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Joint co-operation strategy on climate change and security in the Shar/Šara Mountains and Korab Massif Area [EN/BS/MK/SQ]

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Introduction

The Shar/Šara Mountains and Korab Massif Area is a biodiversity hotspot with outstanding natural value. Comprising four protected areas (i.e., Korab-Koritnik, Mavrovo, Shar Mountain, and Sharri/Šara), the area has a coverage of more than 240,000 ha, making it one of the largest contiguous protected areas in Europe (see Figure 2 in the PDF). Natural resources in the area provide economic opportunities for local communities, and are therefore important for safeguarding rural livelihood security and well-being.

Climate change poses a threat to the natural and economic values of the Shar/Šara Mountains and Korab Massif area. Combined with unsustainable and illegal human activities, the impacts of climate change threaten the area’s rich biodiversity and key economic sectors, all of which would affect livelihoods and feed into the security risks faced by local communities. Given the area’s interconnectivity, these security risks would very likely be shared across the four protected areas.

Strengthened and targeted co-operation between the management of the protected areas and their communities is therefore of paramount importance as it offers opportunities to address these risks in a holistic and sustainable manner. On the one hand, co-operation activities would serve to improve the livelihoods, security and resilience of communities in the protected areas in the context of a changing climate. On the other hand, they would reinforce trust and good neighborly relationships in the area (see Figure 1).

Project background

This document proposes a joint co-operation strategy to address climate-related security risks in the Shar/Šara Mountains and Korab Massif Area. It is an output of the extra-budgetary project Strengthening responses to security risks from climate change in South-Eastern Europe, Eastern Europe, the South Caucasus and Central Asia (#1102151), implemented by the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), in partnership with the Berlin-based think-tank adelphi.

The project aims to:

1. Enhance the understanding of how climate-related security risks impact in South-Eastern Europe, South Caucasus, Central Asia, and Eastern Europe.
2. Increase co-operation among regional stakeholders to jointly address climate-related security risks.
3. Increase awareness and capacities for an integrated approach on climate change and security among main stakeholders.

The Shar/Šara Mountains and Korab Massif Area, consisting of the four protected areas (1) Korab-Koritnik, (2) Mavrovo, (3) Shar Mountain, and (4) Sharri/Šara, is the central focus region in South Eastern Europe within the project and for this strategy.