New Partnership Aims to Strengthen Financing for Nature Protection in the Western Balkans

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), represented by its Regional Office for Eastern Europe and Central Asia (ECARO), and The Nature Conservancy in Europe (TNC) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to enhance cooperation in developing sustainable, long‑term financing mechanisms for protected areas across the Western Balkans.

Both organizations have been active in the region for many years, supporting biodiversity conservation and working closely with governments, civil society and local partners. While the Western Balkans is recognized as a global biodiversity hotspot, the region continues to face significant challenges in ensuring effective and adequately financed conservation. Protected areas in particular struggle with limited capacities and insufficient funding, underscoring the urgent need for more systematic and long‑term support.

In reponse, the two organizations have joined forces to explore opportunities for developing long‑term financing models that can provide effective long-term financial support for protected areas over a period of at least 15 years. These mechanisms would be designed not only to meet the specific needs of protected areas but also to even more importantly, help strengthen their capacities in a structured way, ultimately guiding them toward greater financial sustainability.

Igor Vejnović, Southeast Europe Program Director at TNC, said: 

“With our partners in the United for Rivers initiative, TNC has been actively involved in protecting rivers across the Western Balkans, from advocating for new protected areas, such as the Mrežnica in Croatia and the Bistrica in Montenegro, to improving their management. Through this work, we’ve seen firsthand the challenges protected area managers face: limited capacities and limited access to funding, each reinforcing the other. We believe a new, flexible model is needed – , one that responds to the specific needs and capacities of protected areas while directing them towards sustainability and more effective conservation.”

Oliver Avramoski, Regional Director of the IUCN Regional Office for Eastern Europe and Central Asia (ECARO) said:

“For more than two decades, IUCN has been actively engaged in the Western Balkans, supporting nature conservation, strengthening protected and conserved area management, and fostering regional cooperation. Through our partnership with The Nature Conservancy, we aim to help establish the foundations for stable and sustainable financing mechanisms for these areas, financing that enables them not only to operate effectively, but to grow stronger, more resilient, and more impactful over time. In doing so, we contribute to safeguarding biodiversity and cultural heritage, enhancing human health and well-being, strengthening climate resilience, and advancing sustainable local development.“

This partnership reinforces the commitment of both organizations to support the region in strengthening biodiversity conservation and contributing to broader environmental processes, including the Green Agenda for the Western Balkans and the EU accession agenda. 

Both partners emphasize that effective advancement of the initiative requires broad collaboration among diverse actors, and they invite other interested organizations to join the effort.