In 1990, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) was instrumental in the creation of the Society for the Protection of Prespa (SPP). SPP is locally based and works at grass-roots level, undertaking a wide spectrum of initiatives including conservation research, habitat management, institutional development, local capacity building and public awareness- raising. Over time SPP and WWF began to work with government officials from Albania, Greece and the North Macedonia.
This cooperation culminated in the creation in 1999 of Prespa National Park, a trans-boundary protected area. The objectives of the park’s action plan for sustainable management include habitat conservation and renewal, water management, enhancement of socio-economic development for communities, and the required institutional reform to promote these goals.
With signing the Prespa Park Declaration, the Prime Ministers of the three States Contracting Parties to the Convention committed themselves to “join forces across the borders of their sovereign nations to establish a protected area that should provide great benefits for the local people and at the same time should contribute to conserving biodiversity of the planet”. In the final part of Declaration, the commitment to enhanced co-operation with regard to environmental matters between competent authorities of the three countries was declared. This commitment was expressed with the words “joint actions would be considered [...]”. The content of envisaged considerations has been designed as to:
- “Maintain and protect unique ecological values of the “Prespa Park”;
- Prevent and/or reverse the causes of its habitat degradation;
- Explore appropriate management methods for the sustainable use of the Prespa Lakes water;
- Spare no efforts so that the “Prespa Park” become and remain a model of its kind as well as an additional reference to the peaceful collaboration among our countries”.
The trilateral Prespa Park Coordination Committee (PPCC) was established in 2001. Members of the PPCC are the representatives of the Ministries for Environment, Mayors or the Local Municipalities, and one NGO from the three countries (with strong local involvement). Additionally to its crucial political, administrative and institutional role, the Prespa Park Co-ordination Committee (PPCC) was envisaged as having also a significant role in technical issues. Its main responsibility has been to guide “the course of future measures and activities so as to realize the objectives of the Prespa Park.
The park’s coordination committee (consisting of environmental ministries, local authorities and NGOs from all countries) has been successful in obtaining funding for work from the United Nations Development Programme, the German Bank of Reconstruction and the EU LIFE programme.