SUMMARY
GEF focal area: Biodiversity conservation
GEF Implementing Agency: World Bank
Recipient: Green Balkans NGO
Project implementation period: February 2005 - February 2010
Project partners: Ministry of Environment and Water and Pomorie Municipality
Project budget (GEF): $863,100
Background:
The Pomorie Lake is a hyper saline lagoon along the Bulgarian Black Sea coast. The wetland offers a rare combination of living conditions that support the development of a unique complex of halophyte vegetation. Many of the plants are threatened and subject to protection under different conservation documents as well as the Bulgarian Red Data Book.
The lake is inhabited by 17 reptile and amphibian species, as well as 31 mammal species, including the world’s smallest mammal – the Etruscan Pygmy Shrew. The lagoon and the surrounding area provide living conditions for 9 bat species, all of which protected by the Bulgarian and the international legislation.
The most diverse group are birds - 268 species (breeding, wintering, migrating), many of which rare and globally threatened, such as White-headed Duck, Red-breasted Goose, Dalmatian Pelican, Ferruginous Duck, Whooper Swan, Terns, etc. The lagoon is situated on the second biggest migration route - Via Pontica, and annually thousands of Storks, Pelicans, Geese, and Raptors migrate above the lake on their way to Africa. Although small (714 ha), in terms of bird diversity the lake ranks third among the Bulgarian coastal wetlands.
For the protection of the rare and threatened species and habitats, the Pomorie lake and the adjacent territories are designated as a Protected Site according to the Bulgarian legislation (2001) and a Ramsar site (2004) under the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Importance, especially as Waterfowl Habitat, being one of Bulgaria’s ten sites listed in the Ramsar List (registered under No 1229). In 1998 the lake was designated as an Important Bird Area, and in 2007 it was officially included into NATURA 2000 Ecological Network as a site subject to protection under the EU Birds and Habitats Directives.
For millennia, the saline lagoon has been used for salt production, and since the 20th C the lake’s curative mud has been actively extracted for medical treatment, rehabilitation, and SPA procedures. In recent years, the Pomorie Lake has been an attractive destination for birdwatchers from all over the world that come in organized groups to enjoy the bird diversity of the wetland.
Unfortunately, for the past years the lake has suffered severe anthropogenic pressure – besides disturbance caused by poachers, the expanding construction works result in tons of waste polluting the banks of the lake. Moreover, the increasing construction activity leads to occupation and seizure of natural areas, draining and overbuilding of adjacent small wetlands, which results in a serious negative impact on the biodiversity of the lake. Another significant limiting factor is the deteriorated hydrological and saline balance of the lagoon and the lack of suitable breeding habitats for the rare and threatened bird species.
Since 1996, Green Balkans NGO has been implementing a Program for conservation and restoration of the biological diversity of the Pomorie Lake. Annually, the Organization and the British Trust for Conservation Volunteers (BTCV) organize joint international conservation working holidays. These work camps are intended to improve the breeding habitats of rare and threatened bird species. For the past fifteen years, Green Balkans NGO has secured the support of various donors and international institutions for the preservation of the wetland and the natural heritage it harbors.
In 1999, Green Balkans NGO developed a project concept for conservation and restoration of the Pomorie Lake, which was approved by the Global Environmental Facility and the Bulgarian Government. Then, the elaboration of the full project proposal was launched, involving partners such as the Ministry of Environment and Water, Pomorie Municipality, salt producers, and other stakeholders. The project was supported by the Global Environmental Facility and the World Bank (2005) to contribute to the sustainable management of the Pomorie Lake and the wetland ecosystem through conservation and restoration of biological diversity and sustainable natural resource use.Project Goals: Main goal
Support for the sustainable management of the Pomorie Lake and the wetland ecosystem through conservation and restoration of biological diversity and sustainable natural resource use
Objectives
• Supporting the development and implementation of plans for long-term management of the protected area, focusing on conservation, restoration, and management of the ecosystem’s natural resources;
• Restoring the ecosystem’s natural resource base and the hydrological balance of the wetland;
• Raising the awareness among the local communities and the tourist sector concerning the wetland and the necessity of preserving the natural resources of the lagoon;
• Improving the cooperation with state and local authorities, business sector, and other wetland restoration sites in Bulgaria and Europe;
Project activities:
1. Establishing a Management Framework;
2. Developing a Management Plan (MP) of Pomorie Lake complex of protected natural areas;
3. Implementing the Management Plan;
3.1. Supporting the management of Pomorie Lake Protected Site;
3.2. Restoring and managing natural resources;
3.3. Implementing a program for environmental education and public awareness;
3.4. Developing a monitoring program for managing the complex of protected natural areas;
4. Managing the project and securing national and international cooperation.
