Scope of work of the Institute
The Institute for Nature Conservation of Serbia has been established by the Government of the Republic of Serbia with the aim of performing activities on the conservation and improvement of nature in Serbia. The scope of Institute’s work is determined according to the law on Nature Conservation ("Official Gazette of the Republic of Serbia" No. 36/2009, 88/2010, 91/2010 - correction, 14/2016 and 95/2018-another law), the Decision on the Establishment of the Institute for Nature Conservation of Serbia ("Official Gazette of RS" No. 18/2010 and 09/2017) and the Statute of the Institute for Nature Conservation of Serbia ("Official Gazette of the Republic of Serbia" No. 73/2010).
Nature conservation and improvement is carried out by the Institute’s engagement in a number of activities which are listed here.
• The initiation of the procedure for the establishment of legal protection of a particular area, i.e. the conduct of field research and the development of a study of protection as a professional basis for the adoption of the act on protection of the area. The development of study includes the collection and processing of data, the determination of boundaries of the area proposed for protection, the valuation of recorded natural values, the proposing of measures to be taken to conserve these natural values, the establishment of a protection regime that will be implemented by the manager of the protected area, as well as the determination of the category of future protected natural area.
• Field research and activities on the conservation of biodiversity and geodiversity as a starting point for the conservation and improvement of endangered and rare species and geoheritage sites.
• Monitoring of the state and assessment of the vulnerability of geoheritage sites, wild species and their habitats, habitat types, ecosystems, protected areas, ecologically important areas and ecological corridors of the ecological network of the Republic of Serbia.
• Expert supervision in protected areas including expert assistance and cooperation with managers.
• Keeping a register of protected natural areas and other data of importance for the conservation of nature.
• Keeping a database in the field of nature conservation, as part of the unique information system of the Environmental Protection Agency.
• Issuing of official documents on the conditions to be fulfilled and measures to be applied regarding the conservation of nature and natural values in the process of drafting project documentation, spatial and urban plans, basic documents pertaining to forests, hunting, fishing and water management, programs and strategies in all activities that affect nature, and upon their development, the issuing of official opinions on the fulfillment of these conditions.
• Publishing of scientific and professional publications, monographs, brochures, handbooks, guidelines and other informative materials on nature conservation, protected areas, biodiversity and geodiversity, as well as publishing of scientific and professional papers within the journal "Nature Protection", and the production of printed, audio and video materials on the natural values of Serbia.
• Public educational programs, presentation and promotion of natural values and heritage of Serbia in order to develop public awareness of the necessity and significance of nature conservation. The Institute also provides methodological assistance in education in the field of environmental protection and nature conservation.
• Establishment of international cooperation in the field of nature conservation through the linking and exchange of data and experiences with various professional institutions from around the world, dealing with nature conservation and environmental protection, as well as participation in the work of international nature conservation organizations, engagement in the implementation of international conventions in the field of nature conservation and participation in the implementation of certain international programs and projects.
Nature conservation and improvement is carried out by the Institute’s engagement in a number of activities which are listed here.
• The initiation of the procedure for the establishment of legal protection of a particular area, i.e. the conduct of field research and the development of a study of protection as a professional basis for the adoption of the act on protection of the area. The development of study includes the collection and processing of data, the determination of boundaries of the area proposed for protection, the valuation of recorded natural values, the proposing of measures to be taken to conserve these natural values, the establishment of a protection regime that will be implemented by the manager of the protected area, as well as the determination of the category of future protected natural area.
• Field research and activities on the conservation of biodiversity and geodiversity as a starting point for the conservation and improvement of endangered and rare species and geoheritage sites.
• Monitoring of the state and assessment of the vulnerability of geoheritage sites, wild species and their habitats, habitat types, ecosystems, protected areas, ecologically important areas and ecological corridors of the ecological network of the Republic of Serbia.
• Expert supervision in protected areas including expert assistance and cooperation with managers.
• Keeping a register of protected natural areas and other data of importance for the conservation of nature.
• Keeping a database in the field of nature conservation, as part of the unique information system of the Environmental Protection Agency.
• Issuing of official documents on the conditions to be fulfilled and measures to be applied regarding the conservation of nature and natural values in the process of drafting project documentation, spatial and urban plans, basic documents pertaining to forests, hunting, fishing and water management, programs and strategies in all activities that affect nature, and upon their development, the issuing of official opinions on the fulfillment of these conditions.
• Publishing of scientific and professional publications, monographs, brochures, handbooks, guidelines and other informative materials on nature conservation, protected areas, biodiversity and geodiversity, as well as publishing of scientific and professional papers within the journal "Nature Protection", and the production of printed, audio and video materials on the natural values of Serbia.
• Public educational programs, presentation and promotion of natural values and heritage of Serbia in order to develop public awareness of the necessity and significance of nature conservation. The Institute also provides methodological assistance in education in the field of environmental protection and nature conservation.
• Establishment of international cooperation in the field of nature conservation through the linking and exchange of data and experiences with various professional institutions from around the world, dealing with nature conservation and environmental protection, as well as participation in the work of international nature conservation organizations, engagement in the implementation of international conventions in the field of nature conservation and participation in the implementation of certain international programs and projects.
