Project ICAM Report (November 2010 - June 2011), prepared by ICAM Secretariat
On Wednesday and Thursday, 10-11 November 2010 ICPE hosted an International Conference on Integrated Coastal Area Management of the Adriatic/Mediterranean Black Sea Coastal Areas and the Danube/Sava River Basins, focused on Tourism and Transport. The International Conference served as an initial point for project proposals that were presented and adopted at the conclusion of the Conference. There were more than 50 guests from Slovenia, Portugal, Avstria, Croatia, Bulgaria, Serbia and Greece. The first day of the Conference panelists were discussing Law, Social Responsibility and practice, climate change, International water Strategies, Case Studies of Integrated water Management, waters and Tourism as well as waters and Transport. On the second day of the conference eight project proposals, divided into three groups (Project drafts tackling the Danube/Sava River basin; Mediterranean-Black Sea coastal areas and connecting project drafts) were introduced to the Plenary of the Conference. In the following paragraph the individual follow up of all the presented project proposals until June 2011 will be elaborated. ICAM Conference organizers were mandated to continue their work as a Conference Secretariat, consisting of Dr. Anton Vratuša, honorary president of ICPE, Mr Janez Podobnik, director of ECPD Institute for Sustainable development and David Tavželj, project assistant, ICPE. Their main focus was parallel continuity of work for the projects, i.e. seeking for new partners, promoting the projects, organizing round tables, participating on different international conferences etc. Meetings were held with representatives of City of Ljubljana as well as mag. Andreja Jerina, State secretary in the Government office for Development and EU Affairs. Post-conference Steering Committee adopted the report of the conference and sent it to all EU and other institutions that are engaged in similar activities. The SC also agreed upon the work of the Secretariat and confirmed to meet again in fall 2011 when they will be able to evaluate the progress of the projects one year after the International Conference.
Individual projects report:
Integrated Management of protected areas: the case of the Nature Park Goričko, Grad, Slovenia by dr. Bernard Goršek, director of the Public Agency Nature Park Goričko
The secretariat had a meeting at Ministry of Environment and Spatial planning of Republic of Slovenia with mag. Mladen Berginc, head of Nature conservation Division on 4th May, who subsequently moderated a round table/expert meeting on Integrated management of protected areas: Case Nature Park Goričko which occurred on 9th May and featured more than 20 eminent guests and experts, along with State Secretary in the office of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Slovenia. The ICAM Secretariat cooperated with the management of the PA NPG and a follow up meeting will be in November 2011 at castle Grad, Slovenia. This project has shown to be crucial in the light of the new EU Danube Strategy, which gives high importance to protected areas.
Social Responsibility and Sustainable Development – Innovation and Systemic Approach, Maribor, Slovenia, by ddr. Matjaž Mulej, University of Maribor, Faculty of Economics and Business, and IRDO Institute for Development of Social Responsibility
This project was comprised as a connecting project and was put into action through a round table, which was held at ICPE hall on 2nd March 2011. The participants discussed alternative economic paths within the paradigm of social responsibility. Together with IRDO Institute and ECPD Institute an International Conference is currently in preparation, projected to be held in the beginning of 2012.
The contribution of the SMEE Sector to the Development of Sava basin with the Danube Region, Belgrade, Serbia by dr. Dejan Erić, director of Institute of Economic Science
This project was presented at Sava Commission, Zagreb, Croatia on 22nd December 2010 by Mr Janez Podobnik, who successfully established a firm connection between the project and the Sava Commission Secretariat. This led to the invitation of ICPE and ECPD representatives to a round table, titled Investigating Possibilities for Contribution of the SME (Small and Medium Enterprises) Sector to Sustainable Development of the Sava River Basin and was held on 27th February 2011. On 4th March Slovenian partners met to discuss further development of the project. Mr Podobnik presented the project in Vienna on 1st April, in Brussels on 16th April and on 1st June together with dr. Erič at the day of Sava. The current phase of the project is applying to tenders and seeking for financial resources.
Recreational and Long Distance Tourist Bicycle Lanes along Sava River, Connecting Capital Cities Ljubljana, Zagreb and Belgrade, Ljubljana, Slovenia by mag. Igor Cotič, Urban Planning Institute of the Republic of Slovenia
This project was also introduced at the Sava Commission meeting on 22nd December 2010. On 16th February the Secretariat met with Mr Gajšek, City of Ljubljana, the project was presented in Vienna on 1st April, SECI Group meeting, where it received positive reviews by many EU experts, including dr. Erhard Busek. Mag. Cotič has already prepared a project fiche and a meeting with SIEMENS- Austria representatives in currently being in preparation, to be held in July.
Network of Observing Systems in the Adriatic Region, Piran, Slovenia by dr. Branko Čermelj, Maritime Biology Station
On 31st May 2010 the Secretariat visited Marine Biology Station on the subject, 2 weeks later at the same venue a meeting was held along with Politehnika Pula and other actors in the field of maritime sciences. The project was presented by the coordinator of the Secretariat, Mr Podobnik to expert of EU Commission, DG ENVIRO Mr. Jose-Rizo Martin. The project is currently in the phase of active search of new partners through South East Europe, such as Institutes for Marine Biology in Monte Negro/Kotor/, Albania and Italy.
Above mentioned projects are developing as expected, however there three other project proposals, presented at the ICAM International Conference, which are due to unforeseen circumstances developing at a slower pace/or having different leading partner:
1. The HEART of Adria – Heritage, Environment, Archeology, and Tourism, Koper, Slovenia, by dr. Aleksander Panjek, University of Primorska
2. Integrated Management of the Sava River between Krško and Zagreb, Ljubljana, Slovenia by dr. Mitja Bricelj, Ministry of Environment and Spatial Planning, Republic of Slovenia, and Water Science Institute
3. Sustainable Entrepreneurship: Green Franchising, Ljubljana, Slovenia, by mag. Igor Pavlin, Franchising Slovenia
The first project is being in progress by University of Primorska, Slovenia. The second project is developing in the partnership between Slovenian and Croatian Government Authorities. The third project is currently on hold, but it is a connecting project and that means it can evolve, however it needs a concrete project to be a part of, respectively.
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