Bulgaria is one of the richest countries in Europe in terms of biodiversity. However, most of the Natura 2000 protected areas have not yet been declared, and the rest remain protected only "on paper" without developed management plans and established bodies for their management.
Protected areas in Bulgaria, which are only 5% of the country's territory, are also constantly threatened by construction and destruction. In order to preserve the biodiversity in our country, we are developing a system of protected areas such as:
- we create advisory councils for the management of protected areas with the participation of the society
- we are preparing documentation for declaring new protected areas
- we participate in the process of improving the legislation
- we support capacity building of responsible institutions and organizations
Our achievements
- Independently and in partnership with other conservation NGOs, we have developed 11 action plans for endangered species of the World Conservation Union (IUCN), as well as 12 Management Plans for various categories of protected areas, 6 of which have already been adopted and applied.
- The BBF has prepared documentation for declaring 3 Nature Parks, 11 protected areas, and 3 new Ramsar sites.
- As part of the Coalition "For the Nature in Bulgaria", we participated in campaigns to save Strandzha Nature Park, against the illegal construction of Pirin National Park, Rila National Park, Vitosha Nature Park, Irakli, Kara Dere, Kamchiyski sands and others. We monitor changes in environmental legislation and alert the media and society if they threaten biodiversity.
- We initiate Annual campaigns to promote biodiversity in Bulgaria under the title "A Year of ...", we publish and distribute information materials: books, brochures, CDs, guides. We monitor public attitudes towards biodiversity by conducting sociological surveys. For 25 years we have organized a lecture course on "Biodiversity Conservation" at the Faculty of Biology of Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski".
- Our nature protection activities were concentrated in several key regions - Pirin, Dobrudja, Ropotamo, Central Balkans, Burgas wetlands, Strandzha, Eastern Rhodopes, Osogovo and Belasitsa. And some of them are still in the scope of BBF.
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