Sectors	Regional and territorial cooperation
EU Acquis Chapters	Other issues
EU funds	90 113 €
Implementation period	2011 - 2024
Categories	Climate action ;  Digital ;  Civil society;  Gender (Mouse hover to see significance)

The Project area includes four municipalities: Kozarska Dubica and Kostajnica, Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) and Hrvatska Kostajnica and Hrvatska Dubica, Croatia. The project proposal describes as one of the key identified problems in the Project area the stagnation of local economies, which causes harsh unemployment and depopulation of rural areas due to difficulties in providing family income, which in turn forces people to migrate internally or abroad, youth in particular. Additional specific characteristic of the area is its vicinity to the border, with the Una River as borderline. The valley of the Una River, together with the wider Pounje region forms an area with recognized valuable biologic and landscape diversity. It is also the area whose significant resource basis (water, arable land, forests, attractive natural and rural landscapes, and cultural heritage) represents the important potential for development of agriculture, forestry, tourism and the related small and medium enterprises. Yet, tourism economy in the Project area has not been fully recognized as a resource that could become the bearer of local economy development thus far, regardless of the significant potentials noted. As a follow up of previous initiatives and interventions in the tourism development in this area, the four municipalities in the Project area have embarked on the initiative to establish a joint tourist supply that will valorise the joint environmental heritage and improve the competitiveness of the Project area’s tourist supply on the principles of sustainable development.

In order to promote the competitive advantage of the Project area the project built the infrastructure and trained human resources necessary for the establishment of a unique tourist supply in the region with focus on sport fishing in the lower course of the Una River. The infrastructure included construction of four anglers lodges and four competition lanes along with improvement of eight access roads to these facilities. Particular attention was given to raising awareness of the target groups with focus on increasing the level of information and knowledge on protection of natural heritage, as a factor of regional development. Information to citizens was provided on the subject of the responsible tourism and its principles for the purpose of the sustainable development through media outlets/promotional events and material. The project promotion activities included also the organisation of the cross-border sports fishing competition in August 2012. The Project results include also the establishment of networks and partnerships of various stakeholders from non-governmental, private and public sector, with added value of cross border cooperation, which were institutionalized through three agreements signed between municipalities, tourist organizations and fishermen associations. These arrangements form basis for a long term protection of the lower course of the Una River detailed in agreements on joint stocking, cleaning of banks, water quality preservation, organization of joint fishery control and preservation of autochthonous species. Joint platform on joint rural tourism development in the cross border area was developed and signed. This project ensured relevant training and thus increased employability for 12 (twelve) certified tourist guides, 4 fishery officers and heads of 12 rural households. These rural households accommodation capacities were presented in the promotion materials as an integral part of the tourist offer, which was a pilot initiative. To ensure further promotion of the rural tourism, a joint platform on rural tourism development was agreed and signed by the tourist organizations .