Description
The project addresses the issue of preservation of valuable historical documents on the protection of natural resources and protected areas as the loss of these documents is an obstacle to the successful advocacy of sustainable development. The project aims at bringing together all the paper documents of the applicant dating back to 1928 in an online digital archive and providing access to the public. First, the applicant’s archive of more than 10 000 pages on protected areas will be organized and bibliographically classified. Second, an online database will be created and the archive will be digitalized. Third, public access to the online digital archive will be promoted among the stakeholders. Finally, the applicant’s will be trained to use the digital archive and build its capacity for advocacy. The project will benefit about 80 green NGOs working to protect biodiversity and the other stakeholders by preserving and providing public access to the valuable historical records.
Summary of project results
The project addressed the issue of preservation of valuable historical documents on the protection of natural resources and protected areas as the loss of these documents is an obstacle to the successful advocacy of sustainable development. The main result of the completed project is the creation of a new type of resource to support the work of the environmental NGOs called “online archive” (
http://www.ekoarhiv.bg) - a tool for increasing their contribution to sustainable development. It was created and is currently active Internet site providing access to documents with information and justification for the NGOs' work for protection of specific areas and species. Thus was fulfilled the main objective of the project for the provision of online access to data that provides justification for the development of policy documents for management of natural resources based on historical precedents. The “Archive” is considered successful, as during the project implementation there were classified and digitized many more documents than originally planned. At the moment they are available online for free, in user friendly to search and use database and provide valuable evidence for justified work on some of the oldest, and simultaneously most discussed nowadays environmental cases. The online documentation provided by the archivist, supports the advocacy work of NGOs on environmental cases as well as the transparency of policy implemented by the responsible institutions and facilitates both target groups in these two directions. In order to provide the documents online in an accessible form and to spread the new online archive as an useful tool for work, there were mobilized efforts for classification and digitalization of documents, IT development and management of online database, trainings for the target groups and promotion activities. The target groups participated in both planned training (2 trainings in Sofia and Varna) and promotional events (two exhibitions and presentation in Sofia) and in meetings and online surveys for the needs of IT functionality and future development of the Archive. The idea of the historical development and the long-term importance of the NGOs' efforts for the biodiversity conservation through documents from the early 20th century was promoted among the general public and among the target groups. A public exhibition of materials from the online archive with recent photographs was organised.
Summary of bilateral results