Society for the Protection of Prespa (SPP)

The Society for the Protection of Prespa (SPP) is a non-profit environmental organisation, locally based in the villages of Agios Germanos and Laimos in Prespa, northern Greece, and employs 19 people. The SPP was formed in 1991, by the internationally renowned conservationist, Dr Luc Hoffmann and the environmentalist-architect, Thymios Papayannis. Together they laid the foundation for the establishment of the SPP, with the help and support of 10 national and international environmental non-profit organisations. The Prespa region is considered one of Europe’s most ecologically valuable sites, as it has been home to the world’s largest colony of Dalmatian pelicans and provides refuge for many rare and endemic avian and fish species, as well as many cultural and historical monuments. The SPP works to protect the globally important Prespa lakes, helping to create a world where people and nature thrive together. Its research and actions focus mainly on the region of Prespa, as well as the wider geographical range of the Dalmatian pelicans breeding there, and its activities seek to secure the appropriate management of natural resources, the sustainable development of the basin, the protection of threatened species and habitats and inform the public while raising awareness on conservation issues. One of its basic principles is that common approaches and close collaboration between stakeholders and organisations at local, national and transboundary levels promote mutual understanding, build capacity and social capital and foster sustainable long-term solutions. As a result, the SPP promotes partnerships at many levels, from participatory governance schemes to support for conservation volunteers and from multi-stakeholder joint projects to international scientific alliances. Transboundary co-operation has always been a fundamental part of its vision and work, as the Prespa lake complex is a water body shared between three neighbours: Albania, Greece and North Macedonia.