Development of Wetlands and Land-Use Policies

Final Reports - Phase 1
Final Reports - Phase 2

The primary focus of this output is to assist DRB countries to prepare new land use and wetlands rehabilitation/protection policies and legislation in line with the existing and emerging (driven by EU accession process) environmental legislation as well as GEF IW strategies. This project output addresses common inappropriate land uses and subsequent impacts on ecologically sensitive areas and wetlands including the effects of transboundary pollution with particular attention to nutrients and toxic substances related to: municipalities, agricultural activities, etc., Standardized integrated land use concepts shall be developed for the protection and/or rehabilitation of selected sensitive nature protection /wetland areas.

Such new approaches will be demonstrated in the frame of pilot activities that should also serve to stimulate activities that will expand the use of sustainable land use practices in critical nature protection and wetland areas of the DRB. The inventory of nature protection areas in the form of a map, besides meeting a core EU WFD requirement, provides a basis for prioritizing actions to protect and rehabilitate priority nature protection areas and wetland habitats in the DRB.

Now in Phase 2, these concepts and methodological approaches will be further developed and required policy, legal and institutional reforms will be applied in the case study areas as models for integrated land use in the DRB. Further, the reform models for integrated land-use will also be proposed to Governments and land development organizations for adaptation of policies and practical implementation.