems of national parks (Category II) of protected areas. https://akzm.gov.al/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/VKM-59_compressed.pdf
Internet resources
http1 European Environment Agency. 2024. Terrestrial Protected Areas in Europe. Accessed: 2025.01.70. https://www.eea.europa.eu/en/analysis/indicators/terrestrial-protected-areas-in-europe
http2 European Commission 2020. EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030. Retrieved on: Accessed: 2025.03.26. https://environment.ec.europa.eu/strategy/biodiversity-strategy-2030_en
http3 European Commission. 2020. Guidelines for the Implementation of the Green Agenda for the Western Balkans. Accessed: 2025.03.26. https://enlargement.ec.europa.eu/green_agenda
_for_the_western_balkans_en)
http4 IUCN. 2024. Protected Areas and Land Use. Accessed: 2025.03.12. https://iucn.org/our-work/protected-areas-and-land-use
http5 Protection and Preservation of Natural Environment in Albania (PPNEA). 2021. Save Vjosa – Narta. Accessed: 2025.02.13. https://ppnea.org/save-vjosa-narta/?lang=en
http6 The Parks Dinarides Network. Parkovi Dinarida. Accessed: 2025.02.10. https://parksdinarides.org/en/who-we-are
http7 Transboundary Prespa Park. Society for the Protection of Prespa. Accessed: 2025.03.12. https://spp.gr/project/transboundary-prespa-park
http8 UNEP-WCMC., IUCN. 2025. Protected Planet: The World Database on Protected Areas (WDPA)/The Global Database on Protected Areas Management Effectiveness (GD-PAME). 2025.03.26. https://www.protectedplanet.net/en/thematic-areas/wdpa
http9 World Wildlife Fund. 2014. Big Win for Dinaric Arc. Accessed: 2025.02.27. https://www.wwfadria.org/what_we_do/all_initiatives/big_win/
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Doli Taulant, Kučera Zdeněk
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
A folyóirat Open Access (Gold). Cikkeire a Creative Commons 4.0 standard licenc alábbi típusa vonatkozik: CC-BY-NC-ND-4.0. Ennek értelmében a mű szabadon másolható, terjeszthető, bemutatható és előadható, azonban nem használható fel kereskedelmi célokra (NC), továbbá nem módosítható és nem készíthető belőle átdolgozás, származékos mű (ND). A licenc alapján a szerző vagy a jogosult által meghatározott módon fel kell tüntetni a szerző nevét és a szerzői mű címét (BY).
