Press Conference for Wetland Contract in the Kolanjsko blato area
07/05/2026
PP7 - AGRRA organized a press conference of the GREW – Governance of Wetlands in Italy-Croatia Cross Border Region project. It was held on May 6, 2026, at the Agricultural-Educational Centre in Zemunik Donji, Croatia, within the Interreg Italy–Croatia 2021–2027 Programme.
The conference is part of Activity A.1.4 “Making pilot Wetland Contracts visible at local scale (pilot areas)” and primarily focused on presenting the Wetland Contract process implemented within the Kolanjsko blato pilot area. The event aimed to increase the visibility of the pilot area, strengthen stakeholder engagement and inform the wider public about the importance of participatory wetland governance, biodiversity conservation and climate change adaptation.
During the conference, AGRRA presented the GREW project activities implemented in the Kolanjsko blato pilot area, with particular emphasis on the Wetland Contract as one of the project’s key outputs. Through the Wetland Contract process, local stakeholders jointly committed themselves to implementing wetland protection and sustainable management measures within their respective fields of activity, contributing to long-term preservation and resilience of the area.
Special attention was also given to the programme “GREW Days in Kolan”, organized in cooperation with the Tourist Board of Municipality of Kolan. Through educational, cultural and outdoor activities, visitors and local stakeholders were introduced to the ecological importance of wetlands, biodiversity conservation, local traditions and sustainable management practices connected to the pilot area.
The conference highlighted the importance of cross-border cooperation projects in supporting environmental protection and sustainable local development.
Daniel Segarić, Head of the Administrative Department for Agriculture, Fisheries and EU Funds of Zadar County, emphasized the importance of biodiversity conservation and sustainable tourism development in the context of climate resilience and local development.
Ivica Pintur, Director of AGRRA, highlighted that the GREW project contributes to improving sustainable management of the Kolanjsko blato wetland area while simultaneously supporting preservation of local traditions and strengthening sustainable tourism development on the island of Pag.
Gabrijela Kuštera Franin, GREW project manager, presented the key project activities implemented through the project, including workshops, educational events, outdoor activities and stakeholder engagement processes. Special emphasis was placed on the Wetland Contract as one of the project’s most important outputs and on the role of local stakeholders in jointly defining and implementing wetland protection measures.
Petra Valovčić, Director of the Tourist Board of Municipality of Kolan, presented the role of local traditions, gastronomy and wild edible plants within the GREW Days programme and emphasized the importance of preserving local island resources and knowledge. She also highlighted the active involvement of the Tourist Board in the Wetland Contract process as one of the local stakeholders committed to implementing protection and sustainable management measures for Kolanjsko blato.
Matej Mikulić, project manager of the Mystical Danube project, presented complementary activities implemented at the Kolanjsko blato locality through the Mystical Danube project, co-financed by the Interreg Danube Transnational Programme 2021–2027. The presentation highlighted the complementarity between the GREW project, focused on wetland protection and climate resilience, and the Mystical Danube project, focused on preservation and interpretation of intangible cultural heritage connected to the same pilot area.
The conference successfully contributed to increasing local visibility of the GREW project and strengthening communication with local stakeholders and the wider public regarding the importance of wetland conservation, biodiversity protection and sustainable management practices.
Several local and regional media outlets covered the event through online articles, television reports and social media publications.