Partners
LUTRA, Institute for Conservation of Natural Heritage is a private, non-profit making and independent environmental non-governmental organization devoted exclusively to nature conservation. It is active continuously from the year 1998. Its sphere of activity is nature conservation and research work of freshwater and riparian ecosystems; in particularly, it is targeted to Eurasian otter (Lutra lutra), which as a top predator represents the whole richness of freshwater biodiversity functioning as its ambassador. The otter, also a flagship species of the organization, is used for education work with different groups of young people, for information and public awareness actions aiming at protection and preservation of aquatic ecosystems. The mission of the organization is concentrated to otter research and conservation work with its habitats included. Status of "NGO, working in public interest" was conferred to Lutra Institute by Ministry of Environment and Spatial Planning in the year 2010. The organization hosts also the national representative of the IUCN/Species Survival Commission/Otter Specialist Group.
Institute's legal framework represents Habitat Directive of the Council of Europe with its national implementations (Nature Conservation Act and subordinated legislative), Environment Protection Act and Water Framework Directive with its implementations to national legislation (National Water Act).
Institute LUTRA employs only professionals with naturalistic education, mainly biologists. They conduct inventory and monitoring works targeting aquatic habitats and endangered species from Habitat Directive, special studies and assessments about environmental impacts, nature conservation consultations concerning spatial planning etc.
HOPA is company working in the field of communication, advertising and production. Young team with impetus provides creative and holistic solutions in graphic design, marketing communication, public relations producing a variety of communication materials.
HOPA Co. provides services for holistic implementation of micro and macro advertising campaigns. They are specialised especially for outdoor advertising (advertising on jumbo posters, houses and buses). Their PR experts are taking care for good and efficient public relations during campaigns, with daily support to customers. They are also well familiar with different media in Slovenia and with trends in advertising and public relations. With expert support they can raise the efficiency of advertising campaign significantly.
Institute for Water of the Republic of Slovenia (hereinafter referred to IzVRS) is a specialized professional organization for water resources management and engineering of fresh and maritime waters. They conduct studies, research, technical projects, consultation, expertise and planning documents in water sector on national level. IzVRS is leading expert institution for Water Framework Directive (2000/6/EC), Flood Directive (2007/60/EC) and Bathing Water Directive (s) (76/160/EEC, 2006/7/EC) implementation in Slovenia. In this respect we serve the Republic of Slovenia and its executive office Ministry of Environment and Spatial Planning in preparing river basin management plans for Slovenian two River Basin Districts, evaluating flood hazard and risk management plans and developing bathing water profiles for Slovenia. Their expertise also covers some aspects of Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive and Nitrate Directive.
The solutions and services of IzVRS are comprehensive, economically efficient, preventively oriented and practical. We are exposing some of them, which are relevant to this project:
• Applied research and solutions for the water environment
• Analysis of the existing policy and suggestions for new national and European water policy
• Expert groundwork for the preparation of river basin management plans
• Guidelines for the implementation of the water planning process at the national, regional and municipal levels
• Applied assessment and methods for control of the state of the water environment
• Information, awareness raising and education of the public on the importance of water, water planning and management.
International activities:
IzVRS has been actively connected with organizations abroad and has collaborated in implementation of their projects and activities. It participates in working groups of the common implementation strategy of directives at the European Commission, in the expert working groups at the Secretariat of the International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River (ICPDR, Vienna) and at the Secretariat of the International Sava River Basin Commission (ISRBC, Zagreb). Institute is a partner in the international consortium for implementation of water-related activities of the European Environment Agency (EEA). As a lead partner, partner or contractor it carries out development projects LIFE, LIFE+ and Interreg.