ESP South-East Europe Regional Chapter and its leads, Stoyan Nedkov and Jeroen Arends supported by Hristina Prodanova and Vanya Stoycheva organized a regional session at the 4th ESP Europe Regional conference that took place in Heraklion, Greece from 10 to 14 October 2022.
The session O2 – “Biodiversity and ecosystem services in South-East Europe: Research challenges and application issues towards a community of practice” included participants from several countries (Bulgaria, North Macedonia and Turkey) and affiliations (academic, private sector, and students). The outcomes of the session include an idea to prepare a proposal for cross-walking and improving ecosystem mapping and ecosystem services; the development of a community of practice towards the exchange of knowledge and capacity building; interrelationships between different aspects of ecosystems mapping.
The session identified some of the strongest points in the studies in SEE, such as well-developed methodologies for mapping and assessment in the countries presented in the session; well-advancing ecosystem accounting in some countries, as well as highly developed capacity building for policy and decision-makers.
All of the outcomes of the session will be used to further develop collaboration and a research agenda within the South-East Europe regional chapter through the concept for Community of Practice.
A Topical collection “Biodiversity and ecosystem services in South-East Europe: Research challenges and application issues towards a community of practice” in the Journal of the Bulgarian Geographical Society will be open for papers following the topic of the O2 session. The feasible time for submission is 30 November 2022.