Skadar Lake joins UNESCO World Network of Biosphere Reserves

The Skadar Lake basin, shared by Montenegro and Albania, has been officially included in the UNESCO World Network of Biosphere Reserves under the Man and the Biosphere Programme. This designation marks a significant international recognition for nature protection and sustainable development in the region.

The achievement is the result of the “Skadar Lake Basin – Cross-border Biosphere Reserve” project, which ran from February 2023 to July 2025. The project had a total value of 453,096 euros, with the European Union providing 385,131 euros in non-refundable support through the IPA Cross-border Cooperation Programme.

Led by Albania’s EDEN Center in collaboration with Montenegro’s EnvPro, the National Agency for Protected Areas in Albania, and the Public Enterprise for National Parks in Montenegro, the initiative focused on improving biodiversity protection, ecological monitoring, and institutional cooperation. The process involved over 200 stakeholders and resulted in the submission of three nomination dossiers to UNESCO: two national and one joint cross-border dossier.