site.btaBulgaria Marks Day of Parks with Its 3 National, 11 Nature Parks

On May 28, Bulgaria marks the Day of Parks with its three national and eleven nature park. This day has been observed in this country since 1999 at the decision of the Ministry of Environment and Water.

The initiatives for the Day of Parks on Tuesday focused, among other things, on building good habits and inspiring love for nature in children. Also on the programme were cleaning of various areas. The 2024 Day of Parks in Bulgaria celebrates the bridges built by protected territories that connect people with nature in a sustainable way , the Environment Ministry said in a press release. The Day of Parks contributes to international political decisions and agreements to reach local communities and improve their understanding of the advantages of living close to protected territories.

On the occasion of the Day of Parks, WWF Bulgaria Forest Programme Manager Neli Doncheva told BTA that she would like to see a fundamental change in the State's attitude towards national and nature parks. One could start with the provision of adequate funding for parks' directorates and employees so that they can carry out their functions effectively, including the control and protection of the parks' territories, the restoration and maintenance of habitats and species, the maintenance of the tourist infrastructure, educational activities and servicing of visitors.

According to Doncheva, among the serious problems related to the overall state policy on environmental protection are: the implementation of effective control in protected territories; the issue of permits for investment intentions due to poor environmental impact assessments and biased analyses; insufficient funding of protected territories. Also, part of society lacks respect and understanding of the importance of protected territories for quality of life and future generations, Doncheva added.

She recalled that nature and national parks are regulated in detail in the Protected Territories Act. National parks are territories that do not include settlements and have natural ecosystems with big diversity of plant and animal species and habitats, with typical and remarkable landscapes and sites, such as rock formations, she explained. These parks are managed to protect the wild nature and biodiversity of ecosystems, to provide opportunities for scientific, educational, and recreational activities, to create preconditions for the development of tourism and environmentally friendly livelihood of the population. Bulgaria's three national parks are Pirin, Rila, and Central Balkan.

Nature parks are aimed at preserving biodiversity and maintaining ecosystems. Within their territories, one can use renewable energy sources and develop tourism but in a sustainable and ecological manner, Doncheva specified. Those territories include settlements and resorts. Bulgaria's eleven nature parks are: Vitosha, Strandzha, Belasitsa, Rila Monastery, Vratchanski Balkan, Rusenski Lom, Golden Sands, Sinite Kamani,  Shumen Plateau, Persina, and Balgarka.

Vitosha is the first park in the Balkans, Doncheva noted. It attracts 4 million visitors a year, but those visits have a negative impact on nature, she underscored.

The main field of work of the WWF environmental organization is focused on the protection and restoration of habitats and species. Several years ago, WWF and the directorates of Bulgaria's nature parks organized a National Day of Nature Parks campaign. Back then, all 11 nature parks held waste collection and transportation campaigns with the help of volunteers and supporters. Such campaigns are importance but to have a lasting effect, a lot more work and time are needed, Doncheva commented. This is also a matter of upbringing and personal attitude. Environmental protection should be discussed in the family, at school, and at work, she argued.