Life for Falcons project study explores the balance between nature conservation and socio-economic development

How can nature conservation and the development of local communities go hand in hand? This question was at the heart of three focus group discussions held as part of the project “Securing the Recovery of the Endangered Saker Falcon in Bulgaria and Southern Romania” (“Life for Falcons”).

Between 7 and 23 July, focus groups were held in Sliven, Topolovgrad and Bolyarovo. A total of 32 representatives of local authorities, organisations and institutions involved in environmental protection, forestry and fire prevention, as well as representatives of the tourism sector and farmers, took part in the discussions.

The participants discussed opportunities for European funding for agri-environmental activities, the development of ecotourism and the role of strategic documents in nature conservation. Other topics included the replacement of conifer plantations with native broadleaved species and measures to prevent and limit forest fires.

The discussions focused on finding solutions that could address the needs of local communities while contributing to the conservation of natural resources. Representatives of the different stakeholder groups shared their views, experience and proposals on the topics discussed.

The focus groups were part of a study of local communities’ attitudes towards key issues related to the implementation of the Life for Falcons project (LIFE20 NAT/BG/001162).

The project focuses on the recovery and conservation of the globally threatened Saker Falcon in 28 Natura 2000 sites in Bulgaria. Its main objective is to support the recovery of the species’ population by reducing the impact of key threats and implementing long-term conservation measures.