IASON+ Project Description:

The Invasive Alien Species Observatory and Network Development for the Assessment of Climate Change Impacts and Contextual Ecosystem Services Evaluation in Black Sea Deltaic Protected Areas (IASON+) project has been approved for support under the Interreg-NEXT program. The project is designed as a continuation of the previous CBC-BSB IASON (BSB-1121) project. The project will be carried out under Romanian leadership, and the partner countries are Romania, Greece, Turkey, Ukraine, and Georgia. The project budget is 1,396,112 Euros.

The IASON+ Project focuses on the impact of Invasive Alien Species (IAS) on Ecosystem Services (ES) in the Black Sea Basin (BSB) region, with particular emphasis on the challenges and effects of IAS in the Danube Delta, Nestos Delta, Kızılırmak Delta, Çoruh Delta, and Kolkheti Delta. These delta regions are especially vulnerable to the emergence and spread of IAS due to their unique ecological features, including various habitats and high biological diversity. IAS can disrupt the delicate balance of these ecosystems, threaten native species, and negatively affect the provision of ES such as water purification, flood regulation, coastal protection, fishing, and tourism. The general goal of the project is to enhance the management and reduction of IAS in the delta areas to preserve and restore ES. The project aims to create positive change by reducing the spread and impact of IAS, increasing ecosystem resilience, and ensuring the sustainable supply of ES in delta regions.

Project outputs:

1. Establishment of an IAS Monitoring and Warning System,
2. Development of Integrated Management Strategies and Action Plans,
3. Preparation of Capacity Building and Training Programs.

Beneficiaries of the project outputs and results include:

• Local communities living in delta regions whose livelihoods depend on the provision of sustainable energy resources.
• Organizations and institutions responsible for managing and protecting the unique ecosystems of delta regions and biodiversity conservation.
• Policymakers and government officials involved in environmental management and decision-making processes.
• Scientists and researchers interested in studying the effects of IAS and developing effective management strategies.
• Industries and sectors based on ecosystem services such as tourism, agriculture, fisheries, and water resource management.

Due to the nature of the delta regions in the BSB, the project adopts a transnational approach, which is crucial to effectively address the challenges posed by IAS in these areas. The planned approach includes cooperation, information exchange, and joint efforts among partners from different countries and delta regions. This collaboration facilitates a more comprehensive and coordinated response to the IAS issue in the BSB delta regions by enabling the sharing of experiences, expertise, best practices, and resources.