for the green heart of europe

what is at stake

Rivers in CEE are in a more natural condition than in other parts of Europe, but navigation, hydropower, gravel extraction and flood/drought infrastructure pose significant threats to freshwater habitats and species such as sturgeon.

80% of floodplains of the Danube and main tributaries have been lost, but there is great potential for restoration. Over 1000 dams dissect larger rivers in the Danube basin, with Innumerable smaller dams on minor waterways.

There is growing awareness and capacity among relevant authorities and other stakeholders related to river and wetland conservation and restoration, but they usually lose out in negotiating with more powerful economic sectors, e.g. agriculture.

what is at stake

The CEE region is home to many of Europe's most valuable forest areas, including old-growth, pristine and natural forests. They include e.g. a large part of the Ancient Beech Forests World Heritage Site.

365,000 ha of old-growth forests have been identified and all but 45,000 ha are protected, much of them in private and municipal ownership. Biodiversity-rich forests remain without sustainable management while we struggle to maintain and improve the status of 9.5 million hectares of forests under FSC.

Illegal logging threatens the integrity of biodiversity-rich forests (e.g. in Bulgaria an estimated 40% of logged wood is illegally harvested).

what is at stake

Sturgeon – a WWF global conservation priority – are the most threatened group of species in the world. The Danube hosts Europe’s last remaining viable populations of wild sturgeon. However, of six Danube sturgeon species, two have gone extinct over the past decades.

European bison play important roles in forest ecosystems, but they were almost hunted to extinction – in the 1920s, only about 50 survived, all of them in captivity. Thanks to determined conservation efforts, they now number over 6,800, including ca 550 in Romania and Ukraine.

CEE countries are home to the largest remaining populations of large carnivores in Europe outside of Russia, including ca 9,000 bears, 4,600 wolves and 2,200 lynx. However, there is growing pressure from changes in land-use, poaching and infrastructure development.

Current status and key drivers:

The CEE countries have a relatively low efficiency of energy use with a high dependence on nuclear, coal and oil and relatively low penetration of renewable energy sources.

CEE countries are obligated to produce National Energy and Climate Plans (NECP), Long Term Decarbonization Strategies, and to allocate 30% of EU Funds to climate action.

what is at stake

Investments in nature conservation, nature-based solutions and climate action are urgently needed. EU funds, promoted by the EU Green Deal, are the key source of such support in the CEE region and also influence other public sector and private sector investment.

Wildlife and forest crime threaten the integrity of biodiversity rich forests and the populations of threatened iconic animal species. Wildlife connectivity is going down, driven by unsustainable infrastructure projects.

Engaging people is vital to our success

Directly, individuals support our work as actors, volunteers and donors. Indirectly, they support our influence and positioning vis-a-vis public and private sector decision-makers.

The focus of our corporate engagement to date has been primarily on fundraising; in future, we seek to engage companies in addressing selected sustainability challenges, both within their own operations and supply chains as well as through advocacy and outreach.