As part of the preparation of the study for the protection of Trebižat River, representatives from the Center for Environment held two stakeholder analysis workshops in Ljubuški last week. The workshops were conducted with two focus groups – civil society organizations and decision-makers at various levels. In addition to discussing the pressures and threats to the area, participants deliberated on legislative obstacles and possibilities for the protection of Trebižat river. Under the guidance of Dunja Delić, an expert in nature conservation from Wise for Nature, the participants discussed their roles and views on the need to protect the river.
Stakeholder analysis workshops are an important tool in the river protection process as they enable a comprehensive analysis and understanding of the impacts of different stakeholders on decisions regarding river protection. This process ensures that informed and transparent decisions are made, taking into account the interests of all stakeholders.
All participants have the opportunity to express their opinions and present the interests of their communities in the river protection process, as well as exchange viewpoints and perspectives with other stakeholders, which will be valuable for making decisions that are in the best interest of the local communities along the river.
“These workshops allowed us to identify and assess the impacts of all stakeholders involved in the river protection process, including the local community, non-governmental organizations, businesses, and authorities. In this way, we obtained a comprehensive and diverse picture of the influence all stakeholders have on the river protection process. Participants actively engaged in dialogue, presented their suggestions, and thereby contributed to gathering important information that will serve as a basis for further activities in implementing the river protection initiative,” said Dragana Kovačić Jošić, the project coordinator.
The Center for Environment has been carrying out activities aimed at protecting the Neretva River’s tributaries (Buna, Bunica, Bregava, and Trebižat) for some time now, through support for local organizations as well as independent projects in collaboration with local organizations. In the past three years, we have particularly intensified our work on this topic through biodiversity research, strengthening of our relationship with local communities, and advocacy work on protection.
Since the end of last year, we have been implementing two additional projects in this area, funded by the US Forest Service, Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF), and BirdLife International. Within these projects, research on the ichthyofauna of Trebižat River is planned, along with the initiation of an area protection initiative and the preparation of the study for protection.
For the purposes of preparing the study and implementing the initiative for the protection of Trebižat river, collaboration among all stakeholders connected to the river is necessary. These stakeholders can influence protection measures but may be influenced by activities related to the protection of the area as well. Stakeholder analysis is the first step undertaken when implementing initiatives/projects involving different types of stakeholders.
