Linking Nature Protection and Sustainable Rural Development

Building a successful model to demonstrate that the link between nature conservation and sustainable rural development in regions of high natural value can be a win-win situation in Bulgaria - for local people, for businesses and for the environment - is the main objective of a new Bulgarian-Swiss project “Linking Nature Protection and Sustainable Rural Development".

The four-year project will be jointly implemented by four Swiss and seven Bulgarian partners including the Ministry of Agriculture and Food in nine Natura 2000 zones in the Western and Central Balkan Range.

The project is financed by the Bulgarian-Swiss Cooperation Program as part of the Reform Fund Linked to Civil Society Participation. Its overall value is CHF 4,790,000 out of which CHF 590,000 is co-financing by the Bulgarian partners.

BBF is one of project's partners, responsible for the communication of the project, involving of the civil society, establishing the future conservation leaders, as well as development of "For the Nature"Coalition, etc.