Jelena Tomićević-Dubljević, Milica Pavlović & Maja Vujčić The role of local communities in the management of natural resources in the mountain area of Besna Kobila, Serbia Jelena Tomićević-Dubljević, Milica Pavlović & Maja Vujčić THE THIRD WORLD CONFERENCE OF WORLD ASSOCIATION OF SOIL AND WATER CONSERVATION, August 22-26, 2016 Belgrade, Serbia

Results and discussion Conclusions Content Introduction Research area Methodology Secondary and primary data Results and discussion Conclusions

The role of local communities in the management of natural resources Poor conservation outcomes that followed decades of intrusive resource management strategies and planned development have forced policy makers and scholars to reconsider the role of the community in resource use and conservation. Changes in theoretical approach but also the practice of planning environmental protection brought forth the issue of people participation. It is now widely assumed that people participation is required in order to achieve sustainable development and effective conservation that can bring economic and social benefits to marginalised groups and that the devolution of decision-making policy will benefit biodiversity.

The focus of this research is on two local communities in the area of ​​the Mt Besna Kobila. This mountain represents a valuable natural resource while on the other hand this same area is characterized by poor rural population. The concept of ‘sustainable livelihood strategies’ plays a crucial role in the discussion considering rural development, poverty reduction and the management of natural resources. Therefore, the concept of sustainable livelihood strategies has been applied in the case of two villages in the mountain area of Besna Kobila.

Sustainable livelihood approach (SLA) Sustainable livelihood approach (SLA) relies on the main factors that affect the lives of poor people and typical relationships between these factors. It can be used in planning new development activities and also in the evaluation of the contribution of existing activities which create sustainable livelihoods.

The 5 Capital Model According to DFID (Department for International Development) the 5 capitals are as follows: human, social, physical, natural, and financial. The sustainable livelihood approach emphasizes the necessity of considering people first by examining how they manipulate and combine different aspects of capitals available to them (Tomićević et al., 2010). Human capital Natural capital Social capital Physical capital Financial capital

The aim of this study is to investigate livelihood capitals of the local population in the region of Besna Kobila, by taking into account the opinions of local people related to nature protection and tourism development.

Research area The highest peak is 1,922m above sea level Location: it is situated on the watershed of the South Morava River and the Struma River basins. 40 km east of Vranje, 120 km from Nis, 120 km from Skopje 400 km from Belgrade.

Mt Besna Kobila through the seasons

Research area The area of Mt Besna Kobila is characterized by bare rounded tops connected by a single main ridge with long and wide slopes which are predominantly covered with meadows plummeting into deep river valleys. The low zone is covered with a beech forest while the higher zones (slopes at 1,650/1,700 m) are covered with forests of beech and spruce mix or spruce only. The highest zones are covered with meadows and an occasional juniper bush (Juniperus sp.).

As for metallic mineral raw materials, the presence of lead and zinc ores was discovered on Mt Besna Kobila at the "Grot" as well as in its immediate and wider environment in a so called mineralized zone that extends from Osogovo in Macedonia via Besna Kobila to Čemernik. The exploitation and processing of lead and zinc ores are now done only at the "Grot" where the level of exploitation is very high.

Settlements Mt Besna Kobila is home to villages with a total population of about 1,000 belonging to the municipalities of Vranje, Bosilegrad and Surdulica. The focus of the study is on two mountain villages - Kriva Feja and Nesvrta.

Different types of houses made of mud to modern houses

Methodology Secondary and primary data Secondary data: scientific books and papers, public documents, archives, administrative documents and official studies and reports. The most significant source of secondary data was legal documentation – The Town of Vranje Spatial Plan (2011) and The Plan for a Detailed Regulation of the Central Zone of the Ski Resort of Mt Besna Kobila (2014). The questionnaire was used as a tool for obtaining comparable and quantifiable data on how the local people combine their abilities, skills and knowledge with a variety of available resources. The questionnaire was systematically created on the basis of the approach to the concept of sustainable livelihoods in order to determine the five forms of capital present in households. The total number of interviewed households is 85, of which 72 were questioned in the village of Kriva Feja, and 13 in the village of Nesvrta.

The processing of data from the survey was carried out by applying the methods of descriptive statistics and also by using a standardized data processing program - Microsoft Office Excel 7. The study is based on a quantitative and analytical method which was used to process, systemize and present data.

Results Socio-economic characteristics of the respondents The evaluation of local capacities of mountain villages on Mt Besna Kobila Views of the local population on tourism development Views of the local population on the protection of the area of Mt Besna Kobila

Socio-economic characteristics of the respondents Graphic no. 1: The survey results pertaining to age categories in both villages (n=85)

According to the statistics of the census of 2011 aging population prevails on this mountain as evidenced by the results of this study. Such age structure is the result of constant migrations of younger population to the town or villages closer to the town, mainly for economic reasons.

Table 1. Comparative overview of the number of inhabitants - 1948, 1953, 1961, 1971, 1981, 1991, 2002 and 2011 (Census, 2011). Villages Number of inhabitants 1948 1953 1961 1971 1981 1991 2002 2011 Kriva Feja 1708 1785 1779 1823 1594 1223 870 590 Nesvrta 479 476 498 464 298 216 132 85

Socio-economic characteristics of the respondents Graphic no.2: Respondents’ responses to how satisfied they are with life in the village

The evaluation of local capacities of mountain villages on Besna Kobila Human capital Education is the most appropriate variable for presenting human capital in the research area. The results from the survey show that 20% of the respondents have primary education, while 59% of the respondents finished secondary school, 2 respondents do not have primary education while 7% of the respondents have some type of higher education. Another important variable for human capital is economic activities of the population and employment. In the area of the villages of Kriva Feja and Nesvrta 51% of the respondents are employed. Of the remaining 49% who are unemployed, 22% are pensioners and the rest are mostly women who are not employed.

The evaluation of local capacities of mountain villages on Besna Kobila Natural capital All of the respondents possess land, and even 86% of them live in the village throughout the year. - 42% of the population own livestock and / or poultry, and 30% possess agricultural land. - 14.5% of the respondents own forest land. In an interview with the respondents we learned that in recent years more and more households have been opting for goat farming and less for cows and sheep, which was once a characteristic of this area.

The evaluation of local capacities of mountain villages on Besna Kobila Natural capital Graphic no.3 : The survey results pertaining to the collection of nonwood forest products (Kriva Feja) The results show that traditional activities are still practiced and the collection of natural resources, in particular nonwood forest products (NWFPs), is one of the ways in which local population achieves additional revenue.

The evaluation of local capacities of mountain villages on Besna Kobila Natural capital Graphic no.4 : The survey results pertaining to the collection of nonwood forest products (Nesvrta)

The evaluation of local capacities of mountain villages on Mt Besna Kobila Physical capital The road in Nesvrta ‘’Market ‘’in Kriva Feja Municipal road 19-1 in Kriva Feja Ambulance station in Kriva Feja

The evaluation of local capacities of mountain villages on Besna Kobila Financial capital Financial capital is analyzed through the origin of the funds, research on the sources of income coming from basic occupations of the respondents and additional activities they are engaged in. Of the employees surveyed, 92% work in the area of the mountain while others work in Vranje and Vranjska Banja. The respondents generate additional funds to sustain the households by being engaged in other activities related to the use and exploitation of natural resources. These mainly involve collecting mushrooms, berries and medicinal herbs that are either used in households or sold.

The evaluation of local capacities of mountain villages on Mt Besna Kobila Social capital Graphic no.5.: Research results regarding respondents relations with neighbors

Views of the local population on tourism development Graphic no.6: The survey results regarding participation in tourism activities

Views of the local population on the protection of the area of Mt Besna Kobila - 92% of the respondents believe that the area of Mt Besna Kobila should be protected by law, of which 61% are willing to participate in the process of declaring the area of Mt Besna Kobila a protected natural resource i.e. a nature park. - However, 33% of the respondents had no opinion on the issue i.e. their response was "I do not know", although those who responded positively were generally not familiar with the process of declaring a natural resource or with the term "nature park".

Mountain Home in Besna Kobila Besna Kobila, natural water resources Besna Kobila,bicycle tours

Uncontrolled disposal of waste in large quantities also represents a major problem in addition to the pending issue of a sewage system. Tailings in Kriva Feja

Conclusions The involvement of local communities in the management is often seen as a tool for the sustainable management of natural resources (Tomićević, 2005; Tomicevic et al., 2010). The key factor for an effective and sustainable management is the cooperation between local communities, local authorities and state institutions. The level of migration is high with a constant decline in population. Migrations are triggered by poor living conditions and dissatisfaction with the socio-economic situation. The results show that financial capital is insufficiently developed, while social and natural capitals are highly rated.

Conclusions (cont.) Most of the respondents believe that the development of tourism would have a favorable influence on increasing the revenue by selling local products and non-timber forest products. Locals see the cooperation with local authorities and tourism development as an opportunity to improve the overall economic situation in the area and living conditions in general. The level of education is a crucial variable affecting the views on understanding the issues relating to the protection of nature, possible declaration of the area as a nature park and the benefits which, in this case, can be expected. Most respondents believe that we should protect nature of Besna Kobila by showing their willingness to participate in it.

Conclusions (cont.) Every organized process of spreading information followed by the inclusion of local communities and mutual decision-making based on presenting opinions and arguments builds trust and partnership between these actors. Also, this approach stimulates individuals and communities to be more active and more responsive to environmental issues by raising awareness of local communities about the importance of their roles and responsibilities for the development of the society as a whole.

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