Good news from Balkan Green Belt: The ecological importance of the Dragoman swamps and its adjacent wetlands in Bulgaria has now been internationally acknowledged.
The Ramsar Convention has approved the application of the Balkani Wildlife Society (BWS, a partner of EuroNatur), incorporating the mosaic of wetland, swamp and karst hills close to the Serbian border into the Ramsar sites, which declares this area an internationally acknowledged and valuable habitat for waders and waterfowl.
The long lasting efforts of EuroNatur have decisively contributed to accomplish this goal. EuroNatur has been active in the area for around 15 years, keeping close contact to BWS. Throughout the years, this international support had motivated BWS in its own efforts. Since 1996, a team of BWS has regularly participated in conducting regional surveys on flora and fauna. This valuable data has now provided a significant basis for the Ramsar application.
The designation has met with widespread approval among the local people, and the decision of incorporating the Dragoman swamp and adjacent wetlands into the Ramsar sites was explicitly welcomed by the District Governor of Sofia in a press release.