Strengthening civil society in the transboundary Shar / Korab-Koritnik region

The Corona virus cannot stop the engagement of people for the Shar / Korab-Koritnik region between North Macedonia, Kosovo and Albania. Following the example of North Macedonia, Local action groups (LAG) are being established in Albania as well as in Kosovo. The Memorandum of Cooperation was signed digitally by relevant local actors due to the current restrictions.

The mission of LAGs is to ensure the sound and long-term conservation and to support a sustainable regional development in the Shar / Korab-Koritnik region with the local population as active drivers. In North Macedonia, the LAG Friends of Sharra (established in 2015) recently had a great success with its “Pro-National park” campaign: In the middle of the lockdown, on 5 May 2020, the Ministry for the Environment and Physical Planning of Republic of North Macedonia opened the proclamation process to designate the Shar Mountains as a national park. With this milestone, the efforts of Friends of Sharra and its partners to protect the rich mountain landscape are finally paying off.

With the establishment of LAGs in Kosovo and Albania, the next step towards the vision of a joint sustainable regional development in the transboundary Shar / Korab-Koritnik region, has been taken.

The current actions are part of a project financially supported by GIZ and jointly implemented by EuroNatur, Macedonian Ecological Society, Center for Education and Development, Protection and preservation of natural environment in Albania and FINCH.

To find out more take a look at “Friends of Sharra” (North Macedonia) and this short documentary about Shar Mountains.