site.btaExperts from Bulgaria, Spain, Italy Discuss Dune Conservation, Restoration

A two-day expert mission was held at the Ministry of Environment and Water to exchange experience on the protection and restoration of dunes in Bulgaria, the ministry's press office said on Tuesday. The event brought together representatives of the scientific community in Bulgaria and experts from competent institutions and scientific circles from Italy and Spain, and from the administration of the Ministry of Environment and Water to discuss options for improving legislation and practices for the protection of sand dunes.

"We have lost many dunes in the last 60-70 years. We are fighting a big battle with the owners, developers and other stakeholders over the status of these areas," Minister Julian Popov said during the discussion, pointing out that dune protection is a top priority for his ministry. "Your involvement in this process is important. I look forward to hearing about the conservation and restoration methodology developed by your scientists and how it is being applied in your countries," he addressed the visiting experts.

Roberto Diaz Sanchez, coastal expert at Spain's Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities, congratulated his Bulgarian colleagues for the recently developed methodology for mapping and delineating sand dunes. “Based on our Spanish experience, we appreciate how time-consuming and complex the process of developing such a methodology is. We can see that you have done really well," he said.

"We will share with you mostly our mistakes and negative experiences, because I see the same pressure on your coast as we have in Italy and Spain. We also need support in certain areas where there are different owners, the involvement of local governments that organize themselves to block the whole process," said Luigi Cipriani, geomorphology expert at the Directorate of Soil Conservation and Civil Protection in the Tuscany region, Italy.

The Spanish and Italian experts presented successful practices for coordination between administrative bodies, as well as innovative approaches for mapping, monitoring, and restoring dune habitats.

The expected outcome of the mission is that the shared experiences, practices, and applied scientific and administrative methods in other EU coastal countries will serve to improve the order and management of the areas containing dunes in Bulgaria.

The expert mission is organised on the initiative of the Ministry of Environment and Water within the framework of the Peer to Peer cooperation mechanism of the European Commission. It aims to assist member states in addressing the challenges of implementing European environmental legislation. Through this instrument, the European Commission encourages member states to improve their environmental performance by sharing knowledge, experience and best practices.