Awareness raising, training, and scientific research activities on species and Habitat of Community interest

In the EU, green infrastructure includes the Natura 2000 network and other significant and protected areas as its backbone, as well as natural and semi-natural spaces outside Natura 2000, such as parks, gardens, vegetated buffer strips along rivers, or ridge landscapes with certain features, green walls, eco-bridges, and fish ladders. Green belts spreading over smaller settlements around cities are the lungs of the whole region and can provide various environmental, social, and economic benefits.


Green infrastructure is defined in the EU Green Infrastructure Strategy as a strategically planned network of natural and semi-natural areas with other environmental features designed and managed to deliver a wide range of ecosystem services. And thus, it incorporated green spaces (or blue if aquatic ecosystems are concerned) and other physical features in terrestrial (including coastal) and marine areas.


The HABI project proposal intends to pursue a set of integrated objectives aimed, as a whole, at promoting a new image of the area based on the quality of the environment and the landscape, the richness of the cultural identity, and natural heritage. HABI will explore the Lake of Conversano and Gravina di Monsignore Natural Reserve and Lokrum Reserve. The project recognizes the need to create a balance between the anthropic environment and the natural environment, which today is compromised. It is foreseen to develop adequate strategies regarding these protected NATURA 2000 areas, alongside the creation and implementation of local/transnational workshops in Italy and Croatia. The project will be further enriched with the involvement of DURA who will develop an awareness-raising campaign and support the professional partners with these activities. The project will include key stakeholders such as the general public, youth, SMEs, and local/regional authorities in its activities, and to raise awareness on these decaying, sensitive NATURA 2000 areas.


HABI project will focus its objectives on:


I) Conservation and recovery of biocenoses, with particular reference to the habitats and species in the Italy-Croatia area,


II) Promoting educational, training, and scientific research activities, as well as sustainable recreational activities,


III) Promote and redevelop economic activities, particularly in the tourism sector in order to improve the quality of life of the local population.


All of the activities within the project HABI will focus on involving different types of stakeholders such as local public authority, the general public, youth and education centers, SMEs, and many more.RCO 83 Strategies and action plans jointly developed.


RCO 85 Participations in joint training schemes.