Wetlands / Related projects

07 Jul

07/07/2023

A participatory approach to water governance has always been a central axis of the work of the Society for the Protection of Prespa (SPP), which proposed the creation of a mechanism that would strengthen the involvement of all stakeholders, especially local bodies, in the decision-making process for the management of the water level of Lesser Prespa Lake. Consequently, a participatory advisory body, consisting of 10 local, regional and national stakeholders,...

07 Jul

07/07/2023

The Society for the Protection of Prespa (SPP) was established in 1991 by two visionaries, Dr Luc Hoffman and Thymios Papayannis, who wanted to create an organisation that would work collaboratively to protect Prespa's remarkable nature and culture, through scientific principles and dialogue, ensuring that all those who strived for the conservation of this incredible and biodiverse corner of SE Europe spoke with a single and effective voice. Many partners and...

06 Jul

06/07/2023

Lake Stymfalia is a shallow, marshy lake in the mountainous part of the Corinthia region. The lake is covered by dense reedbeds, fed by natural springs and drained by underground rivers. It is part of the Natura 2000 network and is an important refuge for rare breeding, passage and wintering waterbirds. Prior to the project Lake Stymfalia had been subject to intense pressures, including the uncontrolled discharge of solid and...

05 Jul

05/07/2023

The principal aim of this project was to improve the conservation status of the Dalmatian pelican and the pygmy cormorant, but the activities also directly benefited at least 18 other species covered by the Birds Directive. The main actions included the reconstruction of a sluicegate that channels water from Lesser Prespa Lake (Mikri Prespa) into Great Prespa Lake (Megali Prespa), in order to improve water-level management of the former; the...

05 Jul

05/07/2023

Aiming to determine possible scenarios for the water level fluctuation of Lesser Prespa Lake, this crucially important study formed the basis for the adaptive water and wetland management efforts undertaken over subsequent years in the Greek part of the Lesser Prespa Lake area and in particular the reconstruction of the sluicegate at Koula. The need for the effective water level management of Lesser Prespa Lake had been clear for many decades...

05 Jul

05/07/2023

An experimental project on the restoration and management of the wet meadows of Lesser Prespa Lake, using specific techniques such as cutting and grazing with water buffalo or combinations of these, was implemented as part of this project. It aimed to investigate the effects of grazing, cutting, burning and management on the vegetation and to evaluate their productivity and nutritional value. The results prescribed the techniques and costs for the...

05 Jul

05/07/2023

Since its foundation, the Society for the Protection of Prespa (SPP) has had the goal of addressing the most important ecological issue for large waterbirds in Lesser Prespa Lake: the ideal waterbird feeding areas, the shallow waters at the edge of the lake, are extensively dominated by reeds due to the absence of traditional mowing and grazing management practices, resulting in a densely vegetated area where waterbirds cannot feed. In...

04 Jul

04/07/2023

Wet meadows, the most sensitive and important ecosystems of the region, are formed on the shores of Lesser Prespa Lake. These are lakeside areas, with low vegetation, periodically flooded with water, depending on the fluctuation of the lake water level, where many waterbird species feed and nest and many species of fish and amphibians breed. The extent of the wet meadows directly depends on the seasonal variation of the water...

14 Jun

14/06/2023

In a nutshell, this project addresses a large proportion of the programme of the Society for the Protection of Prespa (SPP) for the overall conservation and protection of Greek and transboundary Prespa, as foreseen in the organisation’s Strategic Framework for the period 2023-2027, as well as support for core administrative and managerial work. These efforts aim to contribute to achieving the long-term goals set out in the previous strategic framework,...

20 Apr

20/04/2023

In 2012, at the request of the Albanian Prespa National Park the Society for the Protection of Prespa (SPP) carried out an assessment of the appropriate wetland vegetation and habitat management by experimental reed harvest, aiming at the conservation of the reedbeds of Lesser Prespa Lake in Albania for the benefit of biodiversity as well as the local community. The assessment also considered the advanced techniques of briquetting and pelleting...