Strategic Management and Management Tools for National Parks in Serbia

Abstract

The management of the national parks Tara, Fruška Gora, Djerdap and Kopaonik and the activities of the managers in Serbia are affairs of the public interest. The manner of their strategic management is defined by the legal framework in the field of nature protection and it implies the adoption and the implementation of documents, such as the nature protection strategy, management plans and spatial plans for the special purpose areas. The paper particularly emphasizes the importance of adopting management plans for national parks, as basic documents for their management, as well as their harmonization with the spatial plans for the special purpose areas, as specific instruments for the management of these areas. It points out the importance of establishing governing bodies, such as a professional alliance and a council of users of national parks, which would improve their management and incorporate the interests of local people and users of space. In accordance with the above, this paper aims to point out the importance of strategic management and strategic documents in the field of protection and management of national parks in Serbia and give suggestions for their improvement.