Promoting Sustainable Use of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants for Livelihood Improvement and Biodiversity Conservation

Project funding	EU
Project website	N/A
Programme website	Montenegro – Albania
Contribution to the Programme’s specific objective	The protection of environmental resources in lake and alpine areas is furthered
Project start date	7.12.2020
Project end date	6.7.2023
Project total budget	EUR 447.393,75
Project EU funding	EUR 380.284,69

Project Description

Description	Overall objective: To contribute to the environmental protection, biodiversity conservation and sustainable use of natural resources of Alpine areas in Albania and Montenegro, through a more efficient and nature friendly MAPs management (collection, storage and income generation). Specific objective(s): 1.Enhanced protection of biodiversity and threatened MAPs in the target area through improved knowledge; 2.Improved knowledge, collection practices and processing practices for MAPs 3.Tapped sustainable usage of MAPs potential for the local economies of the project area Main activities: A 0: Project team mobilization, Steering Committee establishment and kick off meeting A 1.1: MAPS mapping A 1.2: Situation of MAP utilization in the project area A 2.1: Promotional Campaign A 2.2: Implementation of a comprehensive training programme on MAPs A 3.1: Awareness raising for good agriculture and collection practices for MAPs A 3.2: Enable municipal drying and storage facilities for farmers A 3.3: Pilot project for rehabilitating degraded areas with MAPs A 3.4: Signing of MoU with relevant stakeholders
Expected results	R1. Knowledge of medical and aromatic plants habitats in the project area and its management needs is defined and deepness, R2. Awareness level of inhabitants in the cross-border region regarding MAPs, their sustainable utilization for the protection of biodiversity and endangered MAPs raised; R3. Capacities of public institutions for enabling MAPs proper monitoring in Municipalities of Tropoia and Plav strengthened.
Expected outputs	• Increase of 5 % of cultivated MAP’s in each of the project municipalities target area • Common criteria agreed on requirements for sustainable MAPs management • 30% of target area population is aware of project activities • 20% of trained youth and rural farmers continue to harvest wild MAPs • MAPs utilization baseline data available • 400 direct beneficiaries involved • e-electronic baseline data and map of MAP prepared • 2 collection points with enriched capacities and knowledge about collecting medicinal wild herbs established • Contracts between the rural farmers and municipality are signed

Description

Overall objective: To contribute to the environmental protection, biodiversity conservation and sustainable use of natural resources of Alpine areas in Albania and Montenegro, through a more efficient and nature friendly MAPs management (collection, storage and income generation).

Specific objective(s):
1.Enhanced protection of biodiversity and threatened MAPs in the target area through improved knowledge;
2.Improved knowledge, collection practices and processing practices for MAPs
3.Tapped sustainable usage of MAPs potential for the local economies of the project area

Main activities:
A 0: Project team mobilization, Steering Committee establishment and kick off meeting
A 1.1: MAPS mapping
A 1.2: Situation of MAP utilization in the project area
A 2.1: Promotional Campaign
A 2.2: Implementation of a comprehensive training programme on MAPs
A 3.1: Awareness raising for good agriculture and collection practices for MAPs
A 3.2: Enable municipal drying and storage facilities for farmers
A 3.3: Pilot project for rehabilitating degraded areas with MAPs
A 3.4: Signing of MoU with relevant stakeholders

Expected results

R1. Knowledge of medical and aromatic plants habitats in the project area and its management needs is defined and deepness,
R2. Awareness level of inhabitants in the cross-border region regarding MAPs, their sustainable utilization for the protection of biodiversity and endangered MAPs raised;
R3. Capacities of public institutions for enabling MAPs proper monitoring in Municipalities of Tropoia and Plav strengthened.

Expected outputs

• Increase of 5 % of cultivated MAP’s in each of the project municipalities target area
• Common criteria agreed on requirements for sustainable MAPs management
• 30% of target area population is aware of project activities
• 20% of trained youth and rural farmers continue to harvest wild MAPs
• MAPs utilization baseline data available
• 400 direct beneficiaries involved
• e-electronic baseline data and map of MAP prepared
• 2 collection points with enriched capacities and knowledge about collecting medicinal wild herbs established
• Contracts between the rural farmers and municipality are signed

Partners Type

Lead partner	Institution name: Municipality of Plav Plav 84325, Carsijska bb Country: Montenegro Address: Plav 84325, Carsijska bb Website: www.plav.me Legal status: Public
Partner	Institution name: Democratic Integration and Development Center Country: Albania Address: Kukes & Tirana Website: N/A Legal status: Private
Partner	Institution name: Municipality of Tropoja Country: Albania Address: Tropoje 8701, Azem Hajdari Square, Bajram Curri Website: https://tropoje.gov.al/ Legal status: Public
Partner	Institution name: Albanian Alps Country: Montenegro Address: Plav 84325, Brezovica bb Website: N/A Legal status: Private