One of the initiatives for identifying potential businesses that can help reverting threats to the protected areas is to advertise to the local communities and entrepreneurs the possibility of defining good ideas and getting access to its development. Lonjsko Polje Nature Park is the first pilot site of the Nature Returns project to kick off such a call for business ideas. The first Call for submissions of business ideas to enhance sustainability in the Nature Park area has been announced and the period for getting ideas from the community will end by October 15th.
The Call has been published on the official website and Facebook page of the Lonjsko Polje Nature Park Public Institution, which, as a project partner, has announced it for the interested public aiming to contribute to the preservation of the Lonjsko Polje Nature Park area and its impact zone.
The aim of the Call is the development of the Lonjsko Polje Nature Park area and its impact zone, and business ideas must focus on:
- Mitigating the impact of climate change on the environment
- Preventing the spread of invasive alien species and utilizing them for economic purposes
- Protecting wetlands, forest, grassland, and mosaic ecosystems
- Preserving and restoring cultural heritage and landscapes
- Promoting traditional agriculture
- Protecting soil and water
- Improving the breeding of indigenous animal breeds and the cultivation of old plant and fruit varieties
- Protecting the protected and wild species of the Nature Park
- Educating about nature and biodiversity conservation
The Lonjsko Polje Nature Park is a lowland floodplain area covering 50,650 hectares. The area is famous for its meadows and pastures combined with lowland floodplain forests and old river meanders. Within the Nature Park, there are three floodplains: Lonjsko Polje, Mokro Polje, and Poganovo Polje. Lonjsko Polje is a significant habitat for birds associated with aquatic, forest, grassland, and mosaic habitats. In Lonjsko Polje, especially along the Sava River, traditional rural settlements have survived with exceptionally well-preserved traditional architecture and the associated landscape.
Objectives of the Call
Due to various pressures and threats as well as the costs of maintaining favorable conservation status, innovative approaches to area management are needed. Therefore, we aim to strengthen cooperation with local communities and other stakeholders to develop innovative solutions for sustainable resource management.
