Aurel Lozan

Moldavian-Ukrainian Centre for Regional Cooperation and Development: Middle Nistru River Transboundary Conservation Perspectives.

Stag beetle (Lucanus cervus) is a spectacular creature, the biggest European terrestrial beetle, now rare and declining in whole Europe. Forests along Nistru River are still home to this species.

“Bechir Valley”, a calcareous valley along Nistru River with a big candle-like chapel on top of the cliff and a man-made cave (by monks) on the steep riverbank forest near Soroca town (Moldova), is an attractive stop point for tourists.

Irrational ecosystem management may become a danger to the whole Nistru basin of both countries. We propose to strengthen efforts towards the local natural protected area in Moldova and push forward transboundary conservation with Ukrainian counterparts for a larger bilateral protection cooperation. Our activities in the area have initiated a local regional cooperation (NGOs, local authorities, district administrations, locals) and challenged the need for transboundary cooperation. We can foresee a strong potential for regional cooperation and local development by bringing together all interested stakeholders of neighbouring districts (Soroca, Yampil) of the two countries.
Planned work is a target-species and habitat oriented project. Besides migratory pathways, the area is a home to such rare species as the greater horseshoe bat, black woodpecker, smooth snake, clouded apollo, southern festoon etc. Diversified biotope areas (dry ledges, crest ravines, wet meadows, cliff forests) are still preserving communities of such protected plants as the bird's nest orchid, rare ferns, pasque flower, turk's cap lily etc.

The project is focused on (1) local authorities/administrations and their councils and (2) local hotspot/biodiversity-rich habitats, which persisted mainly within the protected areas of both countries. Many important riverbank habitats are really endangered.

An alternative way of stopping habitat degradation and biodiversity loss could be a well-organised nature friendly tourism. There is an evident interest of people towards the historic and natural heritage in the region from both sides. We want to develop a bilateral cooperation and a regional eco-toursim activity as a way to combine economy and conservation. This may help (1) local people get income, (2) local authorities strengthen their role in local conservation, and finally (3) build sustainable relationships of rational coexisting and using or resources. We also intend to contribute to the enhancement of conservation values/status of certain areas, which are still preserving remnants of old-growth oak forests, and draw attention to other sites/forest patches. More than 200 sites on both sides (geological and archaeological monuments, vestiges, historic-cultural complexes, landscape reserves etc.) should be adequately incorporated into regional tourism for the sake of nature itself.

For more information contact hymenopt@yahoo.co.uk

You can read about his previous RSG work at http://www.ruffordsmallgrants.org/rsg/projects/aurel_lozan

Project Update: November 2008

Local authority (Primaria) Cosauti, a member of the council and a local farmer.

Main concept of the project is to contribute to the protection of valuable ecosystems and their biodiversity by involving local communities of both countries in.

A cooperation between the two local authorities, the Cosauti Primaria (Soroca district, Moldova) and the Yampil district administration (Vinnytsea region, Ukraine) has been initiated. Meetings with local people, groups and local business community were focused on local development and conservation perspectives. There is a strong potential for tourism that should adequately be used for both conservation and economic prosperity in the area.

A seminar at the Local authority Cosauti with participation of members of the local council and local farmers was organised in July 2008 in order to raise awareness and jointly plan field activities for the spring-summer 2009. Growing interest in sightseeing and visiting the landscapes (forests, river, historical and cultural monuments) may affect valuable habitats. Two authorised recreation areas instead of random activity throughout the protected areas will be arranged at the Landscape Reserve Cosauti (Moldova) in order to avoid over-loading the ecosystems.

Habitat pollution and unauthorised waste have become a burden to local environment, strongly affecting local people's life and country's touristic image. We strongly support the local group engaged in plastics waste collection at the municipal landfill near Soroca town district, where household and industrial waste is gathered from the town and neighbouring villages.

A tight cooperation with the republican NGO Ave-Natura and its 5 in-country branches (Moldova) and science community have been established. Transboundary conservation and sustainable development needs were brought up to the local and regional audience through mass-media (Radio post "Vocea Basarabiei"), round table at the Faculty of Sociology (Moldavian State University) and meetings with NGO community (Handicraftsmen's Union of Moldova, "Kind of Stone").

Contributions to the Council of Europe's periodical publication Futuropa: For a new vision of landscape and territory, devoted to "Landscape and transfrontier cooperation" and to the IUCN Europe Regional Newsletter have been made.