An update from members of the ESP NN Bulgaria on recent developments to set up a formal network on ecosystem services in the country.
On July 3 2018, a workshop to discuss the results from ESMERALDA project and the opportunities for the development of a National Network on ecosystem services was held in the National institute of geophysics, geodesy and geography at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (BAS).
The workshop was attended by scientists and PhD students from Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”, Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research – BAS, and Forest Research Institute – BAS. Among the participants there were also stakeholders and representatives of the Executive Agency for the Environment (Ministry of Environment and Water), the Executive Forest Agency (Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Forests), and the National Soil Service.
The workshop was planned in two parts and Assoc. prof. Stoyan Nedkov chaired the meeting. The first part was dedicated to the ESMERALDA project and the main objectives and results achieved during the development of the project and the work of the Bulgarian team were presented. The online platform http://www.maes-explorer.eu/ was highlighted as one of the most important outcomes with direct application of ESMERALDA. The goals of the platform are to facilitate the access to the project results and to facilitate the link between individual users and the interested institutions.
The second part of the workshop placed focus on the creation and the development of a Stakeholder network on ecosystem services in Bulgaria that will aim to integrate better the efforts of the scientific, administrative and business organizations into policy and practice. The main goal, mission, activities, stakeholders identified, as well as potential participants, and proposed structure of the network was presented by Assoc. prof. Svetla Bratanova-Doncheva. The discussion was facilitated by Assoc. prof. Stoyan Nedkov and received great interest by all attendants. Some of the questions that the participants actively debated on were related to the goals and role of the network as it can serve as a communication tool and can provide feedback from the interested institutions and the network members. The matter of the network’s legal status was also discussed. As an outcome, a working group to organize and engage with the prep-work and the course of action was created.
The next meeting on the National Network on ecosystem services will be held in November 2018 within the International Conference “Smart Geography” organized by the Bulgarian Geographic Society in the special session.