Posted on August, 31 2019

WWF Adria Serbia was officially established in Belgrade in August 2019 as a part of the WWF-Adria regional office headquartered in Zagreb, Croatia. However, it was WWF’s Senior Technical Advisor David Reeder who initiated the very first WWF activities in Serbia. David, who passed away in 2006, was a very special person. He was a man who loved life, nature, and people. He was passionate about the Danube, where he focused on developing ecotourism and other sustainable opportunities for local development. His efforts eventually resulted in the creation of a WWF organisation in Serbia in 2009; first through the activities of the Danube-Carpathian Programme (now WWF Central and Eastern Europe), and later through WWF-Adria. The new legal status means that the WWF office in Belgrade is now officially recognised as part of the WWF network. During the past 10 years, a significant portfolio of activities has been realised, and an extensive partnership network with key stakeholders in various sectors such as nature conservation, water management and climate change have been established.
 
WWF Adria Serbia has a small, yet stable and long-standing presence in Serbia that serves as a platform to actively promote WWF’s global conservation priorities at both the national and regional levels. The activities of WWF Adria Serbia contribute to achieving WWF’s priorities in the Mediterranean, Danube and Carpathian ecoregions.
 
In terms of conservation values, Serbia retains a high rate of biodiversity and significantly contributes to biodiversity values at the regional level. Most notably, it hosts a substantial proportion of:

• Balkan rivers and streams and floodplain ecosystems in the Danube Basin;
• Forest and mountain ecosystems; and
• Populations of large carnivores.

Serbia is situated at the crossroad of the Continental and Pannonian bio-geographical regions. It is distinguished by vast plains and wetlands in the north, hilly terrain and river valleys in its central part, and mountains with canyons, cliffs and caves in the south. Large tracts of forest span the central and southern parts of the country. More than 90% of the country lies within the Danube Basin. It covers the southernmost part of the Pannonian Plain as well as the eastern fringes of the Dinaric Arc. Occupying a unique position between Central Europe and the Mediterranean, Serbia hosts exceptionally rich biodiversity.
In order to protect all these natural values and generate and shared benefits across local communities and wider society, WWF Adria Serbia has focused on improving the governance systems of natural resources and management of protected areas.
 
We are aiming to achieve conservation outcomes and improving regional cooperation with a growing team and dedicated staff focusing on national and regional priorities. In the future, we will focus on a range of issues such as:

• Establishment and management of the Mura-Drava-Danube Transboundary Biosphere Reserve;
• Sturgeon conservation – a global WWF priority;
• Good governance of protected areas and improved public participation;

• Development of educational programmes related to nature conservation and climate change; and
• Advocating for transparent and accountable EU negotiation processes, and citizens’ participation in decision-making based on free access to information and partnership between civil society and public authorities.

WWF-Adria Serbia is a keen advocate for improved biodiversity conservation and enhanced management of natural resources with socio-economic benefits for local communities and society at large. 
 
Contact WWF Adria in Serbia: 
Deni Porej, Director, WWF Adria Serbia
Đure Jakšića 4a/8 
11000 Belgrade, Serbia 
Phone: +381 11 30 33 753
dporej@wwfadria.org