Welcoming Bosnia and Herzegovina as the 10th Country to the BES Solution Fund
Photo by Antonio Tose from Pexels
Photo by Antonio Tose from Pexels
Bosnia and Herzegovina is stepping up its commitment to protection and sustainable management of its biodiversity and ecosystem services by joining the BES Solution Fund as its tenth participating country.
This initiative will build on the uptake of the recommendations of the country’s national ecosystem assessment launched in 2024. The assessment provided valuable baseline information on the natural resources of Bosnia and Herzegovina to build the evidence base for informed decision-making on sustainable management.
Bosnia and Herzegovina is stepping up its commitment to protection and sustainable management of its biodiversity and ecosystem services by joining the BES Solution Fund as its tenth participating country.
This initiative will build on the uptake of the recommendations of the country’s national ecosystem assessment launched in 2024. The assessment provided valuable baseline information on the natural resources of Bosnia and Herzegovina to build the evidence base for informed decision-making on sustainable management.
With the momentum created through the launch of the assessment, UNDP Bosnia and Herzegovina, working hand-in-hand with the Federal Ministry of Environment and Tourism and other stakeholders, has identified strategic priority actions to be supported by the BES Solution Fund. These actions will enhance the impact of the assessment and integrate its findings into national biodiversity planning.
In December 2024, stakeholders came together to shape a collaborative workplan. This event provided a space to align efforts, build partnerships and explore opportunities for synergies and collaboration. The key actions envisaged include:
Strengthening of the national ecosystem assessment platform for the co-creation and enforcement of evidence-based decision-making of relevance to biodiversity and nature protection
The platform established through the national ecosystem assessment process was vital to the successful completion and validation of the assessment. It will continue to act as an important framework to promote advocacy and support evidence-based decision-making processes, as well as the enhancement of relevant capacities for biodiversity and nature protection in Bosnia and Herzegovina. To strengthen its contribution and sustainability, the country team will work on broadening the scope of the functioning of the platform to underpin the inter and intra-sectoral decision-making processes through collaboration of institutions including legislative and executive institutions, academia, non-governmental actors and the business sector. Support to the platform will be enriched by the achievements of the successful Climate Nature Academy initiative established in 2023 by the UNDP Bosnia and Herzegovina country office in partnership with the Green Club of BiH parliament. This initiative, focused on empowering policymakers with practical knowledge on climate topics, is complementary to the BES Solution Fund support and will serve to enhance the nexus between biodiversity and climate change towards streamlined and informed action.
Enhancing the capacity of institutions responsible for providing strategic directions to improve the resilience of biodiversity and nature in Bosnia and Herzegovina
The national ecosystem assessment process revealed a critical knowledge gap: institutions often lack adequate information that is key for decision-making processes related to the sustainable management of biodiversity and the Nature Contribution to People (NCP) framework, including the importance of biodiversity, its value and its impact on livelihoods, well-being and quality of life. To address this gap, the country team will seek to make the assessment results and NCP framework more accessible to key decision makers and other stakeholders through the development of targeted knowledge products, complemented by a strategic awareness campaign to promote the assessment messages and NCP framework. This initiative aims to accelerate their integration into policy, planning and practical on-the-ground actions.
Supporting youth engagement in science and decision-making processes of relevance for biodiversity and nature protection in Bosnia and Herzegovina
The engagement of youth is key for the future of biodiversity in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The country team will work to actively involve them in research, decision-making and advocacy. By creating opportunities for youth to interact with other stakeholders, their voices will shape national biodiversity priorities and plans.
These actions will augment the efforts of other interventions in the country, including the GEF -7 Sustainability of Protected Areas project and the Global BIOFIN program on the development of Biodiversity Finance Action Plans – both implemented by the UNDP country office – towards improved biodiversity protection and management of natural resources, contributing to better livelihoods and well-being from nature.
With the momentum created through the launch of the assessment, UNDP Bosnia and Herzegovina, working hand-in-hand with the Federal Ministry of Environment and Tourism and other stakeholders, has identified strategic priority actions to be supported by the BES Solution Fund. These actions will enhance the impact of the assessment and integrate its findings into national biodiversity planning.
In December 2024, stakeholders came together to shape a collaborative workplan. This event provided a space to align efforts, build partnerships and explore opportunities for synergies and collaboration. The key actions envisaged include:
Strengthening of the national ecosystem assessment platform for the co-creation and enforcement of evidence-based decision-making of relevance to biodiversity and nature protection
The platform established through the national ecosystem assessment process was vital to the successful completion and validation of the assessment. It will continue to act as an important framework to promote advocacy and support evidence-based decision-making processes, as well as the enhancement of relevant capacities for biodiversity and nature protection in Bosnia and Herzegovina. To strengthen its contribution and sustainability, the country team will work on broadening the scope of the functioning of the platform to underpin the inter and intra-sectoral decision-making processes through collaboration of institutions including legislative and executive institutions, academia, non-governmental actors and the business sector. Support to the platform will be enriched by the achievements of the successful Climate Nature Academy initiative established in 2023 by the UNDP Bosnia and Herzegovina country office in partnership with the Green Club of BiH parliament. This initiative, focused on empowering policymakers with practical knowledge on climate topics, is complementary to the BES Solution Fund support and will serve to enhance the nexus between biodiversity and climate change towards streamlined and informed action.
Enhancing the capacity of institutions responsible for providing strategic directions to improve the resilience of biodiversity and nature in Bosnia and Herzegovina
The national ecosystem assessment process revealed a critical knowledge gap: institutions often lack adequate information that is key for decision-making processes related to the sustainable management of biodiversity and the Nature Contribution to People (NCP) framework, including the importance of biodiversity, its value and its impact on livelihoods, well-being and quality of life. To address this gap, the country team will seek to make the assessment results and NCP framework more accessible to key decision makers and other stakeholders through the development of targeted knowledge products, complemented by a strategic awareness campaign to promote the assessment messages and NCP framework. This initiative aims to accelerate their integration into policy, planning and practical on-the-ground actions.
Supporting youth engagement in science and decision-making processes of relevance for biodiversity and nature protection in Bosnia and Herzegovina
The engagement of youth is key for the future of biodiversity in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The country team will work to actively involve them in research, decision-making and advocacy. By creating opportunities for youth to interact with other stakeholders, their voices will shape national biodiversity priorities and plans.
These actions will augment the efforts of other interventions in the country, including the GEF -7 Sustainability of Protected Areas project and the Global BIOFIN program on the development of Biodiversity Finance Action Plans – both implemented by the UNDP country office – towards improved biodiversity protection and management of natural resources, contributing to better livelihoods and well-being from nature.
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