FEMA: Freshwater Ecosystem services Mapping and Assessment in Bulgaria

The project is financed by Program BG03 “Biodiversity and Ecosystems” and co-financed by the Financial Mechanism of the European Economic Area (EEA FM 2009-2014) with contract № D-33-87 / 08.27.2015.

The project is implemented by the Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences. Remote Sensing Application Center (ReSAC), the Regional Environmental Center for Central and Eastern Europe, Bulgaria and Club “Economika 2000”. 

The specific goal of the project is assessment of the freshwater ecosystems in Bulgaria, following the national methodology for assessment and elaboration of maps, which comply with the technical specifications of the National Information Network for Biodiversity in freshwater basins, which fall outside of the Natura 2000 and/or other protected territories.

The general goal of the project is to improve the integration of biodiversity into sectoral policies and, more specifically, in water resource management, including an assessment of the societal benefits, which freshwater ecosystems generate. 

The main target group of the project comprises of representatives of the central and local authorities, scientists and researchers, non-governmental organizations, business organizations, students and direct beneficiaries, such as fishers, farmers and tourist organization. 

The project is structured into 4 main activities, from which 2 are horizontal and 2 are specific activities; each main activity is comprised of various sub-activities.

The four main project activities are as follows:

1. Collection of data about freshwater ecosystems

2. Mapping and assessment of services relating to freshwater ecosystems

3. Formulation of scientific conclusions

4. Dissemination of the project results and publicity

The project beneficiary is the Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research at BAS.