State Enterprise “Srbijašume” Belgrade, a leading company in the management of protected areas in Serbia, commemorated the first International Day for Biosphere Reserves on November 3rd.
On this occasion, a meeting was held in the amphitheater of the Faculty of Forestry, attended by more than 150 participants. The gathering was addressed by the Dean of the Faculty of Forestry – Prof. Dr. Branko Stajić, Acting Director of SE “Srbijašume” – Igor Braunović, Assistant Minister of Environmental Protection and President of the National Committee for UNESCO’s “Man and the Biosphere” Programme (MAB Programme) – Jasmina Jović, President of the National Commission for Cooperation with UNESCO – Prof. Dr. Goran Milašinović and Acting Director of the Institute for Nature Conservation of Serbia – Marina Šibalić.
Executive Director of the Forestry and Environmental Protection Sector, Ješa Erčić, presented the contribution of SE “Srbijašume” to “Golija-Studenica” Biosphere Reserve (BR), which has been a member of the World Network of Biosphere Reserves since 2001. The 2012-2021 Periodic Review for “Golija-Studenica” BR was presented by Gordana Jančić (SE “Srbijašume”) and Biljana Krsteski (Institute for Nature Conservation of Serbia). The Monograph, which was written on the occasion of 20 years of protection of the Nature Park and 20 years since Golija Nature Reserve was designated a biosphere reserve, was presented by editors Dejan Zagorac (EKO CENTER) and Dragoljub Šekler (manager of “Golija“ Nature Park). The director of the Institute for the Protection of Cultural Monuments, Katarina Grujović Brković spoke about cultural heritage research in the area of “Golija-Studenica” BR, and she also presented a map – Nemanja’s Heritage in the Valley of the Studenica River. Head of the Department for Forest Protection and Protected Natural Assets, Dejan Miletić, presented the cooperation between SE “Srbijašume” and UNESCO Regional Office in Venice.
The commemoration of the International Day of Biosphere Reserves was established at the 41st session of the General Conference of UNESCO as part of the MAB Programme in June this year. The purpose of the International Day of Biosphere Reserves is to send an annual appeal for raising awareness of modern world’s sustainable development and the contribution made by the World Network of Biosphere Reserves (WNBR) to this cause. So far, the WNBR has reached a membership of 738 biosphere reserves in 134 countries.
This year, at the 41st session, the Advisory Committee for Biosphere Reserves provided a positive assessment on the Periodic Review of “Golija-Studenica” Biosphere Reserve for the period 2012-2021, which means that our “Golija-Studenica” BR has met all the criteria of the MAB Programme and continues to be a member of the prestigious World Network of Biosphere Reserves.
