A participatory model of the management of protected natural areas in the Neretva Delta

The paper analyses the issue of the implementation of nature conservation policy in the Lower Neretva Delta. Institutional nature protection in that part of the Croatian coast is burdened with various problems, of which poaching, burning of swamp reeds, illegal conversion of wetlands into agricultural land, and ilegal construction should be singled out. Since the current concept of nature protection, based on the top-down command-and-control principle, proved to be ineffective in resolving conflicts with the local community, the authors of this paper considered the participatory management model of protected natural areas as an alternative possibility. A comparative analysis of the current state of nature protection in the Upper Neretva Delta, in the neighbouring Bosnia and Herzegovina, where protected areas are located within the Hutovo Blato Nature Park, is also given. The authors also researched the issue of the development of ecotourism as the most adequate sustainable form of tourism in the Lower Delta. The potential of ecotourism, as a response to social, ecological and economic problems that burden the local community, has been critically studied, based on experiences from other parts of the world. The research shows the need to involve stakeholders from the local community in the implementation of the nature protection policy using a participatory model.