Project duration: 04/2023 – 04/2025 

Status: COMPLETED

The Challenge 

The project addresses the degradation of high nature value (HNV) farmland on Dalmatian islands, particularly on Korčula, Croatia. Historically, these islands maintained diverse landscapes and HNV farming through low-intensity farming and semi-natural vegetation cover. However, current trends such as land encroachment and reforestation are reducing the HNV farmland, exacerbated by the prioritisation of tourism over farming.

The Solution

The project aims to address the challenge of balancing socio-economic development with nature preservation on the island of Korčula. With tourism and construction industries emphasising condominiums over diverse economic growth, the project proposes creating year-round crop maps in collaboration with local islanders. These maps will be publicly accessible on the project’s website, initiating discussions with stakeholders to devise strategies for sustainable development while conserving the island’s natural habitats. The goal is to harmonise the benefits of tourism with the preservation of Korčula’s unique natural environment, which makes it a desirable tourist destination.

Project Deliverables

• Cropland maps: High-resolution maps showcasing the distribution and types of crops on Korčula
• Website: Publishing the website with the database, the maps and the technical report
• Cropland database: A robust and exhaustive database containing the analytical breakdown of the crop details gathered from the project. It will provide stakeholders with insights regarding cropped coverage, crop period prevalence, seasonal crop patterns, and area-specific reports of farming practice.
• Peer-reviewed technical report

Project updates

• Peer-reviewed technical report: A technical report summarising the key findings of the maps and proposing a list of recommendations per stakeholder category

Insight into the Organisation

The MIRO Institute, a French-Croatian organisation established in January 2018, focuses on promoting sustainable development on islands. Their primary objective is to use the expertise and knowledge of European and international partners to address local environmental challenges in collaboration with island institutions and organisations.In partnership with LAG5 and Mljet National Park, MIRO aims to establish an agro-environmental baseline for Mljet, Korčula, and the Pelješac peninsula. This initiative is aligned with the “High Nature Value (HNV) vision for the Dalmatian Islands”, developed during the HNV-link project (H2020 project 2016-2019). By defining this baseline, MIRO seeks to support sustainable development and nature preservation in these regions.