Bosnia and Herzegovina is doubling the proportion of land area to be classified as protected from 2% of its territory to at least 4%.
Local government representatives and NGOs from each of the areas set to be reclassified will gather in Sarajevo on 5 June in the Botanical Garden of the country’s National Museum. There, they will highlight the benefits brought by protecting nature, such as cleaner air and water, while viewing artistic performances inspired by nature.
Under the move to double the protected land area, the ‘Mediteranetum’ Botanical reserve in Neum, the Miljacka river spring and Govještica caves, the Livanjsko polje Ramsar site, the Rakitnica river canyon, Tišina and Mt. Orjen - Mt. Bijela Gora are all sites where development is to be strictly controlled and measures introduced to protect wildlife. New areas are shown on the map below in yellow and orange while existing ones are in grey.
This major initiative is part of a project run by UN Environment and the Global Environment Facility and will allow people to connect even more nature and enjoy the benefits it brings.
From mountain peaks to the Adriatic Sea, bubbling thermal springs and crawling beetles, plants or fish unique to the country, Bosnia and Herzegovina is truly rich in nature.
In order to celebrate this year’s edition of World Environment Day, national parks in the Canton of Sarajevo will also be opened for free across Bosnia on 5 June – handing citizens the opportunity to explore such natural wonders.
Sites that can be visited by people wanting to get out of the city for a day include the gushing Skakavac Waterfalls, Bijambare Cave, Mt. Trebević and River Bosna’s natural spring.
Meanwhile, we all know that witnessing nature’s beauty can require a little patience or digging – whether waiting for an elusive bird to reappear or searching for worms or fungi underfoot.
In the same way, in order to support journalists digging for stories, a media workshop is being organised by UN Environment and partners at the Šabiæi School in Nature near Mt. Bjelašnica on 31 May.
There, conservation professionals, NGO representatives and academia will present journalists with information on environmental issues rarely reported on, together with the human stories behind them.
In a bid to ensure good news for the environment in future, schools worldwide are bring invited to spark a passion for nature in their pupils and hold a lesson outdoors for World Environment Day – with Bosnia playing an active role. A green performance, games and planting activities are among activities planned in schools in the country around 5 June.
The Botanical Garden event is organized by the Environmental Protection Fund of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and is supported by UN Environment and facilitated by McCann Sarajevo.
The theme to the 2017 edition of World Environment Day – the UN’s biggest event for awareness-raising and action for our planet - is ‘connecting people with nature’. Discover what events are taking place near your by visiting our website here.
For more information or to attend the media workshop contact isabelle.valentiny@unep.org
