31 July 2012: The International Sava River Basin Commission (ISRBC) held an international workshop on the development of ecotourism in the context of cross-border cooperation. The Commission was set up in 2004 among the Governments of Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia, to cooperate for the sustainable use of the Sava River’s resources and improved living conditions for populations in the Basin.

The workshop, which took place on 20-21 June 2012, in Slavonski Brod, Croatia, was organized by ISRBC, with support from the Regional Environment Center (REC) in Croatia, the US Embassy in Zagreb, and Coca-Cola Ltd. The event brought together over 60 participants from the Sava countries and beyond, and was held around the theme “landscape, biodiversity, economy – values and potentials in the Sava basin.”

According to the Secretariat of the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Importance especially as Waterfowl Habitat (Ramsar Convention), participants heard presentations from managers of four Ramsar sites within the Sava basin, who discussed their experiences establishing ecotourism activities as part of a sustainable “business model” for the management of their protected areas.

Participants also worked in groups to develop ideas for raising public awareness on: the advantages of ecotourism in wetlands; how to coordinate ecotourism within and between Ramsar Sites; and how to develop specific skills needed for ecotourism in sensitive areas.

The Commission now intends to elaborate operational guidelines for ecotourism in the Basin, based on best practices in Ramsar Sites, with a focus on cross-border cooperation. [Workshop Report] [Ramsar Press Release] [Sava Commission Website]